Help Save This Internship (I am the Supervisor)
October 29, 2014 10:19 AM Subscribe
I've been lucky with great interns in past years, but this semester's intern is a dud. How can I turn this situation around with only 7 weeks left? Much more beneath the cut.
In an effort to protect both the innocent and guilty, I'll keep the details of the workplace vague. I am a supervisor in what is considered to be one of the most competetive U.S. government agencies in which to score an internship (a very small number of applicants are accepted from a pool of thousands each semester). Unfortunately, the internships are unpaid -- a policy with which I disagree and would like to see changed -- but in exchange for their toil it affords them an unparalleled entry on their resume and, if they are talented and ambitious, experience doing tasks such as drafting letters for the President's signature, taking notes at meetings with cabinet secretaries, etc. In other words, it can be a very rewarding experience for an ambitious person, especially one who wants to expand her network and make connections. In the past, most of our interns have been grad students and we've had a share of extremely bright young people who have made incredible, quantifiable contributions to our office, despite the steep learning curve and short tenure. I've personally supervised 5 interns in the past, and all of them have been great in their own ways, I've taken great pleasure in mentoring them, and I've enjoyed keeping in touch and watching their careers progress.
But this time it's different.
This semester I found myself supervising an intern (whom I did not personally hire...she was placed with our office with very little notice), who has some serious performance and professionalism issues, and I'd love some advice on how best to deal with the situation. I've already had a couple of private talks with her regarding performance issues and office culture, but they do not seem to have sunk in. I don't expect interns to jump into the job with a full working knowledge of our culture and practices, but we do expect them to be quick learners with good attitudes. This intern has displayed neither of those qualities (she is an undergrad, so I've been a bit more lenient on issues like learning proper office ettiquete, etc.), and I am having a hard time communicating my expectations.
Some recent issues:
-- Chronic tardiness;
-- Turning in work well before deadline (nominally a plus), but riddled with typos and grammatical errors (not to mention the occasional factual error that could cost me a tongue-lashing if I let it slide by uncorrected);
-- Inappropriate gossipping within earshot of other, more senior, office personnel;
-- Asking if she could "take off early" on several occasions because, in her words, "it's not like I'm getting paid";
-- Asking for a day off (with a single day's notice) to show her visiting sister around the city. When the request was denied because of a looming deadline on a project she had not yet completed, she called in sick the next day;
-- Complaining that some of her work is "boring," when, like any job, it's just the mundane crap that we all put up with when we're not out battling Lex Luthor.
What I have done: I've had two gentle conversations with her, in private, about keeping regular hours so her colleagues can count on her, and giving proper notice if she must be absent; reminders that I expect "first drafts" to be her best shot at a piece of work; and an awkward conversation about appropriate and inappropriate topics of conversation within the office. Despite these interventions, little has changed.
I think part of the issue is that unlike previous interns, she is an undergrad with little office experience, and I've been cutting her a bit of slack for that. However, her blase attitude toward things like punctuality and checking her work -- despite repeated conversations -- leave me baffled on how to move forward. I've considered having "a big conversation" with her, but I don't even really know where to start. For what it's worth, due to bureaucratic rules I cannot actually fire this person unless she commits malfeasance, which she has not.
Anybody ever supervised a dud intern and turned the experience around? I am normally opposed to using interns simly for mundane clerical tasks, because that is not what I think interships are for, but I'm beginning to feel as if that's all I can trust her with.
Any experiences or suggestions would be most helpful. This young woman is smart, but needs guidance, and my efforts just don't seem to be doing the job.
In an effort to protect both the innocent and guilty, I'll keep the details of the workplace vague. I am a supervisor in what is considered to be one of the most competetive U.S. government agencies in which to score an internship (a very small number of applicants are accepted from a pool of thousands each semester). Unfortunately, the internships are unpaid -- a policy with which I disagree and would like to see changed -- but in exchange for their toil it affords them an unparalleled entry on their resume and, if they are talented and ambitious, experience doing tasks such as drafting letters for the President's signature, taking notes at meetings with cabinet secretaries, etc. In other words, it can be a very rewarding experience for an ambitious person, especially one who wants to expand her network and make connections. In the past, most of our interns have been grad students and we've had a share of extremely bright young people who have made incredible, quantifiable contributions to our office, despite the steep learning curve and short tenure. I've personally supervised 5 interns in the past, and all of them have been great in their own ways, I've taken great pleasure in mentoring them, and I've enjoyed keeping in touch and watching their careers progress.
But this time it's different.
This semester I found myself supervising an intern (whom I did not personally hire...she was placed with our office with very little notice), who has some serious performance and professionalism issues, and I'd love some advice on how best to deal with the situation. I've already had a couple of private talks with her regarding performance issues and office culture, but they do not seem to have sunk in. I don't expect interns to jump into the job with a full working knowledge of our culture and practices, but we do expect them to be quick learners with good attitudes. This intern has displayed neither of those qualities (she is an undergrad, so I've been a bit more lenient on issues like learning proper office ettiquete, etc.), and I am having a hard time communicating my expectations.
Some recent issues:
-- Chronic tardiness;
-- Turning in work well before deadline (nominally a plus), but riddled with typos and grammatical errors (not to mention the occasional factual error that could cost me a tongue-lashing if I let it slide by uncorrected);
-- Inappropriate gossipping within earshot of other, more senior, office personnel;
-- Asking if she could "take off early" on several occasions because, in her words, "it's not like I'm getting paid";
-- Asking for a day off (with a single day's notice) to show her visiting sister around the city. When the request was denied because of a looming deadline on a project she had not yet completed, she called in sick the next day;
-- Complaining that some of her work is "boring," when, like any job, it's just the mundane crap that we all put up with when we're not out battling Lex Luthor.
What I have done: I've had two gentle conversations with her, in private, about keeping regular hours so her colleagues can count on her, and giving proper notice if she must be absent; reminders that I expect "first drafts" to be her best shot at a piece of work; and an awkward conversation about appropriate and inappropriate topics of conversation within the office. Despite these interventions, little has changed.
I think part of the issue is that unlike previous interns, she is an undergrad with little office experience, and I've been cutting her a bit of slack for that. However, her blase attitude toward things like punctuality and checking her work -- despite repeated conversations -- leave me baffled on how to move forward. I've considered having "a big conversation" with her, but I don't even really know where to start. For what it's worth, due to bureaucratic rules I cannot actually fire this person unless she commits malfeasance, which she has not.
Anybody ever supervised a dud intern and turned the experience around? I am normally opposed to using interns simly for mundane clerical tasks, because that is not what I think interships are for, but I'm beginning to feel as if that's all I can trust her with.
