How Small Organizations Can Attract Good Interns

A valuable addition to an employer’s talent pipeline, interns provide organizations with fresh perspectives, young energy, and new ideas. On the surface, however, small businesses—those with less money, perks, and name recognition than large employers—face challenges when recruiting talented interns.

“Large corporations have marketing budgets and familiar names,” says Jennifer Schielke, CEO and co-founder of Summit Group Solutions, an IT staffing and recruiting firm in Bellevue, Wash., and author of Leading for Impact: The CEO’s Guide to Influencing with Integrity (Advantage Media Group, 2024). “Most people discount small businesses without realizing the reach and collective impact they make across our nation.”

Smaller organizations also face other limitations, such as fewer financial resources and a lack of staffing to oversee programs. Along with every challenge, however, comes an opportunity, with some experts contending that small organizations actually possess several advantages in developing intern programs—and incentives to attract interns—that larger companies do not.

Attractive Advantages 

Small businesses make up a huge portion of U.S. companies—as of 2023, they numbered around 33 million, according to the Small Business Administration. As such, they make a significant market impact. Additionally, a smaller organization often has less bureaucracy to overcome when organizing an internship program.

“Smaller companies can often be nimbler, and the buy-in process—needing approval from several layers of management to get an internship program off the ground—may be less complex,” says Julie Lammers, senior vice president of advocacy and corporate social responsibility at the nonprofit organization American Student Assistance.

This agility can signify an organization’s culture of innovation, Schielke says—a boon to potential interns.

“Many large corporations have well-documented, well-run programs and systems. Small businesses may or may not have the same formal setting, but don’t overlook the beauty of organized chaos,” she explains. “Letting go of the rigidity of tradition can foster innovation and a more humanized touch in the culture and output. It invites in purposeful impact from every resource on board.” 

Understand that an internship can be just one step on the journey to find what young people love to do and where they want to fit in the working world." —Julie Lammers

Meanwhile, interns at small organizations benefit from hands-on experience—rather than checking off a to-do list of administrative tasks—and better access to executives, allowing for more mentorship opportunities. According to a 2022 survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse, college students ranked developing career-specific skills as the most important outcome of an internship, followed by gaining general workplace skills, growing knowledge of subject matters and industries they are passionate about, and acquiring professional experience to include on a resume. These benefits even topped making money during their internship, the survey found.

Creating a Game Plan

According to experts, small organizations should keep in mind a number of best practices when implementing—or enhancing—an internship program to attract interns who align with their business strategy.

Dedicate time to creating an intentional plan. “No business has the luxury of wasted resources,” Schielke says. Small organizations should ensure success from the start by assessing business needs, designing the program’s structure, and evaluating timing and bandwidth. 

Organizations should also define the role of an intern. “Remain adaptable, but have a general job description and focus area, as well as goals and guidelines,” Schielke recommends. “Set the intern up for success and show them you are committed to their growth.”

Evaluate your HR bandwidth. Someone must oversee the program and the people. Make sure your intern(s) know the organization’s point of contact and understand how and with whom to communicate daily, Schielke says.

“Welcome them with an intentional onboarding schedule to set a positive first impression,” she suggests. “Be in constant communication. Setting up a daily agenda and check-in points is a good idea to ensure they remain focused and connected and, together, your goals for the program are achieved.”

Member resource: SHRM's Internship Program Toolkit

Identify—and tout—the draw for interns. “Set yourself apart through your commitment to the program you create, offering resume building, career path opportunities, exit evaluations and recommendations, networking, mentorship, culture, flexibility, and anything else that makes you stand out and/or brings value,” Schielke says. 

Additionally, emphasize that students may find more opportunity for growth and learning, along with better access to people and resources, when they intern at smaller organizations.

“Students have more opportunities to build social capital, understand their workplace identity, and develop workplace skills, because in a smaller organization, it’s all hands on deck,” Lammers says. “And again, less bureaucracy may be an advantage, in that it may allow interns to more easily meet and observe employees at all levels, including the C-suite. The key is to understand that an internship can be just one step on the journey to find what young people love to do and where they want to fit in the working world.”

Convey your brand story and culture. If you want the best intern for your business, invest in communicating your story well. The better you communicate your culture, the more likely you are to find interns who are a good fit for your organization. 

“This is a critical part of connecting with people, attracting them to your business, and creating meaningful alignment,” Schielke says.

Recruit through local resources. To find interns for your small organization, contact local universities and colleges, as well as professional associations. “Knock down the barriers for students and businesses by partnering with the source organizations that provide the academic development purposed to translate to the job market,” Schielke says. 

Intermediaries such as local workforce boards, coalitions, or chambers of commerce are excellent resources for recruiting good interns, Lammers says—as well as reducing the internal administrative burden of running a program.

Consider professional development and full-time potential. Some internships can turn into permanent full-time positions—a win-win for both interns and organizations. This may be more likely at small organizations because of the hands-on experience interns gain—as well as the close relationships they often develop with colleagues, managers, and directors—as opposed to the more generalized experience interns may receive at larger organizations. 

Provide incentives. Of course, interns love a paying gig. And, depending on various factors, payment might be legally required to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

However, if your interns meet the criteria to be considered interns and not employees, and doling out money isn’t feasible, consider other perks to persuade them to join your organization, such as college credits, additional learning opportunities (for instance, traveling to a conference), gift cards, or other small monetary awards. Assurances to help them in their career endeavors—by writing a letter of recommendation, giving them hiring priority, or introducing them to other firms or contacts—are other potential draws.

Commit to intern success. Finally, Schielke says, planning an internship program is only as useful as the execution of it. “Everyone gets busy,” she says. “Ensure that the key persons responsible for the intern and the program invest in the people and the process with priority and authority.”