What to do when you have an annoying intern?

Stretch · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:59

Poop in his inbox.

aardvark · 5 Mar 2015 at 21:02

SPG said:
Aside from the intern have zero moral fibre in the first place for actually taking a intern position and that A his parents are well off anyway so he can actually do his work.

what?

esoteric · 5 Mar 2015 at 21:05

Send him to get a skirting board ladder and a glass hammer.

AndyT · 5 Mar 2015 at 22:14

SPG said:
Aside from the intern have zero moral fibre in the first place for actually taking a intern position and that A his parents are well off anyway so he can actually do his work.

First thing Monday morning take him and you into your managers office, shut the door and say exactly what you have said in the post then get him to justify why he thinks its a bad idea. Then shoot his arguments down in flames with your knowledge of the job taking on-board his comments if they are rel-vent.

After all that ask him to leave the office and shut the door, then let your manager know more of your feelings on the matter.

The intern wont mind one bit as his parents are rich either way. So do what you must to make yourself look professional on the matter so you come up shining.

Interns deserve to be treated like cack for taking up a un-paid position in the first place shows a lack of any character or morals.

I hate them and treat them all like battery chickens.

Mental.

dowie · 5 Mar 2015 at 22:27

dominatrix1 said:
I work for a startup company and recently got an intern to help as my workload was getting a bit too much. It started off quite well ok and he was doing a good job but as time has gone on hes getting lazier and lazier and when I ask him to do something he doesnt do it and tells me its a bad idea.

Im not really sure what to do Its got to the point where I kind of stop talking to him. He's a marketing intern so when I ask him what hes's got planned he just says outreach where its quite hard to show tangible success

that is the main problem, you're in marketing - get a female intern!

adam98150 · 5 Mar 2015 at 22:31

SPG said:
I hate them and treat them all like battery chickens.

I enjoyed that.

Not sure about the rest though.

HardwareGeek · 5 Mar 2015 at 22:33

Maybe a motivational issue, if he started off ok, now he is bored.

Are you and the company genuinely taking the time to train, mentor and develop him or just using him as cheap labour giving him repetitive boring tasks where he is not learning anything?

ps. Remember he is doing an internship for free / very low pay to be trained and gain experience not to be bored and used as a gofer

Sliver · 5 Mar 2015 at 22:35

esoteric said:
Send him to get a skirting board ladder and a glass hammer.

I once sent an intern to pick me up some fallopian tubes from our stores. He was gone nearly an hour and upon returning proceeded to tell me that they were out of stock and he'd check again the next day.

DaleTheWhale · 6 Mar 2015 at 00:18

Sliver said:
I once sent an intern to pick me up some fallopian tubes from our stores. He was gone nearly an hour and upon returning proceeded to tell me that they were out of stock and he'd check again the next day.

Rainbow paint was a good one in graphics

mrbazmondo · 6 Mar 2015 at 00:29

I feel your pain.

Zbornak · 6 Mar 2015 at 00:32

SPG said:
Aside from the intern have zero moral fibre in the first place for actually taking a intern position and that A his parents are well off anyway so he can actually do his work.

First thing Monday morning take him and you into your managers office, shut the door and say exactly what you have said in the post then get him to justify why he thinks its a bad idea. Then shoot his arguments down in flames with your knowledge of the job taking on-board his comments if they are rel-vent.

After all that ask him to leave the office and shut the door, then let your manager know more of your feelings on the matter.

The intern wont mind one bit as his parents are rich either way. So do what you must to make yourself look professional on the matter so you come up shining.

Interns deserve to be treated like cack for taking up a un-paid position in the first place shows a lack of any character or morals.

I hate them and treat them all like battery chickens.

kaptainmarc · 6 Mar 2015 at 06:36

SPG said:
I hate them and treat them all like battery chickens.

Do you have small man syndrome or something like that?

Cosimo · 6 Mar 2015 at 07:13

Do a Bill Clinton...

peige · 6 Mar 2015 at 07:13

He should be told how useless he is, he's not doing his job.

benjii · 6 Mar 2015 at 07:22

peige said:
He should be told how useless he is, he's not doing his job.

This, constructively though. The whole point of an internship is to learn your field of work as you participate, if he's useless then tell him.

Freakbro · 6 Mar 2015 at 07:25

Cosimo said:
Do a Bill Clinton...

I'm not smoking that cigar after he's finished with his male intern! :eek:

bloodiedathame · 6 Mar 2015 at 07:55

Does your username have anything to do with your job?

[FnG]magnolia · 6 Mar 2015 at 08:51

Be Conan, Just Do It.

mrk · 6 Mar 2015 at 10:44

Cosimo said:
Do a Bill Clinton...

What take him to the oval office and leave stains on his clothing?

NickK · 6 Mar 2015 at 10:55

dominatrix1 said:
I work for a startup company and recently got an intern to help as my workload was getting a bit too much. It started off quite well ok and he was doing a good job but as time has gone on hes getting lazier and lazier and when I ask him to do something he doesnt do it and tells me its a bad idea.

Im not really sure what to do Its got to the point where I kind of stop talking to him. He's a marketing intern so when I ask him what hes's got planned he just says outreach where its quite hard to show tangible success

Outreach - so how many engagements? Is he travelling?

There's also the effect of outreach on sales - if that isn't demonstrating traction or any benefits you may want to simply cut the outreach. Leaves him nowhere to run..