Any experiences or suggestions would be most helpful. This young woman is smart, but needs guidance, and my efforts just don't seem to be doing the job.
Yeah, you definitely need to have a conversation that is not gentle. My jaw dropped when I read the part about calling in sick after asking for the day off. I worked in an office job as an undergrad and I would not have done any of these things - her being young and inexperienced is not an excuse. She needs a serious wakeup call and if you can't fire her, you can certainly make clear that she won't be getting a good reference from this experience (nor will she be successful in future endeavors) if she doesn't start acting like an adult.
posted by something something at 10:29 AM on October 29, 2014 [13 favorites]
posted by something something at 10:29 AM on October 29, 2014 [13 favorites]
Well, since you can't fire her and you don't pay her, you don't have a lot of leverage over her. The one thing you could try, since she hasn't responded to appeals to her better nature (not letting her colleagues down, pride in her work, etc.), is bringing up the possibility that you won't be able to provide a positive recommendation for her to any future employers or graduate school. Presumably that is the ultimate payoff of the internship for her, besides an impressive name on her resume; the potential for you to exercise your influence on her behalf in the future. You could try meeting with her and telling her straight out that because of her poor attitude and professionalism and her lack of growth in these areas over the course of the internship, you likely won't feel comfortable recommending her to others in the future.
Honestly though, she may be too immature to respond to this with anything but anger and feeling like she's being treated unfairly, but maybe in a few years she'll realize you were right. Or possibly, your expectations for unpaid undergrad interns are too high and you should recruit more experienced people going forward.
posted by MadamM at 10:31 AM on October 29, 2014 [6 favorites]
Honestly though, she may be too immature to respond to this with anything but anger and feeling like she's being treated unfairly, but maybe in a few years she'll realize you were right. Or possibly, your expectations for unpaid undergrad interns are too high and you should recruit more experienced people going forward.
posted by MadamM at 10:31 AM on October 29, 2014 [6 favorites]
I wonder a bit how someone with that attitude ended up in such an important internship. Is it a 'the people you know' sort of situation where Uncle Senator got her the spot that she maybe doesn't even really want? Could you approach her from the perspective that you want to know what she's hoping to get out of the internship. Maybe she doesn't want to be there at all, maybe she only wants the line item on her resume (in which case, you might point out that a resume line item that comes with a negative reference is not as helpful as one with a positive reference), maybe she really thinks she doesn't need to do the officey things to get what she wants out of the experience. I'm not saying those are good answers or ones you should accept as appropriate, but if they are her answers, at least you'll know whether or not it's worth trying further.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:33 AM on October 29, 2014 [15 favorites]
posted by jacquilynne at 10:33 AM on October 29, 2014 [15 favorites]
I've had a few (unpaid) interns, and quite honestly, I'd get rid of her --- people like this are more of a drag on the office than their presence is of benefit. There are great interns and there are waste-of-space interns, and this is one of the latter. You've already had those two conversations with her, two warnings that she is not doing what she is supposed to be doing, so it's not exactly a surprise --- or it shouldn't be! --- that you are unhappy with her work and her work ethic.
At the very least, have another conversation with her right away: "Sarah, please be aware that you are at extreme risk of being let go immediately, and unless you correct your errors and chronic lateness and inappropriate behavior now, you're out of here." And do so: third time's the charm, dump her. Plus make sure she knows she is not getting a reference from this internship.
posted by easily confused at 10:37 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
At the very least, have another conversation with her right away: "Sarah, please be aware that you are at extreme risk of being let go immediately, and unless you correct your errors and chronic lateness and inappropriate behavior now, you're out of here." And do so: third time's the charm, dump her. Plus make sure she knows she is not getting a reference from this internship.
posted by easily confused at 10:37 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
due to bureaucratic rules I cannot actually fire this person
That doesn't mean you can't tell her to go home every time you observe her doing something inappropriate. It sounds like your office would be more productive without her (at least with her current performance) so make that happen.
-Turning in a poorly written draft? Go home and fix it, there is nothing else here for you to work on until this is done right, and there are obviously too many distractions here for you to accomplish that.
-Gossiping? Go home. That is inappropriate and you should go home for the day to reflect on how this makes you appear to others.
-Tardiness? Turn around and go home. I needed you at 9 sharp, you are no good to me at 9:30. I have nothing else for you today.
Couple these tactics with a sternly worded conversation about the possibility of a negative reference and how that will be so much worse than not having the internship on her resume at all.
Also, seconding jacquilynne - find out her actual motivations. Not that you can necessarily help her accomplish what she wants, but maybe you can help her see that doing all the other things expected of her are part of reaching that goal.
posted by trivia genius at 10:42 AM on October 29, 2014 [14 favorites]
That doesn't mean you can't tell her to go home every time you observe her doing something inappropriate. It sounds like your office would be more productive without her (at least with her current performance) so make that happen.
-Turning in a poorly written draft? Go home and fix it, there is nothing else here for you to work on until this is done right, and there are obviously too many distractions here for you to accomplish that.
-Gossiping? Go home. That is inappropriate and you should go home for the day to reflect on how this makes you appear to others.
-Tardiness? Turn around and go home. I needed you at 9 sharp, you are no good to me at 9:30. I have nothing else for you today.
Couple these tactics with a sternly worded conversation about the possibility of a negative reference and how that will be so much worse than not having the internship on her resume at all.
Also, seconding jacquilynne - find out her actual motivations. Not that you can necessarily help her accomplish what she wants, but maybe you can help her see that doing all the other things expected of her are part of reaching that goal.
posted by trivia genius at 10:42 AM on October 29, 2014 [14 favorites]
I agree that it's time to have a Big Talk with your intern. Since firing her is out of your hands, you have to stick with her, but you should still let her know that she's failing to Intern in every conceivable way. I'm all for interns being given chances to succeed, but since she's blowing this opportunity so completely, she should be relegated to the most trivial of tasks because that's what she can handle. If she wants to get her stuff together, she can maybe redeem the last few weeks of this, but she needs to know how significantly she is blowing it. Not letting her know how disappointed you are in her performance does her no favors. She is wasting her time and yours.
I say all of this as a 41 year old who is currently interning in a new field. It is humbling to have to start over, but everyone has to learn somehow! Despite the fact I'm not getting paid either, I'm working my tail off to have connections and a job when I graduate.
posted by heathergirl at 10:42 AM on October 29, 2014 [6 favorites]
I say all of this as a 41 year old who is currently interning in a new field. It is humbling to have to start over, but everyone has to learn somehow! Despite the fact I'm not getting paid either, I'm working my tail off to have connections and a job when I graduate.
posted by heathergirl at 10:42 AM on October 29, 2014 [6 favorites]
Also - since she is a student, relate her performance to her in terms she will understand.
