How to Find the Perfect Intern
Even though we still have plenty of time before the summer internship season, it’s never too soon to start thinking about how to find your next crop of fresh young talent. Interns can be a valuable asset to your company because of the energy they bring and their eagerness to learn from you.
However, like with any position, you will need to hire the right person. A poor hiring choice can not only ruin the summer work environment, but can also cost your company money through lost productivity. Plus, you will have wasted the opportunity to give the job to somebody who really wanted it and no doubt would have done well.
Here are some top tips on how to find the best and brightest interns for this summer.
Look Beyond the Resume
If you take two candidates with nearly identical resumes and levels of experience, you know you can get two polar opposites in terms of personalities. Therefore, you should make sure to look beyond the paperwork.
One way to do that is to see how active the candidates are on social media. If they post and tweet about your industry and even your company, then that’s a sign of commitment and engagement. This person will most likely want the job more than the person whose Facebook feed is filled with drunk party photos and silly cat pictures.
Ask Them the Right Questions
In the interview, make sure to find out exactly why they want to work for you. Oftentimes internships are unpaid, so candidates will need to be prepared to make a significant investment of time and resources. Shrewd investors will think about how working with you can help their career in the longterm, while less stellar candidates may not have thought it through. Who would you rather hire, the person who has thought everything through and is making an investment decision, or the person who is just looking for another summer job?
To identify the better candidates, make sure to ask why they are applying and why they are applying to your company. You should also find out what their longterm plans are and how the candidate feels you both can help each other.
Go with Your Gut
Finally, don’t be afraid to go with your intuition. Sometimes the difference between a good candidate and a great candidate is simply the way they present themselves and how that works with your management style.
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