Join Dave Cofer as he details what you should consider when hosting a summer intern in your organization. Tasks to give them, tips for making them feel comfortable and skills to work on to improve workplace relations just to name a few…

The idea of service learning is not a new concept. In fact, early references date back to the early 1900s, with the Civilian Conservation Corps created in the early 1930s by Franklin D. Roosevelt serving as one of the first formalized examples of service learning. As you prepare for your summer internship, give consideration to the value of participating in an employer sponsored community service project or taking the lead and planning one for you and your fellow interns. Interested in hearing more? Here are just a few examples of the positive outcomes you can expect from participating in community service.

Engaging in community service provides a great opportunity to connect with and better appreciate the community. Let’s face it; it’s likely that both you and your employer view your summer internship as an opportunity to test run the possibility of full-time employment. The summer internship also serves as a great opportunity to test-run the community you may find yourself living in upon graduation. If you’re new to your internships’ host city, merely commuting to work each day and spending your weekends socializing with friends will do little to feed the connection to your temporary home. Take advantage of this 10-12 week “house-hunting trip” and see what your summer home has to offer beyond the 9-5.

Community services provides a great opportunity to develop and enhance critical workplace skills. Now, are you going to fill a large void in your professional development continuum simply by taking part in a 2-hour park clean-up some Saturday this summer? No, you won’t! But, if you take the lead in planning such an event and say invest 6-8 weeks in the process, you might just walk away having developed and/or enhanced skills that are absolutely transferable to the workplace. Ever heard of something called project management? If you take on the challenge of pulling together a community-based service project requiring collaboration with a local agency, recruit and manage the volunteers, promote and communicate the event, monitor the completion of critical tasks leading up to the event…I think you get the point. Not only does community service leave you with a sense of having “done good” but you can also grow professionally if you pursue the opportunity with that intent.

Team-based community service projects offer a positive and impactful opportunity to have FUN and socialize. Just so you don’t think I’m some kind of old curmudgeon that only ever thinks about new and innovative ways for young people to grow professionally (OK, that actually is who I am), I wanted to be sure to mention the “F” word. Yes, contributing your time and talents to the community can be FUN. It can be rewarding and humbling all at the same time. I’m all about opportunities to “party with a purpose”. Your summer internship is about a lot of things, but coming from someone that was lucky enough to have a formal internship during every summer of their undergraduate studies, be sure to make time to have fun. After all, it’s your summer. The 10-12 weeks every year where you get a break from your studies and transition from formal to experiential learning and if this article had any influence on you, you can add service learning to the mix as well.

Dave Cofer is President/CEO of Cofer Consulting Solutions, a firm specializing in attracting, developing and retaining young professionals. His Total Talent Development (T2D℠) model integrates 4 independent elements of learning (formal, informal, experiential and serving learning) into a single model ensuring a comprehensive approach to entry talent development. E-mail Dave at David.Cofer@CoferConsulting.com. To learn more about Cofer Consulting Solutions, visit www.coferconsulting.com.

To ensure success when managing Interns within your respective organizations be sure to adhere to the following which are inspired in large part by Do Interns Take Lunch Breaks Too? Five Mini Case Studies of the Intern Experience…and What Managers Can Learn from It, by Krista M. Reaves:

• Stick to your word with respect to working hours. 
• Be up front and honest with respect dress code expectations. Interns do not have money to waste on unnecessary clothing purchases (e.g. they buy professional attire only to learn that you are a casual environment).
• Ensure that the Intern is provided workspace with other relevant members of the team.
• Ensure that your Interns receive an orientation to your business and office locations. Simple things like where is the bathroom, the break room, etc. may not seem important but they are very important if you don’t know. Also, ensure that your Interns are introduced to other team members, particularly those they will be working with and/or contacting for assistance.

If you are reading much of what the popular press is writing about Generation Y (e.g. the Millennials), their expectations of work and what it takes to manage them effectively you may be left thinking “The heck with this, it’s just too difficult!”.  Who could blame you if you are feeling this way?  In its May 28, 2007 issue, Fortune deemed Generation Y the most high-maintenance, yet potentially most high-performing generation in history.  In addition, in its July 16, 2007 issue, Time described members of Generation Y as wanting the kind of life balance where every minute has meaning, not wanting to be slaves to their jobs the way their Baby Boomer parents are.  (Deborah Gilburg, Management Techniques for Bringing Out the Best in Generation Y) Not unlike the Generations that preceded them, the Millennials definitely possess unique characteristics that make them different and therefore require new and innovative management practices of those organizations looking to attract and retain them.  However, if you listen closely to what is being said, I think you’ll find that a solid foundation in what many might consider to be basic, fundamental HR practices will go a long way in ensuring a satisfying and motivating workplace for your Gen Y employees.

Referencing a short video that is now playing on BNET and that features Lynne Lancaster, noted generational expert, and co-author of the book When Generations Collide, let’s begin to examine what you can do to achieve success in managing Millennials in your organization.  In the video, Lancaster shares that the Millennials will benefit from great clarity related to job expectations and these expectations should be made clear during the recruiting process.  I don’t know about you, but I think most of us expect that during the recruiting process we are offered a clear picture of what is expected of us in the job we are considering.  

Lancaster also shares that early in the employment relationship Millennials should receive quite a bit of guidance with frequent check-ins.  In addition, employers are encouraged to sit down with their Millennial new hires and share with them the culture of the organization, the unwritten / unspoken expectations that are integral in being successful within the organization.  Again, another example of how applying fundamental HR practices can lead to success.  Well grounded new employee on-boarding processes should include a structured method of performance evaluation and review during the new hire’s initial training / review period.  In addition, via an orientation, mentoring relationship or other structured means, every new employee should be introduced to the company, its history, culture and “rules of the game”.

So, what’s really different as it relates to the Millennials and their expectations when compared to the Generations that preceded them?  Could it be the level of acceptance / tolerance they are willing to exhibit if the practices outlined above are absent?  I can remember a time when the practices outlined above were common place and most, if not all organizations leveraged them as part of their standard HR playbook.  I will also share that many organizations abandoned these practices overtime or scaled them back considerably.  Why?  I think it was because their employees were accepting of it, and if they were not accepting of it, they at least tolerated it.  That’s the difference with the Millennials.  They are likely to be far less tolerant.  These practices are not viewed as nice to haves, but as must haves.   For those employers that figure out how to get “back to basics”, they will be well positioned to succeed in their efforts to attract and retain members of Gen Y.  For those that don’t, securing members of their future workforce could prove difficult thus putting them at risk for long-term sustainability.  

To view the entire article, Management Techniques for Bringing Out the Best in Generation Y by Deborah Gilburg, visit:  http://www.cio.com/article/149053/Management_Techniques_for_Bringing_Out_the_Best_in_Generation_Y?page=1&

 To view the entire on-line video featuring Lynne Lancaster, visit: http://www.bnet.com/2422-13950_23-196738.html?tag=content;col1.  This article is authored by Dave Cofer, President / CEO of Cofer Consulting Solutions, a firm specializing in Attracting, Developing and Retaining Young Professionals.  Dave is currently partnering with the Columbus Chamber as an employer outreach resource available to assist employers in their efforts related to Interns.  To contact Dave, please e-mail him at David_Cofer@columbus.org.  To learn more about Cofer Consulting Solutions, please visit on-line at www.coferconsulting.com.