Independent Banker - August 2021 - 31

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the benefits go both ways. At Old
National Bank, interns gain valuable
experience during their time there.
" Since their assignments are not
busywork, what they do exposes them
to the work of banking, " Davis says.
" The program also gives them the
opportunity to meet and network with
our executive leadership team. "
Heartland Bank in Gowrie, Iowa,
works with its interns to create
journals of all the areas of the
community bank they learn about,
the tasks they work on and the
experiences they have with the bank.
" We feel this will benefit them as
they determine their future plans in
finance, and as potential help with
future job interviews, " says Kevin
Black, president and CEO of the
$190 million-asset community bank.
4 steps to internship success
What does it take to create and
manage a successful internship
program? There are at least four
critical elements, community
bankers say.
1. Provide direct supervision.
At Gorham Savings Bank, for
example, the intern hiring process
is much like it is for any other hire,
except that it's temporary.
" As a result, we seek volunteer
supervisors each year to take
on the responsibilities for the
interns, " Wheelock says. " We
make certain that the intern
supervisors recognize the
responsibilities they are taking on
and are committed to providing
meaningful experiences. "
Often, in fact, once a department
has hosted an intern, that
department will often request
another the next year, she adds.
At Heartland Bank, weekly
meetings give staff the opportunity
to discuss what interns have
" The [internship] program gives us
access to talent to fill some roles that
we might not have had access to in
the past. "
-ANDRE DAVIS, OLD NATIONAL BANK
learned and observed during the
previous week, as well as what
challenges lay ahead.
2. Make the work meaningful.
" It is important to make sure
you have a plan of action before
starting a program like this, "
Black says. " It should include
what the bank plans to show and
teach the intern, as well as what
tasks the bank wishes the intern
to complete. " It's important to
give them opportunities to get
involved across the organization.
" One of the main elements of
our program is that we make
sure the assignments for the
interns are meaningful work,
where they are doing the work
of an [employee], not tasks like
filing papers, " Davis says. " We
also have some research projects
that they work on, which provide
data that help drive business
line decisions. "
3. Expose them to all areas of the
bank. " Our program is a twoway
street, meaning that we give
the intern the opportunity to see
all areas of the bank, including
lending, teller work, marketing,
IT, compliance, etc., " Black says.
Heartland Bank balances these
learning opportunities with the
basics, such as assisting tellers,
answering phones and completing
other projects.
Old National Bank takes a
similar approach. " We are very
intentional about making sure
that the assignments and work
provide the interns with an
experience that will give them
exposure to the world of banking, "
Davis says. " We have also
incorporated some development
sessions into the program that
help the interns with their
professional development. "
Allowing interns to connect with
executive leadership also gives
them a big-picture perspective of
the community bank.
4. Reflect on what works. Gorham
Savings Bank management asks
for feedback from interns about
their experience, so that it can
adjust its program and continue
to provide valuable experiences.
" At the end of each program, we
reflect on the program to see what
worked well and what did not
work well, " Davis says, " and we
use that information to help build
the following year's program. " 
William Atkinson is a writer in Illinois.
independentbanker.org Q 31
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Independent Banker - August 2021

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