Dear Interns: As the unsung heroes of the workplace, as our future leaders, and as hard workers, we celebrate you. On National Intern Day 2023 and beyond, we celebrate your accomplishments and efforts. 

‍

In 2017, WayUp created National Intern Day to celebrate the achievements of interns, as well as recognizing the challenges that interns face in the workforce.

‍

As the day approaches, let's come together to honor and appreciate the efforts of interns nationwide. By celebrating their contributions, empowering them to grow, and providing meaningful experiences, we can create a brighter future for the workforce.

‍

Searching for intern appreciation ideas? Here are 5 ways you can recognize, reward and celebrate your interns at work on National Intern Day 2023.

‍

Give a Personalized Note

Simple thank you notes can go a long way – especially when personalized, in the right context, delivered at the right time. Intern thank you notes are a valuable tool not just on National Intern Day, but anytime beyond. Personalized notes make the recipient feel recognized, acknowledged, and appreciated – but it also encourages more productive behavior in the future.

‍

Want to go the extra mile and reward employees in a tangible way? Consider including a PerkUp reward with your thank you note. These pre-loaded Visa cards allow employees to choose their own incentives.

‍

Let’s talk about some of the factors that could help you determine which gifts will suit your employees best.

‍

Reward Your Interns With Gifts

Whether being rewarded after meeting a massive deadline, exceeding expectations in the workplace, or for special occasions like this, National Intern Day is a day to celebrate and reward employees for their hard work – what better way to do so than with gifts?

‍

From mugs, jackets, hats, shirts and other company swag to wireless earbuds, flowers, or candles – sending the right gift to the right intern, based on their interests and likes, can go a long way. Looking for ideas? Here are 15 gift ideas to get you started from the PerkUp team.

‍

Plan a Team-Building Activity

Whether virtual or in-person, the right team-building activities can help to boost intern morale, create a sense of community within the workplace, and provide meaningful intern experiences. This also gives employees a chance to connect with interns they may not usually work with directly and boost company culture in the process.

‍

‍

Here are a few of the best National Intern Day activities activities below: 

‍

• Bowling

• Karaoke

• Movie night

• Team trivia night

• Laser-tag

‍

Team Breakfast or Lunch

Sharing a meal with employees and interns is a great way to bring teams together, whether food is delivered to the office, specific teams have lunch outside the office, or you decide to have a meal with just the interns themselves. 

‍

Additionally, you can opt to take interns out for breakfast or lunch with their direct managers or leadership team to reflect on their accomplishments and work-performance, while also answering any career questions they might have. Learn more about the importance and relevance of team lunches here.

‍

Invest in Health and Wellness

With the nature of work in 2023, from interns and employees – health and wellness means more now than ever and is one of the best ways to support interns in the workplace.

‍

Interns especially are looking to balance their mental and physical health, often working in tandem with completing academic studies; one of the best ways to celebrate National Intern Day and support interns in general is to invest in health and wellness stipends, programs and tools.

‍

Plus, wellness and gym benefits are a great way of retaining interns and employees – take it from our friends at Courier, who retain top talent through their flexible wellness programs. 

‍

Offer Remote-Work Flexibility

Because many interns are in school, either full-time or part-time, on top of work requirements, allowing for remote or flexible work environments can go a long way as an internship best practice. That way, interns can be more efficient and balance their work and academic needs.

‍

In fact, Forbes estimates that due to the higher productivity and performance rates found within remote work environments, absenteeism is down by 41% and that teleworkers can be up to 35 - 40% more productive than their office counterparts – improving overall internship program success.

‍

And of course, here at PerkUp, we’re big fans of remote work flexibility!

‍

Final Thoughts

‍

Let’s come together to honor and appreciate the efforts of interns across the world and workforce. Together, we can create a brighter future of work. Happy National Intern Day!

‍

‍