How to extract valuable work from your WFH interns?

TLDR;

The pandemic changed the working model from physical to WFH! This led to changes in how you extract value from your interns and employees.

So how to do it?

1. Provide real work which makes them feel that they are making an impact on the organization’s work
2. Make them feel included by always keeping them in the loop
3. Communicate regularly to make them feel heard
4. Connect personally to get to know them beyond their work
5. Listen to their ideas
6. Make it worthwhile by providing them an amazing learning curve and culture at work

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The work environment changed considerably after the pandemic. The concept of coming to the office and working needed to be altered as governments imposed nationwide lockdowns. So we shifted to the work-from-home model.

Owing to the higher technological penetration and freelance culture, students intern part-time at many places as it helps them acquire skills and also gets them the essential brownie points for their much-coveted CV.

So how should companies use this newly found stream of talent unbounded by physical limitations?

1. Provide real work

Students, nowadays, are provided with a lot of opportunities. Hence, if you give them some menial administrative job, chances are they won’t reciprocate with their efforts. Instead, give them real work, and provide them with work surrounding the current projects in the organization. They should feel that the work they are doing is impacting the overall deliverables of the project.

2. Make them feel included.

Being away from the company’s operations might feel like a bit of detachment to the interns. The interns might feel like they are missing out on networking opportunities, water-cooler conversations, and amenities provided by the organization. You are responsible for making them feel included in whatever activity concerning them is happening in the organization. Keeping them in the loop will make them feel valued, and their accountability will increase.

3. Communicate regularly

Many organizations give work to interns without any specific instructions. As a result, the interns don’t know how information is to be researched, structured, and presented according to the organization’s standards. Therefore, you must communicate effectively with the interns, regularly solve their issues, and rectify their doubts.

4. Connect personally

Organizations nowadays are not necessarily entirely formal. Employees regularly connect informally, discuss ideas, and present their opinions. The interns should also be allowed to interact with other employees informally to feel genuinely welcomed into the group. It also provides an opportunity to understand what the interns pursue outside their professional life and get to know them better.

5. Listen to their ideas.

This generation is one of the most immensely connected generations. The amount of information they possess is massive. Through this mass absorption of data and information, they can think of solutions and ideas using multiple lenses. The insights gained can significantly benefit the organization as a new perspective emerges. Hence, regularly talking to the interns and getting their feedback and ideas can be very beneficial.

6. Make it worthwhile

Job satisfaction has increasingly become critical for interns and employees to gauge their employers. As a result, they generally stick with organizations where they feel valued and find a place for themselves. Therefore, it’s of utmost importance that the interns feel like they are contributing effectively to the organization and feel content with the work they pursue.

Conclusion:

Internships provide a great platform for young and budding students to explore the industry. By providing opportunities, the startups can leverage the fresh ideas of these students and in turn provide them with a great learning curve.

Bolstart believes in connecting these two valuable entities together, ie., it connects organizations with interns and hence helps in creating meaningful relationships.

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