Summer — it’s prime season for student internships in many industries, from finance to legal to business services.

While some employers may view internships as an efficient way to hire temporary staff and catch up on clerical work, seasoned workforce management professionals know that interns can do so much more.

How to Turn Interns into “Real” Workers:

1. Cast a Wide Net
   Interview as many candidates as you can. Post your internships on university job boards and attend job fairs at nearby schools to let students know what you’re looking for in an intern and what opportunities you’re offering. Reach out to professors or department heads to find out if they have students who might be a good fit for your company. But exercise good sense when recruiting interns, too. Don’t recruit for public relations interns at an engineering school. You get the idea.
2. Pay Them What They’re Worth
   Unpaid internships may sound like a good idea, But… meeting the legal requirements for unpaid interns is tough. Check with a local employment attorney or government office  to find out the regulations that apply in your state, county or municipality.  It is likely that if you’re benefiting in any way from your interns’ work, you’ll need to pay them at least minimum wage — and, realistically, you’ll probably want to go beyond that. The compensation you offer will vary with demand for the position. For example, to attract an IT or finance intern whose skills may be in demand, it may be appropriate to pay them what you would pay an entry level full-time hire. One of the more common challenges with interns is attendance and promptness; not surprisingly, adequate compensation correlates strongly with attendance.
3. Provide Meaningful Training and Work
   Use interns for more than routine clerical tasks. Provide training in the real functions of your business, just as you would for full-time employees. Most interns understand — and you should spell it out during the interview — that there will be a certain amount of administrative work in their job description. But if that’s all there is, both you and they will miss an opportunity. Ensure that interns work on projects that are fun, challenging, and align with a business objective — something they’ll be proud to list on a resume or in a portfolio. Expose interns to some of the best performers in your company, shadowing or being mentored by a top performer can be invaluable.
4. Be Patient
   It can be challenging to manage young staffers who in many cases have never had a “real” job. You’ll have to be clear about many workplace rules, even those that for more seasoned workers would go without saying. You’ll also have to be detailed about your expectations for your interns’ work and explain how they will be evaluated. You’ll want to show them how their output is used within your organization and why their contributions matter. On the flip side, you’ll need to be aware that a college intern’s goals and values may not be the same as those of your more experienced staff. And keep an eye out for things that they’re good at — which your more seasoned workers may not be so familiar with (social media, anyone?) Check out this interesting article from Forbes on working with “millennials” (born between 1980 and 2000). Live up to your end of the bargain, and see that your interns live up to theirs!
5. Keep the Long Game in Mind
   Interns are more than just contingent staff that disappears at the end of the season. What’s more satisfying than having that sophomore-year student return for a junior-year internship and get hired after senior year? Not much! Now you’ve got an “entry level” hire with years of experience in your organization. If you were a patient trainer and coach, your workforce management decisions paid off. Plus, you’ve also hired someone who’s been spreading the good word about your company among fellow students and in the community.

Bottom line: recruiting, training and managing interns isn’t that different from how you recruit, train and manage your regular workforce. It may take a little more time, but it can definitely be a staffing decision that pays off.

Looking to enhance every aspect of your recruiting, hiring and staffing processes, including internships? Consider a managed service provider.