"If I personally had to give you a letter grade based on your performance so far this semester, you have earned..."
Maybe that will wake her up in a way that conversations about appropriate office behavior won't.
posted by trivia genius at 10:45 AM on October 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
"If I personally had to give you a letter grade based on your performance so far this semester, you have earned..."
Maybe that will wake her up in a way that conversations about appropriate office behavior won't.
posted by trivia genius at 10:45 AM on October 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
Honest question: why do you want to save this internship?
Because, right now, it sounds like the biggest favor you could do for her is give her a serious written warning, with the follow up that she will be terminated on the spot if she is found doing x, y, z again.
This is not a situation that calls for gentle. It's a situation that calls for her to understand what the working world is like, and that includes facing the consequences of her actions.
But, since you can't do that, I would put her on serious probation, doing only basic clerical tasks until she demonstrates professionalism at those and re-earns your trust. Same deal as above, written warning in her file documenting the issues you have had with her, and being very clear that her performance isn't up to snuff, so you're going to assign her the jobs that she can screw up the least until she proves she can act as an employee who is taking her work seriously. Follow this up with weekly meetings where you review her performance.
I sort of like trivia genius's "send her home" approach, but I also feel like, given what you've said about her, it might serve to actually reward her for bad behavior ("Oh, I want today off, if I'm late they'll just send me home").
posted by anastasiav at 10:47 AM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
Because, right now, it sounds like the biggest favor you could do for her is give her a serious written warning, with the follow up that she will be terminated on the spot if she is found doing x, y, z again.
This is not a situation that calls for gentle. It's a situation that calls for her to understand what the working world is like, and that includes facing the consequences of her actions.
But, since you can't do that, I would put her on serious probation, doing only basic clerical tasks until she demonstrates professionalism at those and re-earns your trust. Same deal as above, written warning in her file documenting the issues you have had with her, and being very clear that her performance isn't up to snuff, so you're going to assign her the jobs that she can screw up the least until she proves she can act as an employee who is taking her work seriously. Follow this up with weekly meetings where you review her performance.
I sort of like trivia genius's "send her home" approach, but I also feel like, given what you've said about her, it might serve to actually reward her for bad behavior ("Oh, I want today off, if I'm late they'll just send me home").
posted by anastasiav at 10:47 AM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
It sounds like your meetings need to escalate from "gentle conversations" to serious managerial instruction with very specific examples of the problems.
One thing I've seen on Ask A Manager that always sounds like a good approach is to ask her to explain herself with lots of open-ended questions - can you explain X, what do you think about Y, tell me why you did Z despite our conversation about not doing that. The technique seems to be designed to force the person to get involved in the conversation instead of just sitting there being lectured at. (I'm not saying you are doing that but I'm thinking an undergrad with a bad attitude will hear it like that.)
-Tell me what you think this internship is supposed to accomplish? What do you hope to get out of it?
-Tell me why you thought it was okay to gossip about X, despite our conversation about appropriate office behavior?
-We talked about proofreading your work and that it is more important to turn in professional work than to get in early. What do you think about the errors in these documents? What impact do you think these errors will have in the office?
-You were denied time off due to late notice yet you called in sick on that day. That looks like you were dishonest. How do you think that will affect your reception/reputation in this office? What do you think I should write on your evaluation about that?
Then, help her write a plan to address her issues. And it seems like it needs to be a borderline behavioral contract. She seems to be really behind the eight ball here WRT grasping appropriate behavior and performance and how it affects her future. I think it's going to take elementary steps like:
-Work starts at 0800. I will arrive at 0750 in order to be ready to work at 0800. I will take [X step] to ensure I arrive at work on time.
-I will proofread my work. I will bring it to [appropriate person] to help me proofread. I will do [X, Y, Z steps] to ensure my work is up to to standards of this office].
-I recognize that gossip is inappropriate because X, Y, Z. I will refrain from gossiping.
-I recognize the rules for asking for time off. [State rule.] I will adhere to these rules.
I know you want to be gentle but having a come to Jesus talk with her will really be helping her in the long run. Good luck!
posted by Beti at 10:51 AM on October 29, 2014 [24 favorites]
One thing I've seen on Ask A Manager that always sounds like a good approach is to ask her to explain herself with lots of open-ended questions - can you explain X, what do you think about Y, tell me why you did Z despite our conversation about not doing that. The technique seems to be designed to force the person to get involved in the conversation instead of just sitting there being lectured at. (I'm not saying you are doing that but I'm thinking an undergrad with a bad attitude will hear it like that.)
-Tell me what you think this internship is supposed to accomplish? What do you hope to get out of it?
-Tell me why you thought it was okay to gossip about X, despite our conversation about appropriate office behavior?
-We talked about proofreading your work and that it is more important to turn in professional work than to get in early. What do you think about the errors in these documents? What impact do you think these errors will have in the office?
-You were denied time off due to late notice yet you called in sick on that day. That looks like you were dishonest. How do you think that will affect your reception/reputation in this office? What do you think I should write on your evaluation about that?
Then, help her write a plan to address her issues. And it seems like it needs to be a borderline behavioral contract. She seems to be really behind the eight ball here WRT grasping appropriate behavior and performance and how it affects her future. I think it's going to take elementary steps like:
-Work starts at 0800. I will arrive at 0750 in order to be ready to work at 0800. I will take [X step] to ensure I arrive at work on time.
-I will proofread my work. I will bring it to [appropriate person] to help me proofread. I will do [X, Y, Z steps] to ensure my work is up to to standards of this office].
-I recognize that gossip is inappropriate because X, Y, Z. I will refrain from gossiping.
-I recognize the rules for asking for time off. [State rule.] I will adhere to these rules.
I know you want to be gentle but having a come to Jesus talk with her will really be helping her in the long run. Good luck!
posted by Beti at 10:51 AM on October 29, 2014 [24 favorites]
In the Big Talk, consider asking her what she wants to get out of this internship, and then point out ways in which her behavior is preventing her from getting those things.
Does she want to learn how to get ahead in a modern adult office environment? Well, she's not getting ahead.
Does she want to make contacts and network in the field? Well, her contacts are unlikely to recommend her work.
Does she want a name to put on her resume? Well, she'll have that, but she's in danger of getting negative references.
