Internships made easy A best practice guide for employers

Internships made easy is PTC’s essential guide for employers that want to establish leading-edge, valuable internship schemes. It promotes best practi...
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Internships made easy is PTC’s essential guide for employers that want to establish leading-edge, valuable internship schemes. It promotes best practice, improves access to outstanding new talent and helps employers deliver high-quality internship experiences which are focused on both the intern and the business.

PTC 55-56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 020 7400 7509 [email protected]

PTC 55-56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 020 7400 7509 [email protected]

Internships made easy A best practice guide for employers

-56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 020 7400 7509 [email protected] 55-56 Lincoln’s Inn Fields 020 7400 7509 [email protected]

Contents 1

Internships made easy: a guide for employers

2.

What is an internship?

3.

Recruitment

4.

Pay

5.

10 top tips for induction and training

6.

Task and supervision

7.

And they‟re off!

8.

Checklist

9.

Further information

1. Internships made easy: a guide for employers Introduction There is a bewildering number of views and definitions on what constitutes an internship; all seemingly valid and interchangeable. This guide begs to differ. At PTC, we think clarity is important and we‟re aiming to help you achieve it. This guide is aimed at employers that want to establish leading-edge, valuable, business-led internship schemes. It promotes best practice, helps employers improve access to interns and to deliver a high-quality internship experience which is focused on both the individual and the business. Taking you through the process step-bystep, the guide includes a checklist to help you assess your ideas and plans, along with links to organisations and initiatives that can offer further advice and support.

And if you reach the end and we haven‟t answered all your questions you can contact us for help and advice e: [email protected] t: 020 7400 7509

2. What is an internship? We define internships as formal, supervised schemes aimed at new entrants to the labour market who are focused on a particular profession or industry and want practical experience. *

formal and supervised – because the best schemes are business-led and planned, and someone has responsibility for overseeing the scheme or the intern/s

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new entrants – because these are usually graduates, gap year students or school leavers but can be students who work between semesters e.g. summer interns

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focused on a profession or industry – these new entrants know what they want to do and where they want to work

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practical experience – interns are given real responsibility, not just work shadowing

How does internship differ from work placement? Work placements are equally valuable as a means of giving candidates experience of the profession, but they are typically defined as shorter, unpaid, more observational or small-task opportunities. The PTC has developed separate guidelines for employers on best practice in work placement which can be accessed here. (Add a link)

Why introduce an internship scheme? There is no doubt internship schemes offer tremendous benefits to the intern. They help students in the transition from education to employment by offering invaluable entry points to their chosen profession where they will gain practical experience, employability skills and build their CVs. Interns gain priceless exposure to senior management and valuable insight into their preferred industry. Equally there are benefits for the business. Typically, companies approach undergraduates in the penultimate year of their degree and the internship takes place over the summer, generally for a period of up to 12 weeks. Interns usually work on specific projects – designed to make a valuable contribution and move the business forward.

Internship programmes can be linked to graduate training programmes, with companies using the internship programme as a cost-effective way to inform their next intake. Overall, the process brings new and motivated staff members with a variety of skills and innovative ideas to your company. It can widen the talent pool, motivate existing staff by giving them the responsibility for training and mentoring, and provide extra resource when it is most needed.

3. Recruitment Intern recruitment should be carried out in the same way as the recruitment of permanent employees. You are offering a paid position (see page xx for advice on pay), investing your time and therefore want the scheme to benefit the business so you need to be sure you sell the role to attract the very best candidates. Before recruiting, set time aside to plan the internship programme. When will it run? For how long? Where will you recruit from? Think carefully about the role the intern/s will be recruited for and the tasks or projects the intern/s will be given. Detail the skills, knowledge and experience an intern will need to carry out the role. How will you measure the return on investment?

“You are offering a paid position so need to be sure you sell the role to attract the best candidates”

Consider what you can offer the intern – unbeatable experience, opportunity to acquire new professional skills and knowledge, genuine insight into their chosen profession? What training and support will the intern receive, e.g. will you offer software training, professional qualification or time out for further study? Is this a stand-alone internship or could it lead to a permanent role? (Be realistic!) Being clear about all of the above will help you create a compelling job description and advert. Then, all you need to do is decide who will sift applications, interview candidates and make the final decision on who to take on. The interview is equally important. Be fair and rigorous. Comply with the relevant legislation on equality and diversity. Follow this link http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?artic leid=3017 to find out how The Equality Act 2010 affects you.

It is unlikely the applicant will have much previous relevant experience and so you should tailor the interview to find out whether they have the broad skills your organisation values. Ask questions that will draw out their experience in areas such as problem solving, teamwork, communication, taking responsibility, showing initiative. Encourage candidates to tell you how they would approach a particular task to help you get a sense for their planning skills and potential for creativity.

