Interns can be an incredible resource to small businesses when chosen and trained correctly. They are usually smart, enthusiastic, and eager to assist you in the day-to-day running of the company.Here are five steps to creating an internship program that works for you, and your interns.

Creating an internship program

Step 1: Decide on the intern’s specific responsibilities

When you are building an internship program, start with what you want the intern to do. What exactly will the intern be responsible for? How long will the internship last? How many hours will the successful candidate be required to put in? How will you evaluate their work? How will you handle intern questions? Will you designate one person as the intern’s resource person, or give the intern a notebook to list questions and give answers once daily–or a third option that works best for your business?

When you are building an internship program, start with what you want the intern to do. What exactly will the intern be responsible for? How long will the internship last? How many hours will the successful candidate be required to put in? How will you evaluate their work? How will you handle intern questions? Will you designate one person as the intern’s resource person, or give the intern a notebook to list questions and give answers once daily–or a third option that works best for your business?

如果您从一开始是具体的，那么您将避免后来的误解。您的期望会很明确，实习生将确切知道您从他们的表现中预期的。

Step 2: Write a job description

您也希望在这里具体。清楚地描述了您的需求以及您为候选人提供的经验，将吸引最佳人才。下一步是将职位描述获取正确的位置…

步骤3：找到合适的实习生

你知道吗how to find interns for your business? Post your available position where an intern might find your well-crafted job description. Try these …

1. You can utilize local school programs. Work with the career counseling centers at your local universities and community colleges while setting up an internship program. Keep in mind that the university will have requirements for the internship so that the student will receive college credit, and you may have to report periodically on the student’s progress. However, once the college advisers see that you are providing a worthwhile internship experience, they may send new interns your way each year.
2. Check out career websites, “intern hubs,” and other resources.Dedicated websitessuch as Glassdoor can help you find interns through a database of candidates. Maybe an intern will find your job description on LinkedIn or via Google.
3. Don’t forget about social networking while designing internship programs. Send out a tweet or post to your Facebook page that your company is looking for interns. You can gather responses from people who you know are already interested in your company.
4. You also may want to think about nontraditional interns who are looking for a career change. For example, a teacher who wants to move into the business world. There are also senior internships where both younger employees and an experienced intern can learn from each other.

Step 4: Take time to mentor your interns

When the intern arrives, take the time toset the toneby making introductions and letting them know how their work fits into the big picture. Adapt yournew employee onboarding process需要你的实习生。计划out projects ahead of time. Be a supportive, present manager who provides guidance and feedback throughout the internship.

如果您的实习生享受职位，表现良好并且可以教练，那么您可能已经找到了未来的员工！他们可能会在毕业后返回工作，您将拥有看过以前的实习生工作的优势。作为新员工，他们将需要更少的在职培训，这相当于准备工作的更强大的员工。

步骤5：了解法律

Determine if you will offer a付费与无薪实习. Certain criteria must be met for an internship to be unpaid and excluded from your payroll program. According to theU.S. Department of Labor, an unpaid internship must provide educational training and be for the benefit of the intern, who is not necessarily entitled to a job at the close of the experience.

Learn the laws for temporary or季节性工人before you hire any interns. For example, you will need to complete theIRS工资单and any other required employment forms for new employees.

Save time

创建实习计划时，您可以使用此类列表的延时工具，并在线找到其他建议。在实习生到达之前，花一点时间设置实习计划，您将为自己的成功体验做好准备。

Where will you track the intern’s hours and payroll records? In yourvwin055 来自爱国者的软件！时间 ＆Attendance software for small businessallows your intern to enter their hours themselves from any Internet-accessible device. Try it for free!

从2013年5月22日的原始帖子更新