In a former life I worked in recruiting at a large company. Through that experience I had the privilege of learning a lot about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to recruiting.
I learned two major lessons about how to be successful in recruiting:
- ABR – Always be recruiting.
- The best companies have a recruiting and talent pipeline based on a solid internship program.
At Mavidea we have worked to always have an intern or two (or more) around the office over the years. We believe it is an important part of our ability to recruit and hire the best Mavideans over the long run.
A few things to remember when looking for and hiring an intern:
- Hire for aptitude and attitude. We look for people that have a natural talent for the area they will be working in and for those with a positive attitude (I am a sucker for smiles).
- Treat them like a member of the team. Give them real assignments that include both the possibility for success and failure. We look for interns that are going to be mature and responsible so we can count on them to carry part of the workload (no internship where all they do is fetch coffee).
- Internships are for the intern. The “why” of internship is to give the intern experience. Build and develop your internships around the idea of creating a positive experience for the intern.
I read a story once of a manager who was at a wedding. He saw the father give away the bride and it hit him – that is what happens with the staff he is managing. Their family entrusts the staff to his care as their manager.
Internships are like that. For many interns, it will be their first experience in the “real world”. We have the opportunity as business leaders to treat them as we would like our children to be treated. We have the opportunity to make an impact on the future by investing in the lives of those coming along behind us. Let’s make the most of it.
Side note….at Mavidea we believe so strongly in the idea of internships that we have invested in a company called internrocket (think dating site, but for internships). Check them out for your next internship posting.
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From the Mind of an Intern…Why Mavidea?
