If you’re planning on attending the National Collegiate Landscape Competition to recruit at the career fair or if you’re trying to attract students in general, one useful tool is an internship program.
“Most of the students that come to NCLC are looking for internship opportunities at your company,” says Brigitte Orrick, director of recruiting and employee development for Davey Tree Expert Company, based in Kent, Ohio. “They’re looking to explore your career paths and what you have to offer as an employer.”
An internship can serve as an extended interview for both the student and your organization.
However, internships are not something you can just throw together and assume you’ll receive tons of applications or ROI right off the bat. Below are some of the common mistakes that can make an internship program ineffective.
Not Thinking Through Logistics
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to the logistics of an internship program. One place to start when you begin to craft your program is utilizing NALP’s guide on student internships.
Some of the major details you need to plan out are the intern’s compensation, the duration of the internship and meeting housing/transportation needs if you want to host students outside of your immediate area.
You should pay your interns a competitive hourly rate as they are putting in the work as they learn more about your company.
Be flexible as you work with students to find a time for them to start their internship, typically in the summer. Outline the goals you want to achieve first and determine the amount of time it will take to accomplish them. Most programs are anywhere from eight to 12 weeks long.
A major limiting factor of your intern pool can be housing if you are unable to provide short-term options for students not from your region. Jaden Miller, marketing manager for Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, says they coordinate with a local college campus for housing for their out-of-state interns.
“Before that, many interested students turned us down for internships because the short-term housing piece was difficult,” Miller says. “Since removing that barrier, we’ve been much more successful in hiring interns.”
Not Having a Dedicated Point Person
Another element that can impact the success of your internship program is not having a dedicated individual in charge of the program. Having one employee take responsibility for the program helps with accountability. They should be passionate about teaching and willing to invest the time outside of their other tasks.
If several employees manage different elements of the program but there is no oversight, things can more easily slip through the cracks. A point person can regularly review if the intern is following a set structure and meeting the goals of your organization.
This individual can also serve as a mentor to the intern and ensure that they have someone to turn to for guidance and support throughout the experience. They can also help the intern feel more connected to the team as a whole.
Failing to Provide Meaningful Work
One of the biggest pitfalls of internship programs is failing to provide meaningful work for the students. Assigning them with only menial or repetitive tasks is a disservice to the student’s time and desire to learn more about the industry.
If your interns have a negative experience at your company or are stuck mowing for the entire 10 weeks of the program, this word of mouth will also spread to other students and their professor, who often recommend company internships to students they feel are a good fit.
Work with your interns ahead of time to determine their interests and learning goals. You can build out a customized program to provide the most value for the intern and your company.
Another tactic is to rotate interns through all your departments so they can discover all the possible career paths. In some cases, this structure can help students realize a division they thought they wanted to go into isn’t what they’re passionate about.
Insufficient Training or Onboarding
Another similar failing is not having a formal onboarding process or training for your interns. Make your interns feel welcome from day one and don’t treat them differently from any of your other team members.
“Students accept internships so that they can learn; otherwise, they would accept a regular, more focused role,” says Christina Checchi, talent acquisition manager for Yellowstone Landscape, based in Bunnell, Florida. “Seek to teach students not just about the company but help them develop skills that they can take with them to other industries if they choose to go elsewhere. Students appreciate growing not just on a professional level but on a personal level as well.”
Set clear goals for their performance of the skills they should have developed by the end of the program. Also, don’t overlook critical safety training for your interns.
Not Seeking Out Feedback
Your internship program is always going to have room for improvement, but you can lose out on key insights if you are not gathering feedback from your interns.
During the program, your point person or the assigned mentor should regularly check in with the intern to see if their expectations are being met. Also, at the conclusion of the internship, conduct an exit interview to learn what they liked and didn’t like.
Mullin, based in St. Rose, Louisiana, also requires their interns to present on on what they learned and sell an aspect that would help improve the business. These suggestions help the students think more critically about the company and some ideas have even been implemented by the business.
No Follow-Up Post Internship
Internships are an investment of time and resources so don’t let those efforts go to waste by never contacting past interns once they’ve completed your program. Following up regularly will keep your organization top of mind and can reinforce the fact you are genuinely interested in their career.
In some instances, a junior in college might be seeking out another internship the following year and you can build on their knowledge during a second stint.
If you have rockstar interns who will be graduating soon, don’t hesitate to make a job offer. Even if they have other offers they’re considering, it doesn’t hurt to throw your hat into the ring. Maintaining connections over the years could even result in a past intern coming to your organization later in their professional career.
Key Takeaways
- Effective internship programs require careful planning of compensation, duration, and housing to attract and accommodate top student talent.
- Engage interns with varied, impactful tasks aligned with their interests and career goals to enhance their learning and your company’s reputation.
- Maintain relationships with past interns to nurture long-term connections, improve your program with feedback, and recruit promising candidates for future roles.
