TM - April 2008 - (Page 49) Appoint Coaches and Mentors It’s no secret that interns are a lot of work. “They want to learn, but they’re used to being told what to do and when to do it,” Webster said. A large part of developing a successful internship program is creating the right environment and having the right people around. “[The company] culture ought to be inviting to new people, to new talent,” Liebowitz said. “That also means assigning a mentor to really overlook and monitor the progress of that individual through the company.” The ideal situation is to give interns two mentors: One might be a senior vice president or department manager whom the intern does not report to, and one might be a young employee who’s been on the job a year or so. Each brings a different, useful viewpoint to the table. “It’s also important to make sure that when you choose who’s going to be a manager for an intern, that you identify managers who have a legacy of developing talent and getting people promoted,” Webster said. “And then, make sure you train those managers on the expectations of the company, what the internship program goals are and why you’re using that as a talent pipeline.” This type of training is crucial because many managers won’t instinctively know how to be coaches without some kind of education, Liebowitz said. At GGP Prodigies program coordinators approach managers before , setting them up with interns. “We have a very candid conversation, saying, ‘This is a great opportunity, but you need to understand you’re also dedicating yourself to be a mentor to the student,’” Rybicki said. “They know up-front there is going to be a little bit more hand-holding, and it may be a little bit higher maintenance overall.” To further intern development, GGP also provides them with 24x7 access to the company’s online university, the Learning Mall. This also is a good way to uncover hidden potential, as more successful interns will typically seek out these additional educational opportunities. Keep in Touch As Williams’ experience indicated, Generation Y is highly social, and it places a lot of emphasis on networking, especially with peers. “Within the Prodigies program, they’re really great about getting the corporate interns here and around the Chicago area together throughout the summer,” Williams said. “We’d have events or meetings, or they’d just touch base with us. We had the opportunity to network with other students who were our age and doing the same thing, which was great because we were spread out through the company, and it gave me a chance [to] learn about those other departments through the other interns.” The same goes for when the internships are over: Always keep in touch. Rothberg said, ideally, companies would extend offers to summer interns for full-time positions before the internship is up, and then e-mail or call them every week or so to keep contact going. Also, if the firm sponsors a retreat or has a big meeting, be sure to invite the newly minted employee. “Even if they can’t come, invite them,” Rothberg said. “They’re part of your team now, so treat them like that.” http://www.spectrumhr.com http://www.spectrumhr.com
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