Does she want to have glowing-sounding job duties to put on her resume (eg drafting letters for important people)? Well, she did such a poor job that's not going to be one of her duties unless she shapes up.
etc.
posted by aimedwander at 10:51 AM on October 29, 2014 [9 favorites]
Does she want to learn how to get ahead in a modern adult office environment? Well, she's not getting ahead.
Does she want to make contacts and network in the field? Well, her contacts are unlikely to recommend her work.
Does she want a name to put on her resume? Well, she'll have that, but she's in danger of getting negative references.
Does she want to have glowing-sounding job duties to put on her resume (eg drafting letters for important people)? Well, she did such a poor job that's not going to be one of her duties unless she shapes up.
etc.
posted by aimedwander at 10:51 AM on October 29, 2014 [9 favorites]
I am normally opposed to using interns simly for mundane clerical tasks, because that is not what I think interships are for, but I'm beginning to feel as if that's all I can trust her with.
This may be the best thing to do. You stated repeatedly that she was an undergrad, which is apparently less qualified than what you normally deal with.
-- Inappropriate gossipping within earshot of other, more senior, office personnel;
When I worked in insurance, I was mortified to realize that a couple of things I had said to coworkers early on had actually been a big no-no and their response failed to signal to me that this was not an okay thing to do. As a new employee there, I would have much preferred to have been told something like "That thing you just said -- that's what they tell us to not do in those classes they give and I would hate to see you fired over something like that." So I will advocate for having a good strong talk with her. Also, perhaps the next task you should give her should be some kind of report on HIPAA and/or Gramm-Leach-Bliley or some similar topic that might clue her that loose lips not only sink ships but they can also get people fired, fined, jailed, etc.
Also, maybe peruse some info on gifted kids, if that is an unfamiliar topic. One thing you see with really bright kids is, for example, some of them do not learn any study skills in K-12 because they already know it all and don't need to do any studying. Then they get to college and for the first time in their lives, they need to actually make an effort and they both do not immediately realize it and then don't know how. They have to learn how. Some of them really fall on their face at that point (they have never made anything but A's and have now flunked every class and other nightmarish stories) before they get the memo that studying also applies to YOU, not just your classmates.
So, in short, the fact that she is an undergrad and got the position anyway may be the root of the problem, but not simply in a "lacks experience and is immature" sort of way, but perhaps in that she may be one of these bright young people whose entire life experience is "Oh, that rule doesn't really apply to me. It applies to other people. I don't really need to do that." She needs to get the memo that, no, This Means YOU, too. It isn't just a rule for other people. For example, she might actually need to be told that she needs to run spellcheck.
posted by Michele in California at 11:01 AM on October 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
This may be the best thing to do. You stated repeatedly that she was an undergrad, which is apparently less qualified than what you normally deal with.
-- Inappropriate gossipping within earshot of other, more senior, office personnel;
When I worked in insurance, I was mortified to realize that a couple of things I had said to coworkers early on had actually been a big no-no and their response failed to signal to me that this was not an okay thing to do. As a new employee there, I would have much preferred to have been told something like "That thing you just said -- that's what they tell us to not do in those classes they give and I would hate to see you fired over something like that." So I will advocate for having a good strong talk with her. Also, perhaps the next task you should give her should be some kind of report on HIPAA and/or Gramm-Leach-Bliley or some similar topic that might clue her that loose lips not only sink ships but they can also get people fired, fined, jailed, etc.
Also, maybe peruse some info on gifted kids, if that is an unfamiliar topic. One thing you see with really bright kids is, for example, some of them do not learn any study skills in K-12 because they already know it all and don't need to do any studying. Then they get to college and for the first time in their lives, they need to actually make an effort and they both do not immediately realize it and then don't know how. They have to learn how. Some of them really fall on their face at that point (they have never made anything but A's and have now flunked every class and other nightmarish stories) before they get the memo that studying also applies to YOU, not just your classmates.
So, in short, the fact that she is an undergrad and got the position anyway may be the root of the problem, but not simply in a "lacks experience and is immature" sort of way, but perhaps in that she may be one of these bright young people whose entire life experience is "Oh, that rule doesn't really apply to me. It applies to other people. I don't really need to do that." She needs to get the memo that, no, This Means YOU, too. It isn't just a rule for other people. For example, she might actually need to be told that she needs to run spellcheck.
posted by Michele in California at 11:01 AM on October 29, 2014 [5 favorites]
I have had this experience with undergrads and it is terribly frustrating. I understand that you can't let her go, but you can downgrade her work to much less sensitive work, and make sure she understands that it may harm her professional reputation if her performance doesn't improve--be clear on the nature of networking, and what a bad reference can do. She is harming her ability to have a successful career in politics, and she should understand that.
More than that, though, I would spell out to her exactly what is required. In writing. Down to the most mundane things. If your agency has a written policy around attendance and conduct, sit down with her and go over it with a fine-tooth comb. If you don't have one, write something up for her. Every time she violates the policy, take her aside and point out what she did inappropriately, and what she should do. And don't give her any more memos for the President to sign!
On the plus side, only 7 more weeks. Best of luck.
posted by epanalepsis at 11:07 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
More than that, though, I would spell out to her exactly what is required. In writing. Down to the most mundane things. If your agency has a written policy around attendance and conduct, sit down with her and go over it with a fine-tooth comb. If you don't have one, write something up for her. Every time she violates the policy, take her aside and point out what she did inappropriately, and what she should do. And don't give her any more memos for the President to sign!
On the plus side, only 7 more weeks. Best of luck.
posted by epanalepsis at 11:07 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm betting that some kind of family connection got her this internship rather than merit. Her behavior is far worse than what I would expect form an ambitious and accomplished student who was able to land a very prestigious internship.
Have a Big Talk with her about the absolutely abysmal performance she's demonstrated and I'd also tell her that her tasks will be limited to areas where she can't be damaging until she demonstrates that she's turned over a new leaf. Give her concrete expectations to meet. She needs to understand that her performance is the very worst you've seen by a longshot. She needs to hear the brutal truth as she's clearly ignored your more gentle approach. Maybe also tell her that if you could terminate her, you would have in order to create a space for someone who really deserves to be there. She seems to be under the impression that she's doing you a favor by being there.
posted by quince at 11:12 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Have a Big Talk with her about the absolutely abysmal performance she's demonstrated and I'd also tell her that her tasks will be limited to areas where she can't be damaging until she demonstrates that she's turned over a new leaf. Give her concrete expectations to meet. She needs to understand that her performance is the very worst you've seen by a longshot. She needs to hear the brutal truth as she's clearly ignored your more gentle approach. Maybe also tell her that if you could terminate her, you would have in order to create a space for someone who really deserves to be there. She seems to be under the impression that she's doing you a favor by being there.
posted by quince at 11:12 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
is this organized through a school or program that translates the internship into credit? Because if so you could reach out to her campus job center/internship center w ur concerns
posted by spunweb at 11:17 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by spunweb at 11:17 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
There are a number of depictions in TV and the movies of young, fresh-faced employees who get away with very blasé attitudes toward their jobs. If she's that young, and at all priveleged (middle-class counts as priveleged), she may think that this is how cool people behave. Pointing out that real people with cool, fun jobs actually did have to do all the stuff you expect her to do *might* help. I know this sounds simplistic, but maybe it's worth considering.
