Summer is here, which means it’s intern season. Make the right impression and help inspire young minds by giving your new intern a thorough welcome to the team. Here are some tips to bear in mind on your intern’s first day.
Give them a welcome remember – Go above and beyond to make your intern feel welcome. On their first day, your intern will be out of their comfort zone, so ensure they don’t stay there for long. Equip them with a handbook that will give them an overview of company culture, introduce them to their team members, assign them a mentor, and sweeten their arrival with a welcome box of chocolate. Give them a guided tour of the office while keeping abreast of minor details like where the restroom and coffee machine are and where the nearest supermarket is.
Keep communication transparent – Your intern may hesitate to bombard you with questions during their first week. Schedule informal catch-ups to encourage open communication. This will establish a level of professional comfort that is vital when working in a close-knit team. Put time aside to drop them emails, simply to check up on how they’re coping with the internship and their workload.
Give them a packed schedule – Let your intern hit the ground running from their first week. This will rapidly acclimate them to working at the company and will help them feel like a proper part of the team. It’s a common mistake to leave your intern on stand-by which results in them twiddling their thumbs, scrolling social media, and developing a slow productivity rate. Your intern is here to learn and get an authentic taste of office life, so empower them with more than just admin tasks.
Prepare for the “big talk” – Fresh graduates tend to enroll in internships with a goal of it evolving into full time employment. If your budget and team cannot accommodate a new full-time member of staff, ensure that’s clear from the very beginning. Alternatively, give your intern the tools and feedback they need to upskill into full-time employee material over the course of the internship. Remember that encouragement plays an equally vital role in building their morale.