National Intern Day is a great day to recognize the inclusive impact of interns on the workplace.
Are you aware that National Intern Day presents a unique opportunity for inclusive leaders at the end of July? Intern Day began in 2017 by the founders of WayUp, who saw a gap in recognizing interns' impact and created the occasion. Since internships usually occur in the summer months, this timely article will shed light on the potential of this relationship and how to leverage it to uphold inclusive principles in organizations, creating a win-win inclusive relationship with interns.
Lay The Foundation For Inclusion
Let's face it: the intern relationship doesn't begin when the intern starts working for the company. Keeping that in mind, inclusive leaders can proactively take action to set the stage for success. Consider job descriptions, hiring, interview, and onboarding experiences. Review those processes to identify and eliminate any exclusionary gaps. For example, review the job description upfront to decipher if more challenging assignments are available without bias interfering to minimize intern capabilities. While reviewing, check on the use of inclusive language. Also, having conversations with hiring team members to ensure inclusion (i.e., questions asked, openness around professionalism, and tools to suspend bias) is a factor in the interview process. Consider where the recruiting process occurs and diversify recruiting options. LiveGirl, a Connecticut-based non-profit focused on student leaders, provides inclusive education to interns and companies that hire interns.
Collaborate To Design Ongoing Inclusive Experiences
Interns can bring a fresh perspective to organizations. Experts agree, citing expectations of an uplift in the number of interns hired in the workplace in 2024. Therefore, inclusive leaders are likely to engage with interns in daily work. As such, be committed to creating win-win interactions. The following are some steps inclusive leaders can take. Up front, engage interns in conversations about sharing leadership journeys and challenges. Add inclusion as a standing agenda item for meetings. In initial discussions and meetings, give space to highlight where inclusion went right and where hiccups occurred. Then, ask about intern experiences, expecting inclusive leadership lessons to surface, given lessons can be bi-directional. Be prepared to take input from interns when solving business challenges. Have a conversation with the intern about experiences desired from the internship. Ask about desires and ideas for inclusive impact. I previously penned an article directed toward interns dealing with microaggressions in the workplace, so it may be fruitful for leaders to brush up on knowledge of microaggressions to avoid committing them.
Take A Pulse On Inclusive Engagement And Interactions
Before, during, and after internships, access data points to learn from the internship experience. As said above, being proactive will yield lasting benefits. Evaluate whether there may be an opportunity to include questions about the intern experience (not just for interns but for the workplace community at large) on employee engagement surveys. Inclusive Leaders who intentionally set inclusive goals will help with benchmarking success. Be sure to have conversations with interns departing the organization to highlight wins and possible improvement areas for future interns joining the company. Specifically, talk about and seek examples of inclusion or exclusion. Give attention to creating safety for such conversations.
Note: The author is an active Live Girl Advisory Council member.
