You may have interns working for you this Summer, or maybe you already have interns working for you now. If so, we’ve written some quick tips on how to say goodbye to your interns.
If your business relies heavily on interns, or if you plan on starting, it pays to give some thought to what happens at the end of the season when it’s time to say goodbye to your hardworking interns.
Approaches will vary here, but below, you’ll find a few best practices you can implement quickly and easily.
#1 – Thanks and Recognition
Simply saying a heartfelt thank you when it’s time to let your interns go will really do a lot, in addition to being a meaningful statement that makes it more likely you’ll be able to bring them back again the following year.
If you have a rewards and recognition program established, by all means, make them a part of it, and as part of the “Farewell Ceremony,” in addition to formally thanking them, give them a small token of your appreciation.
On the thinking that many, if not most interns will be young, here are a few ideas for low priced gifts that your interns may enjoy.
Bear in mind that this is simply the tip of the proverbial ice berg and we’ve got tons of other great gift ideas on our site, so if none of these work, by all means, spend some time browsing!
#2 – A Formal Exit Interview
This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, but taking the time to do it will create a couple of important opportunities.
First, it will give you another chance, in private this time, to express your thanks to the intern who’s leaving. Second, you’ll get an opportunity to really drill down into the work they did and identify specific tasks you’ll need to reassign to your permanent staff.
Finally, it gives your interns a chance to talk to you about what they liked and didn’t like about working for you, which, if you take their words to heart, will give you the opportunity to improve both the culture of your company and the experience of your interns next time around.
#3 – Send Them Off With Written Recommendations
Remember, most of your interns are young. As such, they’re just at the beginning stages of their careers. A written recommendation from you can do wonders for their future job prospects and is perhaps the most powerful “thank you” you can give them.
There are other things you can do besides these, but if you do nothing more than stick to the tips above, you’ll be miles ahead of the game and your interns will be thrilled beyond belief!