Hiring interns requires a different approach than recruiting full-time employees, and for that, you need a killer recruitment strategy.
This article serves as your roadmap, providing a clear, step-by-step guide to hiring the right interns effectively.
And to make your work easier, we’ve also included some ready-to-use internship description templates that you can use right away.
So, let’s get started.
5 simple steps to hire interns
Step 1: Plan an internship program
Work closely with your clients to understand what kind of interns they might be looking for.
You should have a clear idea of whether they want to provide paid or unpaid internships. Look at the client’s budget and the duration they wish to set for the internship.
This will help you plan the interns’ hiring process better.
Step 2: Define your ideal intern
Just like you create a candidate persona to define an ideal candidate or employee, you need to do the same for the interns.
To create an ideal intern persona, define what they study, what skills they must possess, and their previous relevant experience in the field (if any).
Since interns are mostly students, you might want to assess their subject matter knowledge and behavorial competencies. Create a list of topics and competencies that your ideal intern should have.
This way, you will be able to recruit the top talent in lesser time and cost.
Step 3: Craft an engaging interns job description
Job descriptions play a critical role in attracting suitable candidates for your internship program.
Clearly communicate the job title, intern duties, and the unique learning opportunities they will have. Use inclusive language to encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.
If you are not providing paid internships, focus on the benefits, learning, and other perks of an unpaid internship.
Step 4: Conduct insightful interviews
Prepare a set of well-structured interview questions that delve into the applicants’ problem-solving abilities, teamwork skills, and adaptability.
Engaging interviews with proper feedback provide candidates with a positive experience and fosters a sense of excitement about the internship opportunity.
Considering that some of the candidates might be interviewing for the first time, coach them on how to handle the next round of interviews.
Step 5: Onboard and orient with care
Once you’ve selected the interns, ensure a smooth and welcoming onboarding process.
Introduce them to the team, provide an overview of your company’s culture and values, and help them get familiar with their workspace and tools.
Set clear expectations and goals for the internship and regularly communicate and provide feedback throughout their tenure.
Top 3 tips for hiring interns
1. Define clear internship objectives
Before starting the hiring process, clearly define the objectives and the expectations from the interns.
Plan out the specific projects or tasks you want the interns to contribute to and the skills they might require to accomplish this work. Also, list down the key takeaways for the interns.
2. Adopt inclusive recruitment practices
Here are two major things to keep in mind:
- Use gender-neutral language: Avoid gender-biased language in job descriptions and communication to attract a more diverse pool of applicants.
- Implement blind recruiting: Remove identifiable information, such as names and photos, from initial screening to mitigate unconscious bias.
3. Utilize a recruiting software to streamline the process
You can use an applicant tracking system (ATS) or candidate relationship management software (CRM) to hire interns for the employer brand more efficiently.
By implementing the usage of a recruiting software into your strategy, you’re more likely to save precious time and reduce hiring costs. It’s an approach tailored to the demands and unique aspects of intern recruitment.
5 handy internship description templates
1. For content writing interns
Job brief:
We are looking for a content writing intern for our organization who can write engaging and innovative content for our digital platforms. The intern will be expected to craft well-researched and informative articles for the website to showcase company ideas and sell its services. They will also have to develop creative content ideas for blogs and social media platforms.
Internship duration: X months
Stipend: $XXX/ month
Job duties:
- Curate well-researched content for our website and social media platforms.
- Work closely with the content team to come up with creative content ideas.
- Maintain and manage the content calendar.
- Develop ad copies, blog posts, SEO articles, creatives, and product and service descriptions.
- Analyze the performance of each piece of content across several platforms.
Skills requirement and qualifications:
- An ongoing Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in English or Journalism and Mass Communication
- English language proficiency
- Excellent interpersonal communication and teamwork skills.
- Time management skills
Perks and benefits:
- Flexible work hours
- Skills and career development
- Certificate and Letter of recommendation
Job brief:
We are looking to hire a passionate social media manager as an intern for our company. The intern will be expected to represent our brand on all social platforms and manage its presence. The individual will have to apply their creative thinking and analytical skills to drive engagement to our social media posts by planning a proper strategy.
Internship duration: X Months
Stipend: $XXX/ month
Key responsibilities:
- Come up with content ideas for social media platforms.
- Work closely with the graphic design and content team to create social media posts.
- Build, manage, and implement a social media strategy.
- Manage the social media calendar.