Also - different people interpret "gentle" talks differently. Sometimes you have to be your version of un-gentle in order to communicate.
Finally, does she have any personal life goals? If you can tie her work now to those, maybe you can make your point.
Sorry you're having to work so hard to give what is essentially a gift. Thank you for trying, really. Although she's a pain now, maybe someday she'll help someone else.
PS - If you're out there, Joyce Scanlon, thank you for sticking up for me during my internship. Sorry I wasn't more help to you.
posted by amtho at 11:21 AM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
Also - different people interpret "gentle" talks differently. Sometimes you have to be your version of un-gentle in order to communicate.
Finally, does she have any personal life goals? If you can tie her work now to those, maybe you can make your point.
Sorry you're having to work so hard to give what is essentially a gift. Thank you for trying, really. Although she's a pain now, maybe someday she'll help someone else.
PS - If you're out there, Joyce Scanlon, thank you for sticking up for me during my internship. Sorry I wasn't more help to you.
posted by amtho at 11:21 AM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
In addition to the conversation suggestions above, make sure you follow up any conversation with a written email, CC'ing HR or the person who would have firing powers, in the event of "malfeasance." You have to make sure to CYA here, in case she is connected.
posted by melissasaurus at 11:28 AM on October 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by melissasaurus at 11:28 AM on October 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
If the internship is connected to a class or school let them know.
Be forward and honest with her. Ask open ended questions. Try to correct mistakes in the moment if possible. If she hands you paperwork glance overt it quickly. If it has obvious errors give it back. Try to figure out what is motivating her. Something is. If someone else is trying to make her do this then there probably isn't much you can do.
posted by AlexiaSky at 11:33 AM on October 29, 2014
Be forward and honest with her. Ask open ended questions. Try to correct mistakes in the moment if possible. If she hands you paperwork glance overt it quickly. If it has obvious errors give it back. Try to figure out what is motivating her. Something is. If someone else is trying to make her do this then there probably isn't much you can do.
posted by AlexiaSky at 11:33 AM on October 29, 2014
If you didn't select this intern, who did? Is there an office that handles the internships? It might be a good idea to touch base with them and see if there's a way they like to handle things when interns aren't working out well.
I second sitting down with her and asking her about what she hopes to get out of the program and how she thinks she's doing before explaining to her that her lapses in professionalism are going to cost her your recommendation. She might also get something out of this short article by Alison Green of Ask a Manager, which touches on a lot of these points.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 11:39 AM on October 29, 2014
I second sitting down with her and asking her about what she hopes to get out of the program and how she thinks she's doing before explaining to her that her lapses in professionalism are going to cost her your recommendation. She might also get something out of this short article by Alison Green of Ask a Manager, which touches on a lot of these points.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 11:39 AM on October 29, 2014
Nth to figure out what her goal is and show her how it's not going to work out if she doesn't improve. But also: If she's there to learn how "real work" works, maybe this would be a good opportunity to show her how "real work" deals with real "shitty employees." Documented counseling, a PIP, etc. What would HR have you do if it was one of your GS-type people?
Could come in handy to have a file in case her school inquires about her performance.
posted by ctmf at 11:40 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Could come in handy to have a file in case her school inquires about her performance.
posted by ctmf at 11:40 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
At my office, we had a flaky intern who was full of excuses all the time. We couldn't really "fire" him so we just finally told him, "You know what? If you aren't going to take this seriously and meet the expectations that have been clearly communicated to you, please just don't bother coming in." And he didn't.
I would see if there's something you can do about her. Surely other high-ranking people see how awful she is. It's not that she is bad at her job but trying, it's that she's bad at her job, has a bad attitude and doesn't care. She needs a firm conversation telling her that her behavior is totally inappropriate. Internships are supposed to be an opportunity to earn great references and great experience -- she's not taking advantage of it, even though "it's not like she's being paid," and she will leave with neither.
I agree that a paper trail would help and some sort of formal reprimand. This kid needs to understand how real life works. She clearly doesn't. Maybe that's the one thing she will get out of this internship.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:40 AM on October 29, 2014
I would see if there's something you can do about her. Surely other high-ranking people see how awful she is. It's not that she is bad at her job but trying, it's that she's bad at her job, has a bad attitude and doesn't care. She needs a firm conversation telling her that her behavior is totally inappropriate. Internships are supposed to be an opportunity to earn great references and great experience -- she's not taking advantage of it, even though "it's not like she's being paid," and she will leave with neither.
I agree that a paper trail would help and some sort of formal reprimand. This kid needs to understand how real life works. She clearly doesn't. Maybe that's the one thing she will get out of this internship.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:40 AM on October 29, 2014
Oh my God: this sounds ridiculous.
The first thing I would do is double-check whether you can fire her. If you can, then just do it. The calling-in-sick thing is absurd: she's broken trust and deserves nothing from you.
Interns rarely have much to offer except their enthusiasm and raw potential: she isn't willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, and that means you can't fix this. There's no point in wasting a ton of your own, more valuable, time and energy in trying to help her if she's not super-motivated.
If you can't fire her, call her school and tell them she sucks. Maybe they can have a come-to-Jesus conversation with her. It won't solve her lack of motivation, but it might force to her to shape up enough to get you through the next seven weeks.
If there's no school to call, or if calling them doesn't fix this, I'd just assign her to crappy administrative tasks. And you may as well be honest with her about it. Just tell her she's not showing the work ethic you need to assign her higher-level duties. Also tell her she won't be getting a good reference from you. If she shapes up after that then yes you can return to giving her more interesting work. But don't waste your time trying to turn this around -- the basic problem is her bad attitude, and that's outside of your control.
posted by Susan PG at 12:20 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
The first thing I would do is double-check whether you can fire her. If you can, then just do it. The calling-in-sick thing is absurd: she's broken trust and deserves nothing from you.
