Hiring an intern is just as important as hiring a full-time employee.
The general counsel and corporate secretary are often tasked with finding the right fit and, if this process is not taken seriously, there may be long-term legal repercussions.
According to the US Department of Labor, unpaid interns should be working to develop professional skills and not be used as ‘free labor’. In other words, if you need an intern primarily to fetch your team coffee and bagels or replace a regular employee, he or she must be offered at least minimum wage and compensated for overtime work.
In essence, it is important to carefully evaluate your needs before bringing someone new and ambitious on board.
As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, many young professionals are actively seeking internship opportunities that will help build their careers. Law departments, for instance, are notorious for stocking up on interns, especially during the summer and fall.
Whether an intern is paid or not, he/she will most likely accept any offer on the table just to get his/her foot in the door. For these go-getters, gaining hands-on experience and working with seasoned professionals will help them stay on the right career path – if you hired the right interns, that is.
‘It is imperative to take the time out to find the most motivated intern,’ says George Miller, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Sigma-Aldrich. ‘Developing projects and making sure the in-house ‘mentor’ was sufficiently trained and focused on getting the most out of the intern was key to the success of our internship program.’
But what if you did not hire the right person for the position? Most interns are aspiring professionals who don’t know what to expect after signing up for an internship. It is best to get to know them, perhaps offering them the chance to ‘shadow’ their mentor for the first couple of days, so they understand what is expected of them.
‘One cannot expect an intern to perform at the level of a lawyer with five years' experience. On the other hand, one should not compromise on a high level of performance – one just needs to be certain the capabilities of the intern are understood and match the task at hand,’ adds Miller.
Setting goals is an effective way to keep interns busy and engaged. During the interview process, the goals should be presented to help them determine whether this is the right position, and to help you determine if the candidate is the right one for your legal department. Once hired, the intern can follow the agreed goals to successfully complete his/her duties.
Teaching and motivating an intern can be a gratifying experience; hiring the wrong person can be counter-productive. Remember it is essential to do your homework before tapping new talent because if an intern does not receive valuable work experience, support and feedback, the US Department of Labor will have the right to step in.
