As a funeral director, we know you have a lot on your plate. Your to-do list is never ending, and sometimes you wish you had an extra set of hands to get back on track. That’s why hiring an intern might be a good idea.

Interns can do the tasks you normally have little time to do. For instance, your intern could help you stay on top of all your marketing efforts. They could be responsible for updating your social media, writing your website’s blog, and taking photos of your facility. An intern can also help you with the events you host or any miscellaneous projects.

When hiring an intern, it’s important to plan ahead for their internship. In honor of National Intern Day, we’re sharing some of the do’s and don’ts of employing an intern below.

Do…

Allow Flexibility

More often than not, your intern will be a student or have another part-time job to make ends meet. As an employer, you need to be understanding when certain things come up with their other commitments.

Plan how your intern should let you know of these schedule conflicts. Make it clear that they can’t flake last minute, but you also understand that they have other things going on in their life.

Set Expectations

In order for you and your intern to get the most out of their internship, set expectations from the moment they interview for the position. What are their job duties? How often will they work? What are your policies? Is there an end date to this internship? It’s important to have answers to all of these questions before you start looking for an intern.

Pay Them

Unpaid internships are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Interns deserve to be paid for the work they do. For many unpaid interns, they struggle to make ends meet and have to take on extra work. That means when they work for you, they will feel burnt out which negatively affects their work performance.

By paying them a fair wage, you’re showing them respect, and they will have more of an incentive to do a good job.

Don’t…

Avoid Reviewing Their Performance

Reviews are an important part of internships. How can they ever learn without receiving constructive feedback? Make it clear when the reviews will take place and what they will look like. Then, at the review discuss their job performance. What are they doing well? What could they improve?

Also, use the review as a time for them to bring up any comments or concerns. By having this two-way communication, your work dynamic will improve.

Forget to Make Goals

When they begin, in addition to setting goals for them, have them set some of their own. Those goals will be a good talking point during your reviews and will show their growth during their time at your funeral home.