The Tribune

By Ian Ferguson

As we near the summer months and our high school and college students prepare to take their breaks, the market place will soon be flooded with youngsters vying for summer internships and employment. In our very archaic system of hiring summer workers, sometimes only those well-connected land the choice jobs, leaving the very bright and gifted defenseless. Most business places, even smaller companies, recognise that an act of corporate social responsibility is demonstrated in the securing and mentorship of students during their break period. There is much to be gained in nurturing our youth, both for the business and for the interns.

This article provides some guidelines for securing the best interns and summer students. Here are top tips for companies implementing this year’s summer job placement programmes:

1. Interns must be screened and taken through the normal human resource sourcing and recruitment requirements just like other employees. The student must never feel that they are privileged because of some corporate connections. We have raised too many generations of young people who feel entitled because of parentage or other associations.

2. Interns must be assigned to specific tasks. The intern must never be given menial assignments or those jobs other full-time employees refuse to do. This must be a period of learning and impartation of knowledge. This will only happen if deliberate project assignments with clear deliverables are organised for the students.

3. Instill in the mind of the intern that they are extensions of the company’s brand, and that their actions adversely or positively affect the organisation. Additionally, interns should be protected from office vices, including intermittent intimate relationships. Interns are often quite innocent and vulnerable, and should not be taken advantage of.

4. Enthusiasm. For many interns, the summer engagement is merely about fulfilling college credit hours and requirements, while others are purely about the money they will earn to help with books, clothes etc. Enthusiastic employees, though, who are truly excited about the learning potential, get the best results. This energy level must be appropriately channelled. Some youngsters with an overabundance of

5. Willingness to learn. Guard yourselves against the ‘know it all’ interns. Ensure you identify interns who are open to learning, and who will ask the right questions and who will make a positive contribution to your company. Good evidence of this willingness to learn is the ability to accept and respond favourably to constructive criticism.

6. Communication is a must. Great interns are awesome communicators. This facilitates better teamwork, problem solving, excellent customer service and provides a tenor for a professional work environment. You do not want an intern whose communication skills will damage your brand.

7. Commitment, Trust and Integrity. You cannot afford to invest in an intern who does the job half-way, leaving one of your regular employees to clean up the mess. There must be a high level of devotion to the projects assigned, and reliability on behalf of the student to get the job done to standard. Assignments must be clearly understood, then, with deliverables outlined for each student. Students with good work ethics and high moral standards make the best interns. Seek them out.

8. Flexibility. Youth are perhaps most celebrated for their great ability to multi-task. A great intern is one who is able to adapt to a variety of tasks, prioritizing those that are more important or crucial to the company than others. Having interns who are open to doing a variety of things will make the experience more enjoyable and successful for both intern and the organisation.

If you need assistance securing GREAT and vetted interns for the summer to work on special projects and assignments, contact Aqeela Romer at the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation 242.322.2145 or aqeela@thebahamaschamber.com.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson was educated locally, regionally and internationally, having earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Miami. During the course of his nearly 20 years in education, talent management and human resources, he has served both the public and private sector in senior management roles. He currently serves as manager of the Chamber Institute, and as a local consultant in the field, having assisted hundreds of local and regional businesses in improving business and service excellence through their human capital.