Internship programs are a great way to get additional employee support and groom future workers.
Richard Bottner, founder of Intern Bridge, and Mark Babbit, founder of YouTern, shared tips for startups who want to hire interns in a talk entitled, "Building Successful Internship Programs for Startups." Audrey Waters of Read Write Start summarized some of their advice.
Bottner and Babbit tell business owners that they should not expect interns to only accomplish menial tasks such as fetching coffee. Create a work plan for them so they can gain valuable experience and the company can get an extra hand with some projects. Give them feedback and encourage them to let you know areas that could be improved. Although they are still in college, the perspective of someone who is not a full-time employee can reveal weaknesses others did not notice.
Reach out to colleges and universities to help with the recruitment process. The more students know about your internship program the more likely they are to apply. Internships.com reminds intern program managers to determine whether the student's university accepts college credit for the internship ahead of time, or else they will need to be paid.