What to include in the intern programme advert About the business, its culture and brands Duration of internship Expected start date Working hours Working location Salary Main duties Projects the intern will be involved in Qualifications and experience needed What training/support the intern will receive What skills/experience the intern will gain Whether the internship could become a permanent position Interview date/s and location Where/who to send the application Application deadline Would you recommend us as an employer? Request either a CV or a completed application form – both to be sent with a covering letter.

4. Pay Whilst there is currently no legislation directly covering internship pay, it is useful to look to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation for guidance. Full details can be found here: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Emp loyees/TheNationalMinimumWage/DG_1 0027201 Any individual who undertakes „work‟ for an organisation can expect to be paid at least the NMW. There are two main definitions of „worker‟ in employment legislation. Both definitions include individuals working under a contract of employment (the contract can be written, oral or implied). It has been argued that „worker‟ includes volunteers, but volunteers: are under no obligation to undertake work; have no contract or formal arrangement with a company; do not expect to and don‟t receive reward for the work they do; and can choose when and how they work. By contrast a „worker‟ contributes to the business; has a list of duties he/she must perform and works set hours. Successful candidate/s should be sent

written confirmation of the terms and conditions of the internship, but even if an intern is not supplied with a formal contract the fact that he/she is obliged to perform work, has specific tasks he/she must carry out during a specific time means he/she is defined as a „worker‟ - and „workers‟ must be paid.1 It may be tempting to find ways around the legislation but PTC recommends all interns are paid – not just because there is legislation guiding employers to make payment, but because we believe those who don‟t pay perpetuate the lack of social diversity in our industry by excluding those students who simply can‟t afford to work for no pay *

limit the pool of talent from which they can recruit by not reaching out to all socio-economic groups

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will be regarded poorly by prospective employees and – as a consequence – may lose out on the best and brightest aspiring new talent

For more information you can call PPA‟s Business Support Helpline on 020 7927 9696 or the Pay and Works Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368.

1

There is one exemption in the NMW rules - students undertaking work as part of their further or higher education course (sandwich course) do not need to be paid.

5.

1. Introduce interns to the company – the history, values, culture, brands, products, services and objectives 2. Explain how the company is structured

10 top tips for induction and training

3. Introduce them to their colleagues – make a brief introduction to senior managers as well as the people the intern will be working with on a regular basis

Sadly, many of us have stories of poor introductions to a new company. Some we‟ve heard include not being told where the loos are, being left without work to do because a supervisor was “too busy to spend time training”, and – possibly the worst – being banished to the print room to do a huge photocopying job. (In fact, the print job took so long everybody had gone home before it was finished leaving the brand-new employee locked in the building!)

4. Take them around work areas; breakout and meeting spaces; tell them where the coffee/water machines or kitchens are… and point out the loos

Planning a really good induction and training process is easy if you follow our checklist.

7. Ask the intern to set up meetings with people they will be working alongside to understand what they do and how they will be working together

Given that interns will be with you for a relatively short time compared with permanent employees it is important you help them settle in very quickly. (And in this age of social media and instant messaging you really don‟t want to see your hard-won reputation as an employer of choice undermined on Facebook, Twitter or your interns‟ blogs!)

5. Talk them through the health and safety requirements (this is a legal requirement so don’t skip it! And show them where the fire exits are! 6. Give each intern a clear outline of the job they need to do and tell them who will manage their day-to-day supervision

8. Give them the tools they need to do the job properly – this includes (but is not limited to) a work station, mac or pc, system logon, entry door key code, coffee!, manuals, brand and house style information 9. Limit the amount of information given to them on the first day 10. Arrange for each intern to have a buddy or mentor – having someone to talk to is great way to help an intern feel valued

6. Tasks and supervision We have already said that internship programmes have the potential to benefit both the employer and the intern. But how much benefit both parties gain is really down to you, the employer. You have a responsibility to make the very best of the time the intern is with you. The job advert you placed will have contained a list of the intern‟s main duties and – hopefully – you identified key projects or tasks that the intern will be responsible for at that stage. Interns are likely to be graduates so should understand the need to achieve business objectives and stretching targets; they should also be able to cope with a reasonable level of responsibility. Giving the intern a work plan and deadlines will help, as will being very clear about which tasks they manage on their own and which they need someone else to oversee.

In short, interns should be treated in exactly the same way as any other member of staff. They can still get the tea and do the photocopying and all the other dull but necessary tasks other employees have to fulfil; just don‟t limit them to only doing the mundane jobs. How interns are managed is also important; they are new to business and good supervision and support will make a difference to their level of productivity and motivation. Where possible we recommend the intern has a line or project manager to whom they report day-to-day and a mentor whose role is to support them throughout the internship. The two roles are different but complimentary. The line manager‟s role is to ensure the task is achieved. They should hold regular, task-focused meetings to review the intern‟s performance – this would include checking how the intern is doing against their targets; making any adjustments to deadlines; resolving any challenges with the project/role; recognising achievement and diligence; managing conduct and planning future tasks and development.

