Internships Bring Benefit to the Organization

Marianne Stilson

Maristilson@gmail.com

Keller Graduate School of Management - HRM594

Dr. Burnell Carden

January 30, 2015

ContentsIntroduction......................................................................................................................................3

Approach..........................................................................................................................................3

Focus................................................................................................................................................3

Literature Review............................................................................................................................4

Results..............................................................................................................................................5

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5

References........................................................................................................................................6

Internships Bring Benefit to the Organization

Introduction

Imagine a scenario where a company is in a growth period, and all indicators point to

continued and increased growth for the next year. The HR Professional, in charge of Strategic

Staffing, needs to present a plan to bring in new hires, candidates that are a good fit to the

organization and will support the company’s goals and culture through this growth period. They

will eventually fill positions which the company is growing to need.

Creating and maintaining an Internship Program would be one way to help the

organization define needs and create job descriptions which could be filled for periods of time,

allowing a chance to tweak here and there until nice, clear permanent job roles are created.

Internship programs bring benefits to the organization through repeated cycles of interns in fluid

job roles which have potential to lead to permanent hires. Strategic Staffing authors, Phillips and

Gully, wrote of a “survey in which over 300 employers who obtained 30% of new college hires

through their internship programs” (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 156). Internship program

planning and implementation can be a beneficial addition to the Strategic Staffing Planning

Process, and will compliment and potentially enhance the organization’s culture and reputation

as an employer while providing students with a potential career path and invaluable training.

Approach

In order to demonstrate the value of an Internship Program that aligns with Strategic

Staffing Methodology and which will benefit the organization by supporting its strategic goals

and objectives, the following resources may be used.

The DeVry online library, consisting of excellent database collections, will be used to

locate scholarly peer-reviewed sources such as trade and professional journal articles. Such

articles will help support the benefits to be found in internships, as well as insights and best

practices from the people who may have worked with interns within their own organizations

(Swyers, 2012). Additionally, electronic sources such as websites will also be used to access

step-by-step instructions, job descriptions, and how-to-guides, offering best practices for

program development and maintenance . Care will be used in internet research, to have veritable

sources, and to detail specific webpages within websites (Chegg.com, Employer Resources,

2015). All these together will provide the facts and details needed to make the case for

Internship Programs or the restructuring of existing programs.

The Terminal Course Objectives from DeVry’s HRM 594 ECollege course shell, plus

lectures, and discussions may also be included as primary sources for Strategic Staffing Methods

(DeVry, 2015). Lastly, Strategic Staffing, 3rd Edition by Phillips and Gully is the base of

concepts tied in throughout this report (Phillips & Gully, 2014).

Focus

Strategic Staffing is the process used in business to make sure hiring objectives and the

related process of acquiring talent and following through all stages of employment uphold the

organization’s business objectives. Therefore, Strategic Staffing methods will also be needed in

the Planning, Implementation, and Follow-up stages of an Internship Program (Phillips & Gully,

2014). The focus will provide the reader with some of the methods used to design and implement

an internship program that supports the (Chegg.com, Internship Job descriptions, 2015) business

objectives in conjunction with use of Strategic Staffing Methodologies for overall organizational

success. (Phillips & Gully, 2014, pp. 16-17). These methods may also apply in an organization

which has an existing internship program, revamping with or without the implementation of a

Strategic Staffing Program.

Literature Review

Chegg.com operates a website full of resources for business, educators, and students

(Chegg.com, Employer Resources, 2015). Under their cover is Internship.com, where extensive

employer and student resources relating to the planning, implementation, and follow up at

completion of internships (Internship.com, 2015). Various webpages used from within the site

will be cited independently, on topics ranging from 10 steps to Success (Chegg.com, 10 Tips for

successful internship program, 2015), to benefits of such a program (Chegg.com, Employer

Resources, 2015), and even including sample job descriptions (Chegg.com, Internship Job

descriptions, 2015).

Information from Chegg.com will provide steps to undertake planning and show how to

align with the steps of successful strategic staffing/planning (Phillips & Gully, 2014, pp. 16-17).

Next, Chegg’s Internship.com webpages will contribute to descriptions of benefits from

successful implementation and operation of an integrated internship program which ensures the

program supports organizational goals and objectives. Along with the websites and webpages,

several journal articles discuss benefits and best practices from the organization’s viewpoint.

For example, highlights from an article by Reding and O’Bryan in Strategic Finance

show some internship program benefits to the business and the intern, using key points from their

10 Business Student Internship Best Practices (Reding & O'Bryan, 2013). Each of these can help

demonstrate how planning and consideration of the intern’s learning can, in turn, help the

business improve public and industry recognition and reputation for fair practices and terms for

interns (Reding & O'Bryan, 2013).

Lolita Carson’s piece, “Bridging the Gap: Internships Can Benefit Students and

Employers”, which details the steps to start an internship program, is shown in comparison table

to the focus areas of Strategic Staffing Methods (Carson, 2013). Each of these can help

demonstrate how planning and consideration of the intern’s learning can, in turn, help the

business improve public and industry recognition and reputation for fair practices and terms for

interns (Reding & O'Bryan, 2013).

