How To Develop A Successful Workplace Internship Program [Revised Spring 2018]

Creating a successful
internship program
http://www.jumpstart-hr.com

Introduction
 It is estimated that nearly 75% of college students complete at
least one internship prior to graduating.
 According to a U.S. News report, 65.4% of college students
who completed an internship received a job offer prior to
graduation (compared to 38% of those who did not).
 An internship program can provide employers access to talent,
increased productivity, positive community reputation, and new
perspectives on business needs.

Learning Objectives
 Gain an understanding of the importance of creating
an internship program that complies with DOL,
State, and Local employment laws.
 Understand the 7 criteria that must be met in order
for your organization’s internship program to be
considered an internship program.
 Learn best practices on how best to start and
manage your company’s internship program.

Importance of the Topic
 Internships provide multiple benefits to businesses;
however, they can become problematic and result in
litigation if not properly set up and managed.
 Fox, NBC, Warner Music, and many others have
faced lawsuits in the last few years regarding
treatment of their unpaid interns.
 Through thorough and proper design, you can avoid
these pitfalls and stay out of legal trouble.

Topics covered
 Department of labor definition of an internship
 7 tests for determining and internship experience
 Example exercises for determining whether the 7 tests are met
 STEPS TO DESIGN A COMPLIANT & SUCCESSFUL INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM
 Program Design
 Stakeholder Training
 Internship “Job” Description Design
 Outreach & Engagement
 On-boarding Interns
 During/Off-Boarding of interns.

Tests to determine whether your
interns are actually interns

7 Tests to Determine an Internship
 In 2018, the Department of Labor released new standards designed
to help employers determine whether an experience constituted an
internship.
1. Both the intern and employer understand that the intern is not
entitled to compensation.
2. The internship provides training that would be given in an
educational setting.
3. Completing the internship entitles the intern to academic credit.

7 Tests (Cont’d)
4. The internship is limited in duration and educates the intern.
5. The internship corresponds with the academic calendar.
6. The work complements, rather displaces, the work of a paid
employee.
7. The intern is not entitled or promised a paid job at the end of
the internship.

Examples
Jay is offered an internship with a business consulting firm. Tasks
assigned to him include making coffee runs for members of the
executive team, placing catering orders for business lunches, making
copies, coordinating files, and managing the office supply cabinet. Jay
is an accounting major, and is not receiving pay for his internship.
 Is this an internship? Why/why not?
 NO, this is not an internship. This internship would not entitle Jay to
academic credit, and does not provide training that he would receive
in an educational setting.

Examples
Mary is a communications major interning over summer term with a radio
station. The internship is unpaid, but was advertised as being so from the
start. Mary gets to work closely with radio personalities to develop
monologues and show materials, and also does outreach to local businesses
to build advertising relationships. The internship will last all of summer, and
Mary will receive 15 college credits for the experience.
 YES, this is an internship. Mary was made aware that there was no
payment for the experience, the internship is the length of an academic
term, Mary will receive credit for the experience, and her responsibilities are
directly related to her academic program.

Examples
Greg is a pre-med major who recently was offered an internship at a doctor’s
office. He directly assists the doctor in working with patients, and gets hands-
on experience with dealing with patients and observing the doctor in action.
The internship is expected to last the duration of fall term, and Greg will
receive 12 college credits for the experience. One day while working at the
internship, Greg learns that the work he is doing is nearly identical to one of
the physician assistants, and that in the past year the number of physician
assistants has shrunk from 3 to 1.
 Most likely NO. While Greg will receive credit, and the internship is related
to his degree, it is more likely than not that Greg’s internship has displaced
a paid employee.

Designing a Successful
Internship Program

How to build your internship program
 Properly building your internship program will
ensure that you meet all 7 criteria. It’s
important to note that all 7 tests must be
passed in order for your program to be in
compliance.
 The following slides give guidance on some
best practices to both build your program and
ensure that you are attracting top talent to
your program.

Program Design
 Define your program’s purpose. Use some of the following questions to
help you:
 Why does my company have an internship program?
 What are key projects, business goals, or objectives that an intern could
help us to complete?
 What experiences can we provide to an intern?
 Who are the key stakeholders that would need to be trained prior to an
intern coming on-board
 Asking and answering these questions provides a solid base to guide you
as you create internship descriptions and bring interns on-board.

Stakeholder training
 Once you have designed your program, it will be important to train
those managers and employees who will be working closely with
your interns.
 Train managers on what they can and cannot ask an intern to-do
(i.e. regular coffee runs, catering, and acting as a manager’s
personal assistant).
 Train managers on the purpose of the internship program, and the
key role they hold in working with the intern.
 Encourage managers and stakeholders to provide feedback on how
to improve the program in the future.

Internship announcement
 You’ll want to ensure that you create a written
announcement of your internship experience openings.
Be sure to include:
 Duration of the experience.
 Specific projects, objectives, and other duties that the intern
will be expected to complete.
 Whether the intern will be paid for their time.
 That the experience may be eligible for college credit.
 That the experience doesn’t entitle the intern to a job at the
end of the internship.

Direct outreach to colleges
 Reaching out to colleges directly may be the most critical piece of
your internship process.
 Reach out directly to local college’s internship coordinators, as well
as specific contacts in the degree programs that benefit your
company most.
 These contacts can provide additional guidance on your internship
program, and can also direct top students to apply for your
internship announcements.
 If able, also consider participating in local college’s career and
internship fairs to increase your campus presence.

On-boarding
 While not actual employees, interns should go through some
sort of on-boarding process.
 Consider providing an intern with the following information:
 History of the company.
 Review of the internship job description
 Compliance trainings (may be mandatory in some companies)
 Tour of facilities and introductions to various departments.

During the Internship/Off-boarding
 Encourage your managers to have regular check-ins with their
internships to see how they are doing, and how they are
adjusting to their roles.
 Remember, for many interns, this may be the first ”real” job
they’ve ever had.
 As interns off-board, attempt to have exit interviews to gauge
what they took away from their experience, and how you might
make changes to or improve your program moving forward.

Review & Conclusion

Learning Objectives Review
 Gain an understanding of the importance of creating
an internship program that complies with DOL,
State, and Local employment laws.
 Understand the 7 criteria that must be met in order
for your organization’s internship program to be
considered an internship program.
 Learn best practices on how best to start and
manage your company’s internship program.

Looking Ahead
 Keep in mind that, as your business needs change, so too will your
internship program. Periodically review your internship descriptions
and program design, and make changes where needed.
 Stay on the lookout for changes in DOL guidance, criteria, and tests
for determining what constitutes an intern.
 Continue to work with local colleges. They can be your strongest
advocate and the best pipeline for top intern talent.

Need further assistance?
 Contact Jumpstart:HR today! Our trained staff of HR professionals and
project managers can provide solutions customized to fit your
organization’s unique needs.
 Contact us directly at the link below:
Http://jumpstart-hr.com/contact/
 Connect with us on social media:
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jumpstarthr/
 Twitter: https://twitter.com/jumpstarthr
 Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/jumpstarthr/

How To Develop A Successful Workplace Internship Program [Revised Spring 2018]

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Último

Último (20)

Destaque

Destaque (20)

How To Develop A Successful Workplace Internship Program [Revised Spring 2018]