Thrive is in the business of helping businesses grow online. with that in mind, this is a post with general advice for small businesses. We hope you find it helpful!
Interns are an excellent addition to any small business as they bring fresh perspective and ambition to the company. Before you can add an intern to your team, you need to find and win over the individual you believe is the best fit.
7 Tips for Finding the Best Interns for Your Small Business
To help with your selection process, here are eight tips to hiring the best interns for your company, whether you’re searching in person or remotely.
1. Hold interviews, in person or via webcam, twice.
Video interviews are becoming one of the most widely used hiring tools by modern businesses. Video interviews streamline the interview process simpler and save time so you can spend more of your energy on the search itself. A remote interview allows you and the candidate to prepare for the meeting and practice from the comforts of and office or home. You’ll have the opportunity to see if the candidate’s goals, experiences, and personality matches the needs of your small business. If the first interview concludes successfully, don’t be hesitant to set up a second. There’s a lot to cover when discussing skills, experience, expectations, and goals, so don’t limit yourself to making an important decision after just one interview.
2. Utilize personality and behavioral assessments.
Personality assessments and behavioral assessments are just as useful as interviews in the hiring process, as they give you an opportunity to learn about the strengths and traits of a prospective intern early in the process. There are many different online assessments, one of the best being the StrengthsFinder 2.0 since it focuses on professional characteristics and how they relate to others traits. Just remember that personality assessments, while becoming a part of the professional world increasingly, aren’t yet common, so a candidate might be uncomfortable with the request and might refuse, a decision which is entirely understandable and within their rights.
3. Look for confidence coupled with a willingness to learn
An intern that has a balance of confidence and teachability can be a great advantage for your business. When conducting interviews look for an individual that has a resume and an attitude that exemplifies confidence in their skills, knowledge of the industry, and healthy ambition. Just as important is ascertaining whether the candidate is teachable and capable of acknowledging that they’re there to provide service as well as learn what you can teach them and adapt to the small business ethos.
4. Use a small business recruiting service.
Don’t have much time for an intern search? Employ a recruitment agency. A recruiting service is useful for seeking interns because it can take on the bulk of the responsibilities in the hiring process, landing you a great intern without adding extra responsibilities on your plate. The recruiting service is responsible for screening resumes, contacting the applicants, and overseeing the assessments. Depending on your needs, you can use a recruitment agency that specializes in placing interns in small businesses and specific industries, so you don’t have to worry about receiving an intern who knows next to nothing about your business.
5. Be clear about expectations and possibilities.
Make sure that job responsibilities, behavioral and professional expectations, growth opportunities, and specifics rewards and incentives are laid out clearly in the job description for your internship positions. The more thorough and unambiguous the description, the better chance you’ll attract an intern candidate who will fit the job perfectly.
6. Discuss the professional growth program with the candidate.
A professional growth plan details the steps and stages of the progression an intern can expect and achieve at your business or within the industry. A growth plan starts at the very beginning – the responsibilities they will assume on their first day at the job and, as is common with internship programs, it ends with a full-time position at your business or placement elsewhere in the industry. A growth plan is an excellent tool for both you and the intern because it provides you with a format to track the progress of the intern and helps the intern to plan successfully and work towards their professional goals. When a candidate experiences you taking the time to discuss their goals and how they fit in with your company, as well as explaining and answering any questions they have about your internship will help them professionally, they’ll be much more willing to become a part of your team.
7. Never take your intern for granted!
Never forget – you’re there to help the intern as much as they’re there to help you. The more time you spend communicating to the intern that you value their work, appreciate their successes, and are available for guidance to help them meet their goals, the more they will care about working hard and thinking creatively to help your business. Invest in your interns and they’ll invest in you!
Do you have you own intern insight?
We hope some of the tips we’ve included above will help you select and employ interns who are assets to your company and who go on to excel in small business. If you have any other tips, advice, or ideas on finding, hiring, or managing interns, please share in the comments below!
