Why you should take care of your interns
A couple of weeks ago an interesting article in the American Express Open Forum discussed guidelines for how to get the most out of your interns. I completely agree with all the points presented in the argument because having a well planned structure in place for both your interns and the company will surely benefit both parties.
However, I am a firm believer in giving your interns some sort of compensation. Whether it be a stipend to pay for gas, free stuff meant to recognize the intern for his/her hard work, or ideally an hourly or weekly set amount. During my college career, I’ve been very thankful to have had several internship opportunities. Some came with notable compensation plans and others were unpaid. Before I move on, I want to make something clear, I am not saying an unpaid internship didn’t give me any valuable experience or shouldn’t be the main reason you chose not to take on a new challenge. My argument is for those businesses looking into an intern program to clearly examine the risks of not compensating their interns. The following is why you should have some money set aside for your interns:
We need the money
College students have bills to pay also. We are giving our time and energy to gain valuable experience/learn from the best in our industry. Unfortunately, this dedication hurts our wallets if no compensation is involved. We have lives outside of your company and bills our parents do not cover.
Your interns are adding to your bottom line
Many companies are asking interns to complete tasks in the executionary stage of a project. Many would agree these tasks are adding to a company’s profit margins and bottom-line as a company moves forward in the market. Isn’t that sufficient enough to say that your interns deserve something in return? Your business would probably not be where it is today without those passionate and hard-working interns executing strategies from long drawn board meetings and conference calls.
NO FREE WORK
You don’t offer any of your services/expertise for free, so why should your interns feel they should offer their services for free? You don’t make money by giving away the essence that makes your company profitable. Whether we like to admit it or not, nothing is for free unless it is going to make someone rich someday.
Your interns are your PR
Think about all the things interns (college students) talk about publicly. Now think about where you go to recruit for new interns? If any intern is not happy with how your company treats them or doesn’t believe you are fully utilizing the intern’s time and passion, what makes you think they will speak well about your company? This is especially painful for a company that has hired an intern with a prominent online identity. Think about the repercussions one tweet, Facebook status update or blog post relating to your company’s intern program will reflect on your company as a whole and your reputation. (Hopefully this will not discourage a company from hiring an intern well versed in social media!)
Although, I understand it is a rough economy, it is also important to understand that your interns are a valuable asset. I’m not asking for unreasonable compensation plans, but something set aside so that it shows you appreciate your intern. They are as valuable as any other full-time employee you bring on board.
Mark McGwire – Thoughts from a young PR mind
A few weeks ago, former Major League Baseball player and current hitting coach for the St.Louis Cardinals, Mark McGwire officially admitted to us that he took steroids throughout his baseball career (shocker!). While many of us could care less about his apology or that he took steroids during an era in baseball when everyone else was doing it, I asked myself, why would he come out now and admit he used steroids? Get it off his shoulder? Because he is a honest man? Future Hall of Fame entrance?
It has been almost five years since he made an appearance in Congress. Are baseball fans and sports writers going to take to heart what he said, or is it just water under the bridge? (Obviously a bridge that is not leading him anywhere near the Hall of Fame)
Although, McGwire’s situation makes for a good lesson in public relations: never be slow to respond during a crisis. From my first PR class at UT, crisis management has always been a topic of importance. In my opinion, crisis management is what separates public relations from any other marketing department. It is the plan of action we put together when a company has some sort of misfortune brought to them or simply when the company screws up. Crisis management is especially important to professional athletes that need help when their image gets tarnished. It is our value to a company, among countless other things public relations practitioners bring to the table. I remember one of my professors saying about a crisis, “The first 24 hours are the most important. It is what you do in these 24 hours that dictates public perception through the rest of the crisis.” McGwire is five years too late and to be honest this probably will not get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But, I think it was a nice try.
Another thing to note, that during his interview he said, “I did this for health reasons. I didn’t do this because I needed strength. I’ve always been able to hit home runs.” Ummmmm what? You mean to tell me that a drug tested to increase a person’s strength magically would not help you? In my opinion, this one statement completely negated his apology. If you’re going to admit to using steroids then just go all the way and quit defending yourself. What’s done is done and you have to move on from here.
We’ve seen many athletes get caught for behavior we don’t agree with for a public figure. Although some remarks we make are hypocritical to our own daily lives, but our society has brought immense responsibility to those with enormous paychecks. It’s interesting to note that if McGwire admitted all this five years ago, many of us would have a different perception of him now. He really should have taken a page from Kobe’s, A-Rod’s, or Pettitte’s book because these men are definite future Hall of Famers, even with their misfortune.
What do you think about McGwire’s recent confession?
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