11 Things Great Student Managers Do
As someone who has held co-op roles at 3 different organizations and is now working on a team dedicated to early talent experience, I know that not every student experience is created equally. In my opinion, this often comes down to the manager. Impressions mean so much more when you only have a student on your team for 4 months, so it’s crucial that you start before their first day. You never know - they could be your next full-time hire on the team, or they could recommend other great candidates for student roles.
In this post, I’m sharing 11 tips to help new managers looking to better navigate the world of intern and co-op students, based on my past experiences as a co-op student.
Let them know where to go on the first day
Before the first day in the office, email your student letting them know where to go to meet you. Your student will likely be a bit nervous on the first day (I know I always was), and will appreciate knowing exactly where they should go. If the student won’t have access to your floor yet, meet them in the lobby, or give them your phone number for them to let you know when they’ve arrived.
Make sure everyone gets to know each other
On the first day, hold a team-wide orientation. Invite everyone from the team who the student may be working with, and have everyone introduce themselves with a casual icebreaker activity. One team I worked with had everyone on the team play ‘Two Truths and a Lie’, which was a great way to not only get to know everyone, but start to figure out what I had in common with my team members. Explain to your student the organization of the team, and what everyone is responsible for, so they know how they fit into the team as a whole and who to go to for specific questions.
Give them a tour of the office
Show your student around the office, and important areas such as the cafeteria, washroom, and coffee machine. If your student needs to pick up their access card or any hardware, walk with them so they can start to navigate the office. This is something that is often overlooked in my experience but knowing where the printer is and how to use it would have been really helpful in some of my co-op positions.
Prepare a to-do list
If HR doesn’t provide students with detailed onboarding materials, make sure you have a list prepared of things your student will need to do at the start of their term such as any required training and any outstanding paperwork they might need to complete. Be available to help or make sure someone else is available if the student has any issues setting up.
Clearly outline your expectations
Explain to your student what your expectations are such as dress code and working hours. Many schools encourage students to arrive at work before their manager and leave after them, or encourage them to wear a tie everyday. If it is not your expectation, let them know! While discussing your expectations, explain to the student how you like to be contacted. Do you prefer a quick Slack message, a more formal email, or just have them walk up to you in person? Will you answer your email on your days off, or is there someone the student should reach out to if they can’t get a hold of you? Make sure the student is aware of all of this quite early in their term so they can start their position on the right foot.
Give them more work than note-taking and coffee runs
Internships have the reputation of meaningless grunt work. While it’s normal that your student, and almost everyone at some stage in their career, will have to be the one taking notes during a meeting, filling out an enormous spreadsheet, or doing coffee runs, this should never be the bulk of your student’s work. Provide your student with meaningful work when you can, and encourage them to approach you if they are looking for more work to do. If you don’t have something for them, ask them if they can find anything they’d be interested in helping with. Maybe they are interested in getting involved with a project another team member is working on, or they’ve thought of a new idea to implement on your team. Simple or tedious tasks are fine in moderation, but there should always be meaning to their overall work.
Have regular check-ins
Set up weekly one-on-ones with your student. Early on, discuss their career goals and interests to see if you can put them in contact with anyone else in the organization for a career chat. Talk about their preferred learning and management styles, as well as your expectations for how you would like to manage them and assign them tasks. Once you’ve found a middle ground that works for both of you, regularly hold these check-ins to discuss performance, provide mentorship, and allow the student to ask you questions.
Understand their co-op assignments
Be aware of the timelines for any co-op assignments your student has to complete while at the company. Often, co-op students need to write a paper or prepare a presentation for when they return to school, and you may need to sign off on these assignments. Sometimes, you may need to meet with a representative from your student’s school to discuss their performance. Overall, make sure you are both on the same page about deadlines and your involvement in the student’s assignments.
Get them involved
Encourage the student to get involved in student activities, volunteering, and other opportunities at your organization. Is there a group, a sports team, or any volunteer opportunities available for them? Ask them about their interests and encourage them to get out and meet new people. In one my of co-op roles, my manager encouraged me to attend almost every workshop or speaking event that I can, and lets me know about any opportunities I could get involved in outside of my day-to-day. From my experience, students tend to respond well when an organization encourages work-life balance and extracurricular activities, leading to higher student satisfaction.
Make sure they get to know the team
Hold team lunches every once in a while and invite your student if the team goes to get coffee together or attend a special event. Sometimes students feel that there is a divide between themselves and the full-time employees, so it is good to make them feel like part of the team and included.
Discuss their performance and future opportunities at the end of their co-op
At the end of the term, discuss your student’s performance so they know how they can improve in the future. If they have expressed interest in coming back for a future student position or a full-time opportunity, and you think they would be a great fit, express the mutual interest! By starting these conversations, you will not only be providing the student with guidance during their time at your company, but even after they have left.
Overall, just think of what you wish you had when you were in their shoes. Mentorship, encouragement, guidance, and feedback go a long way when you’re starting your career. You might not get it perfect on the first try, but making the effort to be there and support your student is a great start as you begin your student manager journey.