The step-by-step guide to supervising and hiring interns!

The benefits of hiring an intern

Are you considering offering an internship at your company? We can certainly see why, as the benefits are numerous:

• First of all, it’s good for your karma. As an internship provider, you are acting in a socially responsible way. After all, you are giving someone a great opportunity to learn new things and successfully complete their education.
• An intern looks around your company with a fresh, young perspective and asks the questions you might have stopped thinking about yourself. Furthermore, your intern brings a wealth of new knowledge, straight from their studies. It keeps you on your toes, too.
• If you’ve been struggling with a complex issue for a while, it might be the perfect graduation project for an intern. They could provide the business advice you’ve been waiting for!
• The average intern has a tremendous drive. They have a degree to finish and goals to achieve. As a supervisor, you will likely find yourself needing to slow them down rather than motivate them.
• If there is a good fit between the organization and the intern, they could easily become your new employee. Since you already know what to expect from each other, you can largely skip the recruitment and selection process.

That probably sounds like music to your ears. But you know us—we don’t write our blogs without a reason; we want to share knowledge!

Read on, because we have put together a step-by-step plan for anyone considering hiring one or more interns.

Step-by-step guide to supervising & hiring an intern

1. Step 1 - Determine your investment in time, attention, and money

It might seem easy: having a motivated person on board whom you have to pay little or nothing. Don't be fooled. An intern is entitled to proper supervision. They deserve a great internship where they can gain new knowledge and skills. And that requires an investment in time, attention, and therefore money.

Calculate this before you open up an internship position. If you don't, there is a high chance the intern will drop out early or receive a poor grade from their school. Nobody wants that. Ensure you have a good internal internship supervisor who enjoys teaching someone the ropes and can free up enough hours in their schedule to do so. Involve the supervisor in the selection process as well, so you can be sure there is a mutual connection.

2. Step 2 - Do you meet the requirements?

There are some formal strings attached to an internship that are worth investigating before you decide to head down the internship path.

Do you want to offer a placement for a vocational (VMBO or MBO) student? Then you must meet the requirements set for an accredited training company. You will need to go through a few extra steps before you can actually recruit and hire an intern.

For university or university of applied sciences (HBO/WO) students, such accreditation is not required. However, that doesn't mean the educational institution won't have requirements regarding the content of the internship assignment and the associated supervision. Make sure you are well-informed before making any commitments to a candidate. Of course, a good intern often knows the ins and outs, but it never hurts to contact the university or school yourself.

You might also be eligible for a subsidy as an internship provider. Check in good time if this is the case, and do so before you finalize anything, to avoid missing out.

3. Step 3 - Draw up an internship agreement

Record the agreements with the intern in an internship contract. Usually, you don't just sign this with the student; the school or university is also a party to the agreement. Is your intern under 16? Then their parents must also sign. At the very least, ensure the following points are included in the agreement:

• Tasks
• Learning objectives
• Working hours
• Liability
• Any internship allowance (check with the school and your collective labor agreement)
• Conditions in case of poor performance or illness (notice period, costs)

Of course, it all needs to be legally sound, but it doesn't have to be rocket science. Quite the opposite! Choose clear, readable language so that everyone truly understands what is written and what is expected of all parties.

4. Step 4 - How do you supervise an intern?

Treat your intern like a 'real' employee! A supervisor is not an employer, and an intern is not staff. You do have a different relationship, but that doesn't change the fact that interns have rights too. To name a few:

• The Working Conditions Act treats interns the same as employees: as an internship provider, you must ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Provide protective equipment if necessary, and check that it is being used correctly.
• Ensure a healthy schedule that complies with the Working Hours Act.
• Include the intern in your payroll administration if a stipend is involved, and check which rules apply to the situation.
• As an internship provider, you are responsible for any damage caused by the intern.

Beyond the legal framework, it simply feels right to act as a pleasant, responsible employer. An added benefit is that by handling things properly (or even better than that), you give an immediate boost to your employer branding.

Talk about a win-win situation!

5. Step 5 - Give your intern a flying start

Keep in mind that as an internship provider, you are often the first real 'workplace' for your intern. They are often a young newcomer to the labor market who still has a lot to learn about professional hierarchies and meeting commitments. Sometimes even the coffee machine or printer still has secrets that need explaining.

Therefore, ensure there is a dedicated supervisor and a good onboarding program.

Don't take steps that are too big. Give your intern enough room to learn. It is important to explicitly encourage them to ask questions, based on the principle that there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

Also, regularly check whether your supervision still aligns with the internship assignment. If you have doubts and the intern is struggling, a little extra support and guidance can't hurt. Feel free to contact the educational institution's representative together with the intern.

Handy tools for supervising interns

Of course, you can jot a lot down in a notebook or a document on your laptop. But it can be so much easier. There are many possibilities: use an online platform where you can chat, track progress, and receive pop-ups as important deadlines approach. Feel free to ask us to brainstorm with you! Contact us for a no-obligation brainstorm.