With the United States facing labor shortages across many industries, local companies are investing heavily in their unique internship programs to build a robust pipeline of entry-level talent.
Brookfield-based manufacturer Milwaukee Tool has relied heavily on an early talent recruitment strategy over the past six years.
Last year, Milwaukee Tool received 20,000 applications from interested students.
The company budgets for about 250 interns every year, with 80% located at a Wisconsin location. Approximately 50 of last year’s interns ended up joining Milwaukee Tool full time.
“We definitely invest heavily in our internship program. It’s not an afterthought,” said Ashley Becker, senior vice president of talent at Milwaukee Tool. “It’s a strategic lever that Milwaukee Tool is pulling to build the pipeline of our future talent.”
Interns go through an extensive interview process, similar to the one they would face if they were applying for a full-time role at Milwaukee Tool.
An early talent recruiting team is dedicated to building relationships with local colleges and universities. That same team screens and interviews intern candidates. The Milwaukee Tool team makes sure each intern’s degree matches a set of skills needed within the company.
“We want them to be screened for how they would fit into the organization, but we also want them to have that experience interviewing, because it is part of soft skill building,” said Becker.
Before a manager can get an intern assigned to their team, they must have an approved project that’s been vetted by the early talent recruitment team.
“Before we even begin to recruit the interns we’re vetting, we examine if we have work that is meaningful for them to be a part of,” said Becker.
Milwaukee Tool intentionally places interns on teams that have entry-level positions open, so if they were to join Milwaukee Tool full time, they would already be set up for success.
Milwaukee Tool’s executive leadership team also looks to support each intern class.
“There’s a lot of intentionality to get in front of interns and engage with them so they can see what it would be like working for us if they choose to continue on,” said Becker.
Finding a good match
When The BrandLab, a Minnesota nonprofit with a Milwaukee presence, looks to place interns at local advertising and marketing agencies, they always make sure a match works both ways.
The BrandLab is dedicated to opening the marketing and advertising industry to people from all backgrounds.
“We try and focus on students that are from educational and social economic backgrounds that haven’t been traditionally represented in the profession,” said Sierra Nixon, partnership director for The BrandLab.
The nonprofit typically considers students ages 18 to 25 with a high school diploma, a dedication to inclusivity and a desire to be a “catalyst for change,” Nixon said.
Once interns are identified, Nixon works with local agencies to match them with students. Interested firms are required to fill out a job description that spells out what kind of culture their company has and what would be expected of an intern.
“We never match an intern with a company unless it is a dual yes during our matching event,” said Nixon. “Both the intern and the company have to say ‘yes’ after they’re done interviewing.”
At Milwaukee-based financial services company Northwestern Mutual, which welcomes around 150 interns each summer, managers work a year ahead to identify possible opportunities for interns.
“These opportunities must meet a set of criteria to ensure the intern is set up for success,” said Florie Marshall, lead program manager, strategic partnerships at Northwestern Mutual. “Interns are often also set up with additional mentors within their department to ensure that they have a workplace community of support at Northwestern Mutual.”
Fostering development
Hiring managers at Northwestern Mutual establish goals for their interns within their first two weeks on the job.
About five to six weeks into the program, there is a mid-summer check-in on those goals. At the end of the summer, hiring managers connect with interns one more time to have a two-way dialogue about what went well and to identify any areas for future growth and development.
As part of the internship program, interns also have access to Northwestern Mutual’s executive leaders. Each summer the company hosts a fireside chat with chief executive officer Tim Gerend.
“We find that this is a great way for the internship class to learn more about the company and leadership, and our executives get to hear what’s top of mind for student interns,” said Marshall.
In addition to honing their technical skills, Milwaukee Tool’s interns have increasingly expressed a desire for opportunities to build their soft skills.
With gig work being common for Gen Z, they are often already well-versed in the technical skills required to do a job, according to Becker.
“We spend a lot of time with our interns working on things like presentation skills, how to give feedback, how to influence peer groups and how to be confident in conversation,” she said.
Each summer, The BrandLab hosts “Summer Mondays” professional development sessions. Interns spend a half-day at a different agency hearing from speakers, working on resumes and cover letters, and honing their interpersonal skills.
“When we’re finding the interns for companies, they think that they’re not going to be able to access us at all times,” said Nixon. “Being The BrandLab, we’re always able to answer questions and offer up that guidance.”
Extra support
A critical part of making sure a student has a successful internship experience is fostering their connection to the Milwaukee community at large.
Any Milwaukee Tool interns who don’t live locally receive a housing stipend. Milwaukee Tool also works to immerse them in the local community through a “Welcome to Milwaukee” program – a sort of crash course on the city.
“We are constantly looking at how we can tactically support them being here,” said Becker.
Milwaukee Tool interns are encouraged to take part in volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits like Hunger Task Force or Habitat for Humanity. This offers another way for interns to build community connections.
Northwestern Mutal also offers volunteer opportunities to interns, along with a handful of networking events scheduled throughout the summer. These include a chartered boat ride and social event on Lake Michigan and a Brewers game at the Northwestern Mutual Legends Club.
The BrandLab works to prepare interns during a summer wellness event. The gathering is meant to help students connect with one another and process their thoughts and feelings leading up to their internship. Interns also receive a wellness stipend to spend as they see fit.
“We don’t want interns to feel like they’re just a part of any other internship program,” said Nixon. “They’re not. They’re being hired directly by the partner (organization) and recruited by The BrandLab.”