Interns rarely have much to offer except their enthusiasm and raw potential: she isn't willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, and that means you can't fix this. There's no point in wasting a ton of your own, more valuable, time and energy in trying to help her if she's not super-motivated.
If you can't fire her, call her school and tell them she sucks. Maybe they can have a come-to-Jesus conversation with her. It won't solve her lack of motivation, but it might force to her to shape up enough to get you through the next seven weeks.
If there's no school to call, or if calling them doesn't fix this, I'd just assign her to crappy administrative tasks. And you may as well be honest with her about it. Just tell her she's not showing the work ethic you need to assign her higher-level duties. Also tell her she won't be getting a good reference from you. If she shapes up after that then yes you can return to giving her more interesting work. But don't waste your time trying to turn this around -- the basic problem is her bad attitude, and that's outside of your control.
posted by Susan PG at 12:20 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
You are being way,way too nice. I can't tell if it's guilt because she's not getting paid, but she is getting something from this - the opportunity to put it on her resume. If she's not helping and actually making your job more work in an unnecessary way (supervising an intern is more work by nature, but she's making you work harder because of her ineptitude), stick her in the corner filing. Clearly her parents didn't instill strong life skills in her and it's not your job to teach her those skills. But make darn sure she knows why she's filing and not doing more interesting things. You do her no favors in coddling her with gentle conversations. Best she learns now how the real work world works. If it helps, think about all the eager people who would have killed for this opportunity and worked their asses off for you while she squanders it. Experience: managing several spoiled, entitled young people who acted just like this
posted by cecic at 12:23 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by cecic at 12:23 PM on October 29, 2014
You can't fire her, but can you tell her to not bother coming in? Since you're not paying her, and you're clearly not going to be giving her a good recommendation down the road, what do you have to lose? It sounds like she's basically just a time suck at this point since the work she turns in has to be checked/redone anyway. (And really? Asking for the day off and then calling in sick? That is transparently disrespectful.) It sounds like she's not really enjoying this internship, and you're certainly not enjoying having her around, so a non-firing/unofficial parting of ways may be best for all involved. If she pushes back, you could offer her one more chance to stay with a clear outline of what is expected (i.e. show up on time, proofread your work, no bitching loudly in the office, etc.). Hopefully it will be a good wake-up call/learning experience for her. I teach college students, and while many of them are lovely and motivated and intelligent, you definitely get plenty of kids who just have no idea how the real world works, and she sounds like one of them.
posted by rainbowbrite at 12:25 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by rainbowbrite at 12:25 PM on October 29, 2014
It sounds like supervising her is taking over your daily work, distracting you from production, and making you look bad. It also sounds like you've talked to her several times about what you expect from her, you've told her what you need her not to do, and yet she continues because she doesn't seem to care. I think, for the sake of covering your ass, you need to have one more talk with her, wherein you say, "Intern, we've talked about A, B, and C, and I've conveyed to you how important it is to do X, Y, and Z. Here is a written outline of what I expect from you, at a minimum, to do and not do here in this office. If you don't meet the expectations laid out on this piece of paper, I'll have to send you home for the day."
Lay out those expectations in a bulleted list, hand it to her. Ask her if she has any questions, clarify if she does.
When she comes in late, thank her for trying, and send her home. Tell her to try again tomorrow to be on time. When she hands you in a letter riddled with errors, hand it back to her, send her home, tell her to work on it there, bring it back tomorrow in a version that is her best work. When she asks if she can leave early, say no. If she leaves anyway, tell her not to come in the next day, either. If you hear her gossiping, tell her to head home and come in tomorrow with a better attitude.
You will probably get more done as a team without her there. If you can't fire her, get her out of your hair in some other way. There's no point in threatening her with a bad review or recommendation. If she was put in the position due to nepotism, she knows that you cannot give her a bad recommendation. Just get her out of the way so you can do your job. When it comes time to give the recommendation, you can give a neutral one, like, "She wasn't here often, but when she was, the tasks she could complete were acceptable."
posted by juniperesque at 12:50 PM on October 29, 2014
Lay out those expectations in a bulleted list, hand it to her. Ask her if she has any questions, clarify if she does.
When she comes in late, thank her for trying, and send her home. Tell her to try again tomorrow to be on time. When she hands you in a letter riddled with errors, hand it back to her, send her home, tell her to work on it there, bring it back tomorrow in a version that is her best work. When she asks if she can leave early, say no. If she leaves anyway, tell her not to come in the next day, either. If you hear her gossiping, tell her to head home and come in tomorrow with a better attitude.
You will probably get more done as a team without her there. If you can't fire her, get her out of your hair in some other way. There's no point in threatening her with a bad review or recommendation. If she was put in the position due to nepotism, she knows that you cannot give her a bad recommendation. Just get her out of the way so you can do your job. When it comes time to give the recommendation, you can give a neutral one, like, "She wasn't here often, but when she was, the tasks she could complete were acceptable."
posted by juniperesque at 12:50 PM on October 29, 2014
Lots of good ideas here. One I'm surprised hasn't been brought up more is to just give her busywork. It seems to be the case that you can't get rid of her entirely, and maybe it's even true that you can't send her home for the day.
But you can always give her bullshit work to do where it doesn't matter if it is done well or not at all. Tell her to write a memo that somebody else is already tasked with. When she flubs it or tries to give it to you covered with errors, tell her to try again, and in the meantime use the other employee's version. Load the copier. Clean up the kitchen. Those sorts of things.
Really, what you need here is to be able to write her off mentally so you aren't spending so much time and effort on her performance. If she's doing stuff that doesn't matter, you won't have to worry about the quality of that work.
posted by zug at 1:14 PM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
But you can always give her bullshit work to do where it doesn't matter if it is done well or not at all. Tell her to write a memo that somebody else is already tasked with. When she flubs it or tries to give it to you covered with errors, tell her to try again, and in the meantime use the other employee's version. Load the copier. Clean up the kitchen. Those sorts of things.
Really, what you need here is to be able to write her off mentally so you aren't spending so much time and effort on her performance. If she's doing stuff that doesn't matter, you won't have to worry about the quality of that work.
posted by zug at 1:14 PM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Are there any other interns in the vicinity? The idea being: perhaps if she worked with some interns who were performing more the way you expect, she might get a clue?
As much as I sympathize with you, I think all this "unpaid internship" stuff is bullshit. Aside from the cheaping-out aspect of it, I know from experience that it's unwise to expect quality work for free.