- Run social media campaigns and advertisements
- Analyze the metrics and performance of the content on social media sites.
- Responding to customer reviews, queries, and comments.
Skills requirement and qualifications:
- An ongoing Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in mass media, journalism, advertisement, or marketing.
- Excellent knowledge of different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.
- Decent multitasking, teamwork, and networking skills
- Ability to deliver original and creative content.
Perks and benefits:
- Flexible work hours
- Soft skills and career development
- Certificate and Letter of recommendation
3. For marketing interns
Job brief:
We are looking for a versatile marketing intern for our organization. They will have to oversee the promotion of our company’s brands. Individuals with hands-on experience in promoting the company’s values and content on different digital channels will be given preference.
Internship duration: X Months
Stipend:
$XXX/ month
Key responsibilities:
- Develop a marketing strategy to promote the brand and reach out to potential customers.
- Work closely with the media team to come up with promotional content.
- Handle advertisements, PR, and SEO.
- Be well-versed with social media platforms and digital platforms to market the company.
- Establish market research studies and analyze their findings.
- Try your hands on various experiments with various organic and paid acquisition channels.
Skills requirement and qualifications:
- An ongoing Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in marketing, advertisement, mass media, or business administration.
- Excellent knowledge of digital platforms
- Expertise in online marketing and social media strategy
- Practical project management skills.
Perks and benefits:
- Flexible work hours
- Build skill set and career development
- Certificate and Letter of recommendation
4. For HR interns
Job brief:
We are looking for a committed Human Resources (HR) intern for our organization. The HR intern will be expected to identify hiring needs and fill open job positions. They will have to create ideal candidate personas and work on developing a recruitment strategy. The intern will also have to work closely with team leaders to engage employees and candidates.
Internship Duration: X Months
Stipend: $XXX/ month
Key responsibilities:
- Work closely with team managers and the HR team to design and implement a recruitment strategy.
- Develop an employer branding and marketing strategy to attract talented job applicants.
- Assist in employment and candidate engagement activities.
- Encourage the company’s reputation as the “best environment to work.”
- Help HR managers conduct workshops, seminars, and fun activities/events.
- Communicate with employees to know ways to improve work experience.
- Organize leadership workshops for team leads and managers.
Skills requirement and qualifications:
- An ongoing Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resource Management or a similar field.
- Ability to communicate effectively.
- Knowledge of using MS Office like MS Word, MS Excel, database management, and internet search.
- Understanding of employment laws and regulations.
- Using HR tools like ATS, CRM, HRIS, etc., efficiently.
- Ability to organize skills assessment tests, employee engagement activities, workshops, seminars, and events.
- Well-versed with job-hunting sites.
Perks and benefits:
- Flexible work hours
- Skills and career development
- Certificate and Letter of recommendation
5. For graphic designing interns
Job brief:
We are looking for a graphic designing intern to work at our organization. They must be well-versed in the art of visual storytelling and designing. Graphic designing interns will be expected to put in their creativity to design visually appealing posters, social media posts, blog images, ad copies, and more.
Internship duration: X Months
Stipend: $XXX/ month
Key responsibilities:
- Design attractive creatives for marketing and promotional purposes.
- Open to feedback and improving designs till clients’ needs are fulfilled.
- Brainstorm innovative ideas for campaigns.
- Work along with the website team to update the website’s designs.
Requirement and skills:
- A foundation degree like BA in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Mass Communication, or other Arts and Design-based subject.
- Familiarity with software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, etc.
- Knowledge of graphic fundamentals, typography, color theory, and layouts.
- Should be able to juggle between tasks and stick to deadlines.
Perks and benefits:
- Flexible work hours
- Skills and career development
- Certificate and Letter of recommendation
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. What is the benefit of hiring interns?
Interns inject fresh perspectives and innovative ideas into the workforce. Their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn often lead to creative solutions to existing challenges.
Moreover, internships provide a cost-effective way to meet short-term resource needs and complete specific projects. Interns can take on responsibilities that might otherwise be cumbersome for full-time staff, freeing up valuable time for core team members.
Internship programs build a positive employer brand and enhance the company’s reputation, attracting top talent in the long run.
2. How to convert interns into full-time employees?
There are instances when your interns match the ideal candidate persona you have created for a full-time job role. Before you wish to convert them into full-time employees, you need to ensure that they have completed their graduation.
P.S.- If you’re looking for an AI-powered ATS + CRM platform, then you can book a demo with us to see Recruit CRM in action.
