As summer begins to wind down, you start to say goodbye to the warm weather and your interns. Watching your newest class of interns end their journey with your company can take some getting used to. Some may go back to college, but others may be looking for employment who could stay on full-time – if offered a position.

Chances are you were an intern once, and you probably hoped to go through the transition from intern to employee. Converting an internship to a full-time position isn’t always an easy decision. After all, if your intern is going to become a full-time employee, you want to make sure they’ll be a good fit.

In this post, we will break down some key considerations that will help you determine if you should promote one or a few of your interns.

1. Did They Complete Their Work On Time?

It’s no surprise that internships are, for many college students, the first experience in the professional world. If you’re considering promoting an intern to full-time, start with the basics. Ask around the office and get an idea if your intern hit all their deadlines. Even if they missed some, did they communicate why their deadline wasn’t hit on time?

It helps to think about your intern as if they were already a full-time employee. For example, if an entry level employee kept missing deadlines, it’s a red flag. Most of the people that go from being an intern to a full-time employee were already exceeding their expectations in their current role.

It can even help to go back and look at some of their work. The goal is to have a better understanding of the relationship between time spent and quality of their work. Once you figure that out, converting an internship to full-time can be an easier decision.

2. Did They Express Interest Joining Your Company?

You know it’s easy for an intern to put their head down, get their work done and go home. But ask yourself and your co-workers if your intern expressed interest in working for you long-term. For example, a person looking to go from being an intern to full-time is more likely to network. Networking within a company can take many forms, such as:

• Making an effort to get to know your co-workers better. From going out to lunch to spending time outside the office, these behaviors are a good sign your intern fits in with the company culture.
• Finding a professional mentor. If someone is serious about making the transition from intern to employee, they look for a mentor within the company to learn from.
• Building relationships with as many coworkers as possible. Ask around the office and see how many of your full-time employees talked regularly with your intern.

3. Did Your Intern Seek Feedback about Their Performance?

One of the best signs to look for when considering converting an internship into a full-time position is feedback. Dedicated interns will seek feedback about their job performance. Not only does this show good collaboration skills, but it also tells you that your intern is serious about their performance.

We all know that feedback is critical to improving your professional skills. If your intern was seeking feedback, how did they implement it? This is another opportunity to go back and look at their work. Do you see steady improvements? Or did the same mistakes get repeated? Knowing how your intern responds to feedback will give you great insight into what they would be like as a full-time employee.

Labor Systems Can Support All Your Hiring Needs

Whether you’re invested in converting an internship to a full-time position or need emergency staffing, Labor Systems is here to help. Our expert team of recruiters can help your business find the right employees. See the difference an experienced staffing agency can make and contact our team today.