I guess we'll never know, but it would be interesting to see if her behavior changed / got better if she was paid. I know you said this was a prestigious position etc, but - especially given the vague circumstances surrounding how she got the gig - I would be curious as to what her feelings are on this. 'Cause if you think about it, most of her bad behavior can be explained by her not feeling that this is a "real" job.
Although there's always the chance that she knows you can't fire her and she flat out doesn't care about the recommendation, and is simply passing the time because someone in her life insists that she do so. She'll go home in 7 weeks and Daddy will surprise her with a convertible BMW.
posted by doctor tough love at 1:34 PM on October 29, 2014
As much as I sympathize with you, I think all this "unpaid internship" stuff is bullshit. Aside from the cheaping-out aspect of it, I know from experience that it's unwise to expect quality work for free.
I guess we'll never know, but it would be interesting to see if her behavior changed / got better if she was paid. I know you said this was a prestigious position etc, but - especially given the vague circumstances surrounding how she got the gig - I would be curious as to what her feelings are on this. 'Cause if you think about it, most of her bad behavior can be explained by her not feeling that this is a "real" job.
Although there's always the chance that she knows you can't fire her and she flat out doesn't care about the recommendation, and is simply passing the time because someone in her life insists that she do so. She'll go home in 7 weeks and Daddy will surprise her with a convertible BMW.
posted by doctor tough love at 1:34 PM on October 29, 2014
I supervised many undergraduate interns in my old position. This behavior is not merely a function of her being an undergraduate. I had many amazing, dedicated, and capable undergrad interns. There is no need to cut her so much slack.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:11 PM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by ocherdraco at 2:11 PM on October 29, 2014 [4 favorites]
I would be curious as to what her feelings are on this. 'Cause if you think about it, most of her bad behavior can be explained by her not feeling that this is a "real" job.
It sounds like this position is very traditional in terms of internships, in that interns get school credit and valuable real-world experience and contacts in an area of interest in exchange for working. Perhaps she's not making the connection? And won't you need to provide feedback to the school? I know you didn't make the hire but I'd see if you can't talk to the school, especially before you start sending her home because she may be required to work a minimum number of hours for credit.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:37 PM on October 29, 2014
It sounds like this position is very traditional in terms of internships, in that interns get school credit and valuable real-world experience and contacts in an area of interest in exchange for working. Perhaps she's not making the connection? And won't you need to provide feedback to the school? I know you didn't make the hire but I'd see if you can't talk to the school, especially before you start sending her home because she may be required to work a minimum number of hours for credit.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:37 PM on October 29, 2014
I would demote her to 'subintern' and give her the most banal, useless, mind numbing tasks imaginable, including but not limited to: sharpening everyone's pencils, alphabetizing all the files, counting all the reams of paper, of envelopes, labeling the food in the refrigerator with dates--be creative! Make up the list, hand it to her and tell her to go through each item on the list. When she's done have her start it all again. That way she can't put intern on her resume nor anything useable. If someone calls to confirm that she did the internship you can explain that she did what's called a subinternship--created in her honor--and why. Give her 3 days to turn herself around and regain her intern status.
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:03 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:03 PM on October 29, 2014
First off I was exaggerating winterhill. But that said I absolutely disagree that asking a person to do menial tasks because they are not acting responsibly enough to take on the tasks they were hired to do is bullying. That's ludicrous and really jumping the gun. If so my favorite example of an immature kid learning the ropes--the Karate Kid's 'wipe on, wipe off' would be considered bully. Nor do I think being an unpaid intern is an excuse to slack off and blatantly lie to your supervisor without some sort of repercussion? If not the only thing you're teaching this kid is, Hey lie all you want! The point is to teach someone's who's unwilling to pull their weight that there are consequences to their actions. And that those consequences can be set right. Demotion is a workplace concept, hardly bullying. Geez.
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:22 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:22 PM on October 29, 2014
I meant to add that if one agrees to take on an unpaid internship then you do the work or you let someone else do the internship. I did one of these extremely competitive unpaid internships for six months and I was happy to do it. I would've been pretty pissed if someone had slacked off to this degree, esp if I had to pick up the slack. Do I think interns should be paid? Sure. But that's not the reality. Would I march in a demo to change that? Absolutely.
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:25 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by lillian.elmtree at 4:25 PM on October 29, 2014
The reality of the labor market in the field that the OP is describing is that there are people who are perfectly motivated to do that job for free on a short-term basis, because the experience is perceived to be that valuable. It's entirely reasonable to expect a certain standard of work from interns, and to hold them to it. Otherwise, you would have gotten one of the other 100 people in line behind them to the work.
That said, if you can't dismiss this person, your options are limited, and I wouldn't make it your job to "save" their internship. If you have to limit them to clerical assignments because that's all you can trust them with, then so be it. Since it sounds like this person doesn't have much office experience at all, that might in fact be a valuable experience for her, albeit disappointing for you.
posted by AndrewInDC at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014
That said, if you can't dismiss this person, your options are limited, and I wouldn't make it your job to "save" their internship. If you have to limit them to clerical assignments because that's all you can trust them with, then so be it. Since it sounds like this person doesn't have much office experience at all, that might in fact be a valuable experience for her, albeit disappointing for you.
posted by AndrewInDC at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014
I am an undergrad student with somewhat mediocre/undeveloped professional skills and I've done an internship and some other summer jobs. I used to be very late to everything for example, but I have been working on this on my own and have gotten much better recently.
In any case, I've never had a work supervisor sit me down, call out my not good behavior, tell me what I need to do differently to not get fired (or poorly recommended), and then offer me another chance along with some encouragement and support. I really wish I had had supervisors that did this. It would have communicated that I was respected and cared about and worthy of being held to high expectations, and probably have helped spur my own growth as a working adult.
posted by thepdm at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
In any case, I've never had a work supervisor sit me down, call out my not good behavior, tell me what I need to do differently to not get fired (or poorly recommended), and then offer me another chance along with some encouragement and support. I really wish I had had supervisors that did this. It would have communicated that I was respected and cared about and worthy of being held to high expectations, and probably have helped spur my own growth as a working adult.
posted by thepdm at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I agree that unpaid internships are kind of terrible ideas. People who work should get paid. However.
If the intern accepted the internship knowing it was unpaid, she was agreeing to do work in exchange for intangible goods - experience, learning, a good reference, whatever. Agreeing to do work and then not doing the work is also a kind of terrible idea. And I think it's absolutely grounds for refusing to allow her to continue to do the work.