What to do, How to do it and Why?

In an effort to understand how a good internship program can be an ongoing part of the

Strategic Staffing initiative, thereby increasing the benefit to the organization, one must first

review the steps to follow in Strategic Staffing planning in the Human Resources function.

Those can then be compared to the initial steps in planning the Internship Program, defining the

needs which can be filled by interns, and for what duration. Going beyond that, exploration of

the overall potential benefits of the program through the insights of those in the industry,

managing interns, developing the programs for them, or as experienced by the interns

themselves.

Strategic Staffing is defined as a method of staffing planning that is forward thinking and

retention oriented (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 4). The primary areas of focus are featured in the

table below (Figure 1: Side by Side Comparison of Steps (Carson, 2013) (Phillips & Gully,

2014)).

Steps to Strategic Staffing Steps to Establish Internship ProgramSourcing Talent: where the new talent may be found

and who may be recruited for outstanding skills and

experience.Build relationships with colleges and universities,

Recruiting Talent: the decision-making process and

the actual steps taken to create and portray a desirable

position and employment culture, in order to draw

talented individuals to apply and accept employment

offers.

Establish workplace needs

Selecting Talent: the assessment and decision process Determine workplace capacity

Acquiring Talent: tailoring packages to selected

candidates and encouraging them to accept what is

offeredForm realistic expectations

Deploying Talent: distributing talent throughout the

organization, for the best cultural fit and for the

efficiency found when talent has a well-fitting job roleCreate objectives and ground rules

Retaining Talent: monitoring and maintaining

employee relations and organization culture to keep

employees engaged and working for the company’s

goals ( (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 8).

Decide compensation

Hire effectively

Figure 1: Side by Side Comparison of Steps (Phillips & Gully, 2014) (Carson, 2013)

The basic steps to establishing a new Internship Program, according to Lolita Carlson, are

detailed in her article in Public Relation Tactics, titled “Bridging the Gap: Internships Can

Benefit Students and Employers” (Carson, 2013) and are listed below matched with

corresponding Strategic Staffing Focus area in Parenthesis (Phillips & Gully, 2014).

Build relationships with colleges and universities (Sourcing Talent)

Establish workplace needs (aspect of Recruiting Talent)

Determine workplace capacity (Cost side of Recruiting Talent)

Form realistic expectations (Final aspect of Recruiting Talent)

Create objectives and ground rules (Selecting Talent)

Decide compensation (More aspects of Selecting Talent)

Hire effectively (Combination of Acquiring and Deploying Talent)

In contrast, one can see that creating and implementing an internship program has steps

which overlap or complement Strategic Staffing focus areas (See List Above). When considered

from the program level and for the organization-wide benefits, an Internship Program’s steps

would need to be repeated again and again, as each intern class is planned, implemented,

concluded, and as the organization’s internal and external environments change (Carson, 2013).

It could become a fluid part of the future planning for staffing needs, and in parts may lead

directly to the hiring of new talent (Carson, 2013).

Beyond having a structure that potentially meshes well with the Organization that has

implemented Strategic Staffing, there are other benefits for companies with an Internship

Program. It is mentioned in Strategic Staffing, that “over 300 employers surveyed reported that

30% of new college hires came from the company’s internship program” (Phillips & Gully,

2014, p. 156) Furthermore, “25 % came from partner schools” (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 156),

which is a good hallmark for establishing and maintaining connections and networks with

various educational programs for the purpose of sourcing and recruiting new talents in a cost

effective method (Phillips & Gully, 2014). The general recognition of the value of internship

programs to the organization, and the student is strong enough that specific Federal laws passed

to promote protectionism and accessibility of internship positions in the Public Sector.

President Obama signed the Law, titled the Federal Internship Improvement Act, into

effect on December 31, 2011 ( (Benavides, Dicke, & Holt, 2013). It has requirements for Public

Sector organizations that have Internship Programs, mandating they must create a position for an

Intern Coordinator, to oversee the program, and also that any internship job openings be posted

on company websites (Benavides, Dicke, & Holt, 2013, pp. 19(2), 325). These and other related

acts provide protection for some seeking Federal Positions, including policy and public

administration. All together, these reinforce and promote the fact “that Federal agencies are

required to invest in participants’ development through “training, mentorships, and other

means”(Federal Register, 2012)” (Benavides, Dicke, & Holt, 2013).

This all goes to support the idea that internships and their programs have benefits that

extend beyond the individual students and participating organizations. The workplace culture

which encourages learning and notes the value of experiential learning such as can be found

when an internship provides the hands-on learning to accompany the theory taught in school.

This might be especially valuable in an industry like manufacturing where even the sales people

could benefit from some experiential learning (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 87).

