What to do when you have an annoying intern?

If you are really a startup, you can't afford for anyone to be a poor performer. Its grief that sucks time and energy you need on building the business. Whatever the underlying issue is, get it sorted quickly.

I joined a young company a long time ago. The guys who ran it were really nice to work with, but very quick to get rid of wasters. We survived and their willingness to boot people was one of the reasons.
 
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
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Maybe it's your responsibility for defining his objectives moving forward? Employees do need some direction occasionally.

Regarding your point around outreach and showing tangible success, maybe you can find a way of measuring effort (eg. number of emails/posts created?)

I think you need to show that you have helped him developed. The last thing you want is him turning around and blaming his poor performance on you.
 
Firstly, why does an intern question your requests? Your experience and know how are sufficient to convince a company to pay you money to be there, while his are not.
Secondly, why are you asking him what his plans are? You don't ask that, you tell him what his plans are.

When you're in the office on Monday, adopt an assertive tone and tell him what needs to be done for the rest of the day. Don't let him interrupt you. When you're finished, ask him if everything is clear. At this point, if he starts questioning your requests, tell him you didn't ask for his opinion, you asked him to do his job, which is what you tell him to do. If his objections continue, tell him you were clear about his duties and that at the end of the day, they will be completed or the two of you will discuss this disruption in the management office.
 
If you're not able to manage an Intern give the job to someone else to do.

In the last two weeks I have had to manage a new assistant (a grad) who doesn't have much (any) self awareness...behavioural and attitude mainly...plus I had to send her home one day as what she was wearing was not suitable for a club - let alone a workplace.

Very challenging. I find that a lot of grads these days feel like the world owes them something when they leave uni.

Your guy on the other hand needs sitting down and having a word. He should be grasping every opportunity he can, making a difference and find new ways of doing things.

BB x
 
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BrightonBelle said:
I find that a lot of grads these days feel like the world owes them something when they leave uni.
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That's because university is a three or four year long exercise in telling students they are the best thing since sliced bread, deserve to start at the top of the tree, get paid 50,000 as a starting salary and be the boss from day one.

Nevermind the fact they have absolutely none of the skills, attitude or experience to do this.
 
BrightonBelle said:
Your guy on the other hand needs sitting down and having a word. He should be grasping every opportunity he can, making a difference and find new ways of doing things.

BB x
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Absolutely, and I find that people sometimes need a proper push before they become excellent team members: because if they can get away with coming in late and being lazy then they will.
 
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.
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He went and sat in the canteen/bog for an hour and messed about on his phone
 
robfosters said:
Tradesman are always sending their apprentices into my brothers screwfix store to ask for a long weight. I think you can guess what happens :D
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They type it into their system to se if there are any in stock? Thats probably what my local screwfix would do.
 
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.
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You do know that internships aren't just long term unpaid positions right? Your industry may not have any moral values and employ non paid interns to do the job of an employee but many industries actually pay their interns and give them very useful work experience, especially the ones that only do it for a couple of months during summer breaks or after a course... ;)
 
Kenai said:
That's because university is a three or four year long exercise in telling students they are the best thing since sliced bread, deserve to start at the top of the tree, get paid 50,000 as a starting salary and be the boss from day one.

Nevermind the fact they have absolutely none of the skills, attitude or experience to do this.
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I never experienced any of that. My lecturers were mainly excellent, some (admittedly, not many) modules were based on the lecturer's industry experience whilst others said that what they were teaching was academic theory and whilst not directly applicable in the workplace it was all part of building foundations.

There is an expectation from students, I agree, but I've not seen it enforced by universities - I reckon it's more of a generational thing, media BS etc.
 
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