Since she can't be fired, the only other option is to have the big talk, and if she doesn't get her act together, stop giving her work. But before doing that, talk it over with your supervisor, to make sure you have back-up. There may also be alternatives like having someone higher up the food chain explain to her the error of her ways.
posted by kythuen at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014
If the intern accepted the internship knowing it was unpaid, she was agreeing to do work in exchange for intangible goods - experience, learning, a good reference, whatever. Agreeing to do work and then not doing the work is also a kind of terrible idea. And I think it's absolutely grounds for refusing to allow her to continue to do the work.
Since she can't be fired, the only other option is to have the big talk, and if she doesn't get her act together, stop giving her work. But before doing that, talk it over with your supervisor, to make sure you have back-up. There may also be alternatives like having someone higher up the food chain explain to her the error of her ways.
posted by kythuen at 4:41 PM on October 29, 2014
Ugh, see I think that unpaid internships are bullshit too. But the fact that this is unpaid almost makes this worse to me. If she was struggling to make this work financially then she'd be taking it a lot more seriously. The fact that she's not treating it seriously makes it obvious that someone is funding this for her. So she gets an allowance from her parents and goofs off and takes the opportunity from someone who actually would have benefited from it. I don't have a ton of sympathy. I'm in the 'be tougher' camp.
posted by geegollygosh at 4:52 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by geegollygosh at 4:52 PM on October 29, 2014
Yeah, it's unpaid in the obvious sense, but the OP made it sound like this is an opportunity a lot of people would pay money for. It's free training and contact-making. I tend to think internships in general are poor excuses for free labor. In this case though, it sounds like there is definitely something in it for both sides, the way it's meant to be.
Plus, it's my experience that people who think they could suddenly turn it on when it really counts if they had to, but aren't bothering for whatever reason, are fooling themselves. They really aren't much better when it counts, and they're refusing to practice being better while they have the free chance.
posted by ctmf at 6:52 PM on October 29, 2014
Plus, it's my experience that people who think they could suddenly turn it on when it really counts if they had to, but aren't bothering for whatever reason, are fooling themselves. They really aren't much better when it counts, and they're refusing to practice being better while they have the free chance.
posted by ctmf at 6:52 PM on October 29, 2014
Sit her down, give her a stern talking to and raise all of your points. Send her home for the rest of the week and ask her to come back on monday, but only if she's ready to spend the next 6 weeks doing real work. Otherwise, inform her that you have no more work to give her.
I agree with the above that expecting great things out of unpaid interns is pretty shitty, but there's no harm in not wasting your own time on one who doesn't seem to be producing.
The fact that she's not treating it seriously makes it obvious that someone is funding this for her.
You know literally nothing about this person. You have no idea how she handles stress or what her life is like. You've never seen the contents of her bank account or her daily schedule.
You've ascribed an entire ethos to a person based on a second-hand description of workplace behavior.
Utterly ridiculous.
posted by toomuchpete at 9:55 PM on October 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
I agree with the above that expecting great things out of unpaid interns is pretty shitty, but there's no harm in not wasting your own time on one who doesn't seem to be producing.
The fact that she's not treating it seriously makes it obvious that someone is funding this for her.
You know literally nothing about this person. You have no idea how she handles stress or what her life is like. You've never seen the contents of her bank account or her daily schedule.
You've ascribed an entire ethos to a person based on a second-hand description of workplace behavior.
Utterly ridiculous.
posted by toomuchpete at 9:55 PM on October 29, 2014 [3 favorites]
I managed a large team of volunteers for several years. If you aren't paying someone a wage, you can't put expectations on them in terms of hours to be worked or duties to be undertaken
Of course you can. I managed a small team of volunteers -- which are different from interns, and I also dislike this unpaid internship bullshit -- and part of the deal was, they needed to show up consistently and do the things they had agreed they were going to do, and not make things worse for the other volunteers and the employees (and, as it was in a shelter, the animals). Obviously people will have to bail or no-show occasionally, but if it was regular they'd be told not to come back, and the same if they fucked up the work they were doing.
Unpaid interships are crappy, and in the end you probably should be giving more than you are getting from them, but that seems to have gone by the wayside in general.
I think you need to have a less gentle conversation with her, bringing up these concerns specifically, and telling her that if she doesn't turn things around you'll be forced to stop assigning her work -- I think giving her only menial work that can't benefit her is wrong -- and that she won't be able to get a good reference from anyone here (and, if it's associated with a class, that her professor will be getting a description of what happened). But if the intern doesn't actually care to do better -- and it sounds like she doesn't -- then you can't do anything but keep her away from important things.
posted by jeather at 10:48 AM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Of course you can. I managed a small team of volunteers -- which are different from interns, and I also dislike this unpaid internship bullshit -- and part of the deal was, they needed to show up consistently and do the things they had agreed they were going to do, and not make things worse for the other volunteers and the employees (and, as it was in a shelter, the animals). Obviously people will have to bail or no-show occasionally, but if it was regular they'd be told not to come back, and the same if they fucked up the work they were doing.
Unpaid interships are crappy, and in the end you probably should be giving more than you are getting from them, but that seems to have gone by the wayside in general.
I think you need to have a less gentle conversation with her, bringing up these concerns specifically, and telling her that if she doesn't turn things around you'll be forced to stop assigning her work -- I think giving her only menial work that can't benefit her is wrong -- and that she won't be able to get a good reference from anyone here (and, if it's associated with a class, that her professor will be getting a description of what happened). But if the intern doesn't actually care to do better -- and it sounds like she doesn't -- then you can't do anything but keep her away from important things.
posted by jeather at 10:48 AM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
I agree that it is Big Talk time, with this punchline: "If I do not see a complete turnaround immediately that continues for the rest of the semester, you will not be getting any kind of positive reference from this office."
Were I an employer seeing something hugely prestigious on a resume, I would be asking very pointed questions about why that placement didn't include a letter of reference and failing that, why someone from the office isn't included in their references-to-contact.
If it wouldn't land you in legal hot water, contacting the professor (and indicating to the intern that you will be doing so) is also a very good idea. That said, I have the impression from your question that there's some brand of nepotism going on, which means you may have to be extraordinarily circumspect.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:34 PM on October 30, 2014
Were I an employer seeing something hugely prestigious on a resume, I would be asking very pointed questions about why that placement didn't include a letter of reference and failing that, why someone from the office isn't included in their references-to-contact.
If it wouldn't land you in legal hot water, contacting the professor (and indicating to the intern that you will be doing so) is also a very good idea. That said, I have the impression from your question that there's some brand of nepotism going on, which means you may have to be extraordinarily circumspect.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:34 PM on October 30, 2014
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:22 AM on October 29, 2014 [12 favorites]