When internships and the development of programs are considered, it may be necessary

to form new positions. This practice, similar to the formation of job descriptions for new job

openings, is serious undertaking which requires input from all related parties in a given job role.

Again, there are excellent resources available. Chegg.com has a well laid out website, with

many resources for Employers wishing to start up Internship Programs (Chegg.com, Employer

Resources, 2015). Additionally, they are the umbrella site for Internships.com where one might

find individual sample job descriptions for various intern positions (Chegg.com, Internship Job

descriptions, 2015). One such sample may to be found in Appendix A.

The recommendation would be for Organizations to use a Strategic Staffing Model which

also incorporates the primary planning areas for creating and maintaining an Internship Program.

The following table now demonstrates how that might read.

Focus Areas to Strategic Staffing with Intern Program

Sourcing Talent: where the new talent may be found and who may be recruited for outstanding skills and experience. Build relationships with colleges and universities

Recruiting Talent: the decision-making process and the actual steps taken to create and portray a desirable position and employment culture, in order to draw talented individuals to apply and accept employment offers. Establish workplace needs for interns. Determine workplace capacity for interns and Form realistic expectations

Selecting Talent: the assessment and decision process includes Creating objectives and ground rules for interns. Then, decide compensation, whether monetary or non-monetary-be fair.

Acquiring Talent: tailoring packages to selected candidates and encouraging them to accept what is offered

Deploying Talent: distributing talent throughout the organization, for the best cultural fit and for the efficiency found when talent has a well-fitting job role. When it comes to interns, Hire effectively.

Retaining Talent: monitoring and maintaining employee relations and organization culture to keep employees engaged and working for the company’s goals ( (Phillips & Gully, 2014, p. 8) (Carson, 2013).

Conclusion

An organization that forms an Internship Program is probably going to benefit through cost

savings in the hiring process, when interns are chosen and accept permanent positions search

time and expense is cut. They may also improve or increase public or scholarly awareness of

having a desirable, competitive Intern Program as a part of the larger Strategic Staffing Planning

(Benavides, Dicke, & Holt, 2013). The reputation and network through potential intern sourcing

may be the same later used for professional candidates and executive level sourcing (Phillips &

Gully, 2014). One thing should now be clear, that the steps required to form and maintain an

Internship Program do flow with the Strategic Staffing Planning Model of today’s organization

which seeks to stay competitive in the real market (Phillips & Gully, 2014).

Appendix A

Sample Intern Job Description

(Chegg.com, Internship Job descriptions, 2015)

SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

Description

Forward-thinking, fast paced company looking to hire an intern with strong knowledge and understanding of the digital media landscape, including various social media websites.Company is currently redesigning our website, and will soon launch a social media campaign. The intern hired for this position will need strong critical thinking skills in order to integrate into our vibrant and passionate team who are very excited to share this exciting launch with an intern hoping to gain a ton of great online experience.

Responsibilities

Contribute to website redesign project in various ways Monitor and post on blogs, forums, and social networks Online outreach and promotion using Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more Website and social media optimization Keyword analysis Cost/benefit analysis

Requirements

Students applying for this internship should be Marketing/Business or Language majors, with 3 years of experience on the Web and a solid understanding of youth markets.

Majors

Marketing, Business, Communications (Chegg.com, Internship Job descriptions, 2015)

References

Benavides, A. D., Dicke, L., & Holt, A. (2013). Internships adrift: anchoring internship programs

in collaboration. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 19(2), 325-353. Retrieved January

30, 2015, from http://proxy.devry.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=ehh&AN=89424930&site=eds-live

Carson, L. (2013). Bridging the gap: internships can benefit students and employers. Public

Relations Tactics, 20, 18-18. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from

http://proxy.devry.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=heh&AN=84930685&site=eds-live

Chegg.com. (2015). 10 Tips for successful internship program. Retrieved from Internship.com:

http://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/ten-tips

Chegg.com. (2015). 12 Steps to set up Internships. Retrieved January 28, 2015, from

Chegg.com: http://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/12steps

Chegg.com. (2015). Employer Resources. Retrieved from Internships.com:

http://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/benefits

Chegg.com. (2015). Internship Job descriptions. Retrieved from Internships.com:

https://www.internships.com/employer/resources/internships

Chegg.com. (2015). Internships setup in 12 steps. Retrieved from Internships.com.

Internship.com. (2015, January 26). Internships.com Employer Rescources. Retrieved from

Chegg.com: http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/create-a-coveted-internship-

program.html

Phillips, J. M., & Gully, S. (2014). Strategic Staffing, 3rd Edition (3rd ed.). Pearson Learning

Solutions. Retrieved January 30, 2015

Reding, K., & O'Bryan, D. (2013). 10 best practices for business student internships. Strategic

Finance, 95(10), 43-48. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://proxy.devry.edu/login?

url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=iih&AN=90612613&site=eds-live

Swyers, M. (2012, December 21). Create a coveted internship program. Retrieved January 26,

2015, from Inc.com: http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/create-a-coveted-internship-

program.html