Dos and Don’ts When Hosting Interns

What Works Well

• Provide autonomy with guidance
  Give interns ownership of tasks while offering support and context.
• Assign meaningful, skill-building work
  Focus on tasks that align with business needs and the intern’s career field.
• Share regular, constructive feedback
  Use check-ins and Weekly Feedback Loops to keep progress visible.
• Include interns in communication and meetings
  Participation improves alignment, learning, and engagement.
• Respect agreed working hours and boundaries
  Clear expectations support morale and academic commitments.
• Explain tools, processes, and standards clearly
  Interns are learning. Clear guidance prevents delays and rework.
• Invest in onboarding and offboarding
  Strong starts and structured wrap-ups improve outcomes for both sides.
• Align tasks with development goals
  Career-relevant work increases motivation and long-term value.

What Often Creates Challenges

• Micromanaging tasks
  Over-control limits confidence, creativity, and ownership.
• Assigning only busy work
  Low-value tasks without learning outcomes reduce engagement.
• Providing little or no feedback
  Lack of clarity slows progress and increases frustration.
• Excluding interns from updates or meetings
  Isolation leads to misalignment and missed learning opportunities.
• Overstepping time boundaries
  Last-minute or after-hours requests can affect performance and wellbeing.
• Assuming prior knowledge
  Skipping explanations creates confusion and avoidable errors.
• Skipping onboarding or offboarding
  Weak beginnings or rushed endings reduce the overall impact of the internship.
• Ignoring development goals
  Misalignment with career pathways often leads to disengagement.