The mentor‟s role is to build a supportive working relationship with the intern that helps them navigate their way through the internship and focus on their future career. Reviewing career plans is particularly important if the internship is unlikely to lead to a permanent position in your company. Mentors should be mature, experienced and clear that their role is not to manage, but to support. For more information on best practice mentoring go to www.mandbf.org

7. And they‟re off! We recommend you organise a final review meeting and/or exit interview as the internship draws to a close. Principally, the aim of the meeting is to discuss how both parties have benefitted from the programme. You should encourage your intern to share as much information and as many ideas on the scheme as possible so you gain a real insight into its value and potential for the future. At the same time you will want to encourage the intern in their future career and thank them for the contribution they have made over the course of the programme. We recommend you cover off practical details in this meeting as well. This should include what will happen on their last day, how any handover of work will be managed, who to contact as a referee, etc. You then need to use the information you‟ve gathered, along with the

views of those who have worked closely on the internship programme, to review the whole experience. Remember we said right at the beginning that there should be a benefit to the business. You identified how you would measure the return on investment and now you need to do the measuring! Don‟t be tempted to skip this review process; it will help you clarify your objectives for future internship programmes. Finally, we‟ve included a checklist overleaf along with details of helpful organisations and information. We do hope you‟ve found this guide helpful don‟t hesitate to contact us if we can help you with your internship programmes. Good luck!

Loraine Davies Director, PTC and PPA Training t: 020 7400 7509 m: 07711 824874 e: [email protected]

Questions to ask and things to say at exit interviews What have you learned and how have you developed? How well did you meet your objectives? What are you most proud of? What did you find most difficult? How has the internship helped prepare you for the jobs market? Where do you need to develop/what new skills do you need to acquire to help you in your future career? Was there anything we could have done differently to improve your internship experience? Would you recommend us as an employer?

Give the intern specific examples of where they have contributed to the team and the business. And if they‟ve done a great job, say so!

8. Checklist We have identified a need for an internship programme in our business and Clarified its objectives Identified timescales Identified potential recruitment pools Know what we‟d like the intern/s to do Know what skills, knowledge and experience we need applicants to have Developed job descriptions Looked at the relevant legislation and know how much we will pay Designed a job advertisement Know how and when we will select candidates Designed an induction process Arranged dates and times for induction and relevant meetings Prepared any documents the intern will need Arranged logons, equipment, workspace etc Given each other a pat on the back for getting this far!

             

And we have Issued a contract Organised a work plan, set objectives and determined deadlines Built in performance reviews Identified a mentor Identified a line manager/supervisor to oversee day to day tasks Organised a final review meeting and/or exit interview

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And finally we have Enjoyed every last minute! Reviewed the success of the scheme Planned the next programme Written up our experiences as a case study for PPA

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9.

www.mandbf.org National charity that encourages the growth and development of mentoring and befriending across all sectors

Further information

www.periodicalstrainingcouncil.org Lead body for best practice in training and development for the magazine and business media industry

www.acas.org.uk The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. Site has up-to-date information and offers free impartial advice on equality, contracts, hours etc.

www.placementsurvivalguide.com Health and safety website designed to raise students' awareness before starting work experience includes a section for employers: http://www.placementsurvivalguide.com/empl oyers

www.bis.gov.uk The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website includes sections on employment and business law

www.targetjobs.co.uk Website dedicated to offering advice and information to graduates including wideranging work experience and job search options

www.crb.gov.uk Link to the Criminal Records Bureau - the executive agency of the Home Office that vets applications for people who want to work with children and vulnerable people.

www.work-experience.org The National Council for Work Experience promotes, supports and develops quality work experience for the benefit of students, organisations and the economy

www.direct.gov.uk Direct Government – the widest range of public service information and services online – also includes a section on employment www.hmrc.gov.uk Search Her Majesty‟s Revenue and Customs for detailed information on the tax status of individuals on work experience www.hse.gov.uk Carries a section covering employers‟ responsibilities to young people and offering advice on good health and safety practice: http://www.hse.gov.uk/youngpeople/index. htm

The PTC guidelines are endorsed by the National Council for Work Experience

The Periodicals Training Council (PTC) is the lead body for best practice in training and development and people management for the magazine and business media industry. PTC enhances the performance of people working in magazines and business media by improving the quality and availability of training, acting as a focus for guidance on employment best practice and encouraging new talent into the industry. Our vision is for a fully professionalised industry, with equal recognition and opportunity for employees across all functions of the business.