hiring interns

[adpiucf]

I have interviewed people before, but now I am totally in charge of recruiting, interviewing and hiring our interns. Any advice? I want to be effective. Thanks to any HR students/professionals.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

I hired the summer interns for my company back in February. Are you looking for semester interns? I think the lingo may be different up here, because we call those co-ops, but I assume you are not hiring now for next summer.

What type of industry are you in? What types of things do the interns do?

Also, I assume that your HR people have already given you the spiel on things you are not allowed to ask?

[adpiucf]

Actually, it's interesting. It's a newsmagazine and it is in the process of rebuilding. So right now, I'm helping them out. It's just me and the editor-in-chief. I'm looking to assemble a team for fall semester, another in spring, and another in summer-- reporters, marketing/ad sales, graphic design and radio producers. These students will have complete hands-on opportunities to write, market, bring in advertisers, run a weekly radio show and publish an online mag that has been around for 20 years+ (first in print and online for the past 5 years or so).

I know about illegal questions, but yes, thank you for the reminder!

What were some of the criteria you used to hire?

[Eclipse]

Hi,
I'm in HR and can probably help you a bit. I'll give you some general information and then if you have other questions I would be happy to answer them.

First you need to figure out what would make a person successful in the roll you are looking for. Think in terms of prior experiences, education and personal attributes. Once you have developed your "profile" of a perfect intern, you will of course need to advertise for it.

Screen resumes by comparing them to the profile that you developed for each job. Since you said you know about legal/illegal, I guess I don't have to tell you that listing stuff like "cute, front desk appearance" is a big no no.

I would also ask for work/writing samples, and maybe even take them through a simulation if you are looking for people with some experience. In a simulation you can have them develop a marketing presentation for a magazine (not like yours to not give the impression that you are just trying to gather ideas. Believe it or not, people do this!) or develop a layout for an ad or something like that.

There are many books out there with good interview questions. There is also tons of stuff on line. I am partial to behavioral based questions, but you will also find situational, creative "riddle" type questions and just straight forward "What are your strengths/weaknesses?" type questions.

If you'd like me to send you a list of questions that we use in my company to select for core competencies shoot me a PM. These questions won't address the job specific stuff you want to ask about, but will give you an idea of how behavioral based questions are set up and may give you some good general questions to ask.

You should also develop an objective way to evaluate each candidate before the interviews start so that you are not just going on your gut feelings.

I think interviewing is fun. Good luck!

[Kevin]

It seems like the most successful intern programs contact highly-placed professors at various academic institutions in their areas of interest. I'm guessing you're going after journalism/PR folks. Contact the deans of journalism departments in the top area schools, but don't be afraid to go out of state. If you're in Florida, you could get some great interns out of landlocked schools.

One of my buddies has a computer consulting business. He always has several interns working for him. He keeps maybe 1 in 5 or so of 'em. It's like a long-term interview. I'm sure he saves tons of $ by doing this as well.

Of course, the computer industry always has a decent supply of folks with MIS degrees willing to intern for $7.00/hr or so.

[Rudey]

So you have 2 full time workers and you're going to make everyone else (basically EVERYONE else) be seasonal college interns? I hope your magazine is really code word for Nike shoe factory.

-Rudey

[kddani]

Originally posted by Rudey
So you have 2 full time workers and you're going to make everyone else (basically EVERYONE else) be seasonal college interns? I hope your magazine is really code word for Nike shoe factory.

-Rudey

Gotta second Rudey on this one. Only 2 employees and the rest interns? Having more interns than employees? That's just not right. Sounds (from the perspective of the info that you have given us) like taking advantage of poor college students who need the experience and line on a resume.

[kappaloo]

Originally posted by kddani
Gotta second Rudey on this one. Only 2 employees and the rest interns? Having more interns than employees? That's just not right. Sounds (from the perspective of the info that you have given us) like taking advantage of poor college students who need the experience and line on a resume.

This is actually rather common in the computer industry.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by kappaloo
This is actually rather common in the computer industry.

First of all this is a publication and not a "computer" job.

Second of all what types of companies in the computer industry is this common??

It's not even that you're exploiting younger people. It's that it screams that this isn't a serious operation. It's an operation that can bring someone young and inexperienced in for a few months to have a job. If I was an intern and someone told me I'd be working with one or two full-time people and the rest were interns, I would think it was a joke.

Heck if this is the case why don't the interns do it all and create their own magazine?

-Rudey

[adpiucf]

Thanks for the advice from the HR professionals. I appreciate your help!


KDDani and Rudey: I apologize if I wasn't clear. This isn't exploitation of any kind. Although there are 2 full timers at present, we have several freelancers on staff and we are owned by an international media group. The interns will be working with 100+ newspaper reporters and marketing professionals who work for the daily newspaper by whom we are owned, and whose offices we share. This mag is not a student-run operation. Sorry for not being clearer.

Thanks again for the hiring advice.

[kappaloo]

.

[Rudey]

The only kinds of operations I know that run stuff like that are handyman type places. These are ridiculous places that help you install software, install new computers, etc. The reason is not only because the skill bar is lower but also because they don't have to worry about a PR nightmare of looking like a couple kids who don't know what to do.

-Rudey

Originally posted by kappaloo
I know it's not a computer job - I'm just saying that these types of operations can and do exist. I don't like them, especially since I think all coops/interns should have mentors (and how many people can one person really mentor??).

Most of the places I've seen do this are start-ups who need the cheap labour and tax breaks that using interns/coops extensively will bring. I've know people who have worked in the owner's basement.

Also, I've seen mid size companies (between 30-50 full-time employees) load up their QA/Bugs section with interns/coops. While the ratio is better technically - sometimes there were only be 2 full time testers, with 10-15 coops/interns.

I don't like it, I won't work at a place that does it. But it happens, and companies can be successful who do it.


eta: adpiucf: While I'm not an HR professional, I did attend the school with the largest co-operative program in Canada. If you are interested in hiring from select schools, approach those schools directly. They'll often take almost all the work out of hiring for you - they'll send you the resumes (pre screen to a number if you want), set up the interviews, help you with questions etc. Just an option.

[kappaloo]

Originally posted by Rudey
The only kinds of operations I know that run stuff like that are handyman type places. These are ridiculous places that help you install software, install new computers, etc. The reason is not only because the skill bar is lower but also because they don't have to worry about a PR nightmare of looking like a couple kids who don't know what to do.

-Rudey

Nope, these are software houses. Because really, once the design is done, most monkies can code. In fact the one I'm thinking of was bought out by a very big American software company.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

back to the original thread...in my experience, the best interns are the ones who WANT to be there. try to suss out career goals, interests, etc., and look for the kids who would be thrilled to have this job, not the ones who would take anything to build a resume.