How to Recruit a Last-Minute Winter Intern

Nabbing the right intern is like finding the ultimate present in your stocking. The perfect intern can improve your operations and can be the missing link your organization has been needing. But, what happens if you miss the boat for recruiting winter interns?
Typically, winter recruitment season ends at the beginning of fall. Many winter internships are shorter than their fall and spring counterparts, some lasting only during the holidays and others extending from December to February. Despite the brevity, winter internships can still provide college students and recent grads — as well as organizations — with the help they need to get ahead.
If you find yourself needing an intern, but feel like you've waited too long to recruit one for the winter season, fret not! You just have to put a little magic into your recruitment strategy. Use these methods to recruit a winter intern effectively, even if you're strapped for time.

Be Competitive with Compensation

Pay is important. In fact, paid internship positions on my company's website, InternMatch, get 2.5 more clicks than their unpaid counterparts. While you may believe in unpaid internships, pay is a factor that's going to make your program attractive, especially when recruiting last-minute.
Diversifying your program by providing competitive compensation keeps interns happier and more engaged. In addition to assisting students and recent grads with alleviating loan debt and living expenses incurred while on the job in a new city, paying your interns also protects potential interns from workplace discrimination. Unpaid interns aren't seen as employees in the eyes of the law, and therefore do not have the same rights as traditional employees. Providing compensation means your interns are legally recognized as employees in case of the worst.

Reach Out to Your Network

Your network offers a bevy of wealth in the recruitment process. Someone always knows a talented candidate looking for employment opportunities. This is particularly helpful when you're in a time crunch. Be sure to target specific members of your network in order to gain the best results, including company alumni, former professors or classmates, colleagues and even campus career centers.

Check Out Online Recruitment

With 89% of job seekers using social networking sites, it's a good idea to use online recruitment tools when searching for top intern talent. Whether you amp up your career site, blast your message out on social media, create an infographic job description or make the most of online platforms designed to attract interns, sending your request into the interwebs, especially via social media, is a surefire way to nab a last-minute winter intern.

Hold a Virtual Meetup — Or Hire Remotely

Making a quick intern hire means you have to step outside of your usual recruiting routine. That's where virtual meetups like Google+ Hangouts can help.
As opposed to visiting multiple campuses or blasting out as many emails as you can, virtual meetups allow you to present the details of your internship program in a personalized way. You can answer questions prospective candidates may have, show them around the office and allow them to talk to current employees. You can also record the meetup to create evergreen blog or social media content for candidates who may have missed it.
In addition to virtual meetups, consider hiring entirely virtual interns. By using video chatting and online project management tools, you can interview, train and divvy out tasks even if your interns are working remotely, miles away from your home office. This saves you time and money while allowing you to cast a wider recruitment net.

Target Quarterly Universities

While students at traditional universities are revving up for exams before winter break, those at quarterly institutions are on a different schedule. These schools begin and end later in the year, meaning students may not be dealing with the stress of midterms or other end-of-semester commitments when you're looking to recruit extra talent. These students could also have more time to commit to your winter internship, even it it's shorter than summer or fall options. Check out a list of schools with quarterly schedules here.

Let Them Know How Your Program Stands Out

You may have outlined what you want out of an intern, but what are they looking for?
While many interns cite the need for better pay among internship programs, they also have other concerns. In fact, 30.2% of interns want opportunities to do real work, and 47.3% are interested in access to executives and mentorship. You can also ensure your program stands out by providing workplace perks like telecommuting and remote work options, a pet-friendly workplace, free meals, onsite amenities or gym memberships. In the end, communicating why your internship program stands out while keeping intern needs in mind is going to be what sets you apart from other programs.
If you've decided to take on a last-minute winter intern, be creative in your recruiting strategy. This will move the process along quickly while allowing you to source the best internship candidates for your organization.