Hire an intern

An internship is a period of work experience lasting for a fixed period of time anywhere between a week and 12 months. Although internships can include adults wishing to engage in a new career, most internships are undertaken by students and graduates looking to gain relevant skills.  

An intern will usually be an undergraduate or graduate seeking work experience at the start of their career. Students in sixth form colleges, further education colleges or other tertiary education would also be included.  

An undergraduate or college student required to enter a work placement as part of their studies would not be regarded as an intern; nor would someone who is simply work ‘shadowing’ or ‘tasting’, who does not actually do any work for the organisation. Adults who are interns may or may not have further or higher education qualifications. 

The duration of internships across the UK varies significantly, ranging one week to approximately one year.  

Student internships tend to be shorter in length than graduate ones. Summer internships are generally the length of the summer holidays.  

The number of hours an intern works will vary depending on their role, the organisation, and the specific internship programme. This should be decided and agreed with the intern before their start date.  

Supported internships are a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The core aim of a supported internship study programme is a substantial work placement, facilitated by the support of an expert job coach. The main source of funding for supported internships is from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFSA). 

The payment of interns is dependent on their legal status once they join the organisation.  An intern could be a worker, an employee, or a volunteer. Each of these categories attract different rights or obligations in the workplace. Interns usually have the status of ‘worker’ – they work for reward, whether this is monetary, skills-based, or something else. However, the VCSE and charity sector are eligible for exemptions – we’ve covered this more in ‘What about unpaid Internships’ below.

By law, employers must pay interns the National Minimum Wage if any of these apply: 

• The intern has a contract outlining the nature of the work they will do 
• Interns are required to turn up to work, even if they don’t want to  
• The employer must have work for the intern to do 
• The intern is promised a work contract in future. 

A full list of situations when interns must be paid can be found on Gov.uk. 

See current National Minimum Wage rates here. 

While ‘workers’ must legally receive the National Minimum Wage, not all interns are classed as workers. This means, there are some situations in which interns don’t need to be paid. Interns do not legally have to be paid if:

• The internship lasts for less than one year as part of a UK-based higher education course
• The intern is at a charity or voluntary organisation, works hours they have chosen and receive expenses, such as for food and travel. (This is often the case in the VCSE sector).
• The person is work-shadowing – i.e., observing an employee but not carrying out any work themselves.

CIPD, drawing on previous efforts from the (former) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), have developed six principles to ensure a high-quality internship:

1. Preparation and recruitment
2. Status and payment of interns
3. Introduction to the organisation
4. The intern experience
5. Supervision, support and mentoring
6. Giving references and feedback.

 The guide provides a comprehensive step-by-step process to implement and carry out an apprenticeship.

In line with these principles, CIPD have also created a useful checklist for running an internship.

It is important to have a clear understanding of how an intern will fit into your organisation. To help you with this you might want to consider the following questions: 

• What does your organisation hope to achieve from the internship? 
• Is your organisation looking to fill a need on a specific project or in a specific role? 
• Who will be responsible for supervising and mentoring the intern? 
• How long do you want to employ an intern for? 
• At the end of the internship what would you expect the intern to have achieved/delivered?  

Internships should be advertised openly and transparently to ensure you attract a broad pool of applicants. Efforts should be in place to ensure that you have an inclusive recruitment programme. 

Interns should be recruited in the same way as other employees because the internship is about professional development, which includes the job application process

Your organisation should ensure there is a dedicated person with time to supervise the intern and conduct regular performance reviews.  

CIPD recommend that experienced employees act as supervisors and mentors for the intern and offer a reminder that the role can be time-consuming. 

Internships that work: Guide for employers, developed by CIPD.

ACCA’s best practice process for hiring an intern, with a thorough guide to the process. As ACCA is an accounting firm, this is based on hiring an intern accountant.

HR Review’s guide – ‘Internships: The Definitive Guide for HR Professionals’.

Study Smarter’s interesting blog with how to hire an intern in different contexts, including for small organisations and start-ups.

Internwise resource bank on the full process to build a structured and ongoing intern hiring plan broken down by stages and microsteps.

Targetjobs’ guide to unpaid internships.