How to Treat Your Interns

By Mahek Vijaywargiya

Last year, I interned at a reputed digital agency in Mumbai, India. When working there I was surprised at how an organization could treat their interns (as well as their employees) so poorly. It was an unpaid internship. And I was easily working 12–13 hours every single day. Even most weekends.

One time I was having a terrible migraine, I was told to rest for a couple hours, but come back to work. The experience changed my perspective on internships drastically. And made me want to write about how interns should be treated.

Interns are often perceived as young and inexperienced. But most importantly, as staff that’ll stay for the short-term only. So it doesn’t make sense to invest time into them, right? WRONG.

Interns might not have as much experience, but they’re there for the purpose of learning. If they choose a particular company to intern at, they’re most likely interested to work with them. They want to gain exposure in the field. They might be inexperienced to start with, but a kind mentor, a good work environment, and respect can go a long way.

Interns in many organizations are usually perceived as grunt workers. I’ve personally heard about situations where all the interns did was get coffee/ tea for their superiors and print out documents. In addition to the tasks being meaningless to the job role, they’re also repetitive.

And usually, a mentor shows the intern one aspect of the work, and then the interns are told to continue to do that daily. Thus limiting the exposure of what they can learn. These types of tasks don’t help interns gain exposure and learn. And they’re demotivating as the interns are there to offer their time, and are enthusiastic about wanting to contribute and learn.

How you should treat interns:

• Make sure you have a program or an idea of what you want them to do, It makes the whole experience easier for both you and the intern.

• Delegate specific tasks to them and once they get the hang of it, let them take over! This not only motivates them but also boosts their confidence and shows that you trust them.

• Interact and check up on how things are going, but don’t interfere daily or impose your method of doing something on them. Let them try to figure it out. One of the hardest, but most important attributes in the relationship between the intern and the mentor is comfort, which makes a huge difference.
• Allow your interns to ask you anything any number of times without judging them or scolding them. It’s much better to clarify doubts than to make mistakes with clients.

• Appreciate them and show them that you care. There’s no such thing as being too kind. Once a mutual understanding is established, the quality of work will improve. And the enthusiasm and the creativity that an additional mind brings will start to show.

• Please don’t yell when they make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes; after all, we’re only human. What matters is how the issue is solved, not who caused the problem. Explain your point of view to them, share ideas, have a conversation and be considerate.

When interns come to your organization to gain exposure, don’t forget that they’re one of your biggest marketers. They have large networks from their school, college, social circles, etc. The way they feel about your company and its work culture is what they’re going to tell others outside the company. So in a way, they play an influential role in the image of the company. Treat your interns right, treat them with respect, and don’t forget to be kind.