Talent Matters

The low unemployment rate and tight market for skilled talent are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, distributors report a high turnover rate in the entry-level sales talent and hourly-wage warehouse and operations associates. So, what’s your strategy? The “Post-and Pray” hiring method, based on a resume and an interview, has led to retention issues and high investments in onboarding, training, and development. If you need a better way to build an entry-level talent pipeline, it’s time to create a strong internship program.

Internships are a “Try-Before-You-Buy” for you and the intern. They’re also a low-cost option to recruit carefully evaluated and culturally tested entry-level professionals. Interns are not summer help; they are a 10-week extended interview. If you provide a positive experience, they’ll go tell their friends, and it will boost future recruitment. If they have a bad experience, they will share that too. So, it is in your best interest to design and execute a structured internship experience to covert interns to full-time employees. Use these seven strategies to start or refine your own successful program, and watch your pipeline grow.

Strategy #1: Get buy-in from your branch and front-line managers on the value of internship. If the manager can understand that talent recruitment and development is part of their job and that interns are an affordable way to test potential employees, they’ll be more likely to contribute to the program’s success.

Strategy #2: Design a project-based, rotational, and engaging internship program. Most internships are 10–11 weeks, typically between the last week of May and second week of August. Rotations can be in warehouse/operations, counter sales, inside sales or customer service, and accounting. Include manufacturer training if possible. Visiting customers or job sites will be a valuable part of the learning. Ask your managers for back-burner projects, especially data analysis and process improvement such as account analysis, inventory counts, and making calls to inactive accounts.

Strategy #3: Develop a day-by-day internship plan and/or a handbook with detailed learning objectives, manager meetings, leadership exposure, and HR checkins. This structure will help ensure interns get a uniform experience across multiple locations. Most internships are 40 hours a week with a salary range of $18-$25 per hour. If there is a summer demand, you can provide additional working hours that interns would appreciate. Most employers provide a laptop. Housing allowances are limited and only used in high-cost rental locations or if you are trying to entice the intern to an out-of-state location.

Strategy #4: The best place to recruit interns is at in-person college or trade school career fairs, and bring your hiring managers and young professionals. In addition, guest lecturing in classes, teaching labs, participating in student association events, and developing relationships on campus will get you brand name recognition. Fall career fairs are the best time to start to fill most of your slots by December.

Strategy #5: Keep in touch! Once you make someone an internship offer, drop them an email once a month until their start date to make sure they show up. Then, make their first day memorable with a short orientation, a tour, and a lunch with the manager or team. If possible, assign the intern a buddy or mentor other than the reporting manager. This person will be a resource for the intern as they go about learning the business or have a question. Keeping the interns challenged is very important.

Strategy #6: If interns are working at different locations, organize weekly or bi-weekly conference calls to discuss projects, share insights, and build experiences. Build culture moments like a coffee talk with leaders, lunch-’nlearns with guest speakers, and networking opportunities. This will enhance their experience and give you an opportunity to evaluate them in a social setting. Schedule a final presentation of their project recommendations to leadership in the final week of their internship.

Strategy #7: We have seen successful companies hire three interns, make two full-time offers and hope one of them would accept and start. We call this a “3-2-1” plan. The goal is to evaluate the intern by the end of the internship term, and if they are a good fit, to make an offer––if they are graduating in the next six months. If not, at least let them know that you would be willing to make an offer closer to graduation. Establish a clear deadline to accept or decline offers.

A few final tips and reminders: Communication is king throughout the entire process. Always keep interns engaged with regular touchpoints, and make their work meaningful. Consider inviting those who have accepted your job offer to attend company meetings; this makes them feel part of the company. Finally, seek feedback from all interns to help you continuously improve your internship program.