Enriching and productive internships while WFH

By Elton James Gagni, Senior Editorial Associate

Internships are valuable opportunities for students as it is a stepping stone for them to realize their future careers. By having an immersive training experience, they become an unofficial member of the workforce and take on responsibilities that would essentially hone their skills further. They get to learn first hand the industry’s best practices from their colleagues in the office.

These learning engagements are normal as they are part of an academic curriculum. But what happens when a company decides to implement a work-from-home scheme because of natural or man-made disasters, or even a health crisis? How now can they move forward along with the company? What steps do we need to take to better prepare them for when they join the workforce?

Ultimately, we as their employers still need to deliver a comprehensive internship experience, even beyond the four walls of office. This is something that we are currently implementing for our own interns. Here are some guidelines for you to consider in your own internship program:

Remote work capability and accountability

While implementing the work-from-home scheme highlights the safety of the employees and interns, it also raises concern over the continuity of their internship program. In this case, it is imperative to reassess and clearly define the objectives of the training program as well as the learnings that await them. These extraordinary situations compel us to get creative in fulfilling these objectives. It is our responsibility to continue presenting our interns with the best possible training experience. They are looking for real world experiences, right? Well, this is the real world, so here we are, kids!

After securing their health and safety in their respective homes and areas, we must assess if they are still able to perform essential functions and tasks in the absence of physical interaction. Next is having stricter quality assurance measures when it comes to service delivery. Another is establishing an entirely new level of trust on these interns, granted that they will be performing what is expected of them even if they are at home. We also need to hold them accountable for the quality of work they are producing to ensure that they are guided in the right direction.

Meaningful not menial jobs

Misconceptions have always plagued internships when it comes to the tasks being assigned to them. Industries that offer internships must do away with menial jobs and instead equip them with the skills as future members of the workforce. Rather than having them photocopy materials or asking them to get coffee, give them tasks that are more fulfilling and are of value to you, the company, and its clients.

In a remote work situation, ask them to do research on trends and let them provide analysis and share insights based on what they’ve gathered. Taking it up a notch, assign them tasks that will be sent over to clients. This way, they are challenged to give their best whether it is basic research, an article, or even the core messaging of your campaign. What is important is that even if they are at home, they are able to contribute meaningfully.

Addressing technical challenges

Given that remote work will mean that they will be using their own resources, we need to work around their resources to help them produce the best results. Have intermittent to no internet connection at all? Give them a special project that can be of use to the company. If you’re in the business of marketing like us, why not task them to plan out an entire campaign for your company’s promotion be it in PR, digital, or even a full-blown integrated marketing communications. Let them wow you, provided that you give them proper guidance during the process.

Participation and recognition

Encourage them to participate in discussions. From physical meets to remote ones, it is important that they take part so that they can listen in on the hard conversations. This enables them to learn strategies and tactics in different situations like a crisis, missed deadline, or even dealing with difficult people. Allowing them to share insights and give inputs may even surprise you!

Interns also deserve to be recognized and applauded for their efforts, most especially if it has exceeded expectations. This is not only a form of boosting their confidence, but an affirmation of their skills and contributions to the company. It may be a small feat for you, but it is an achievement that they can be proud of and share with their classmates.

TeamAsia understands that remote work may pose certain challenges from a business standpoint, what more in an internship. We believe that this should not hinder us from delivering a comprehensive internship experience. It is our responsibility and we have a commitment to instill in our interns relevant skills and knowledge that will one day be useful to them.

We hope these guidelines will be useful to you, your internship program, and, of course, your interns.

Curious about how we are making this remote internship happen? Let’s have a chat at info@teamasia.com