Around this time of the summer, a lot of people start grumbling that they should have hired a summer intern.  If you’re one of them, maybe it’s time to think ahead.

The current generation of college students (aka Millennials) are eager to learn and supremely motivated to increase their skill sets.  You don’t necessarily have to pay them a lot, but you do have to show them respect and offer them challenging and engaging work.  For instance, IBM's Extreme Blue internship program makes sure that interns don't end up making photocopies, instead pairing them with computer developers, doing real company work in global research labs.  A strong internship program is a critical part of a sound recruiting strategy because it allows you to attract and train the best talent before it is snapped up by competitors, and also to observe individuals in action before making a substantial commitment to them.

You can get an internship program off the ground by partnering with local campus career planning and placement offices.  Work with the staff to ensure that they have an adequate understanding of your internships, and promise a personal phone or face-to-face interview for every qualified student applicant they introduce to you.  Reach out to key faculty, staff, and student leadership on campus, ask them what student or third-party organizations you might contact, and see if there are opportunities for you or your colleagues to present seminars or guest lectures.

You can certainly coordinate with the HR department if you have one, but it’s often not necessary.  By making a few calls and having a few meetings on your own or on behalf of your department, you can create a thriving internship program on a much smaller scale.