HNI Corporation offers you internship opportunities in a wide variety of areas and across many operating companies.  If you're innovative, hard-working, and seeking a great internship, Hearth and Home might be the company for you.

What Will You Be Working On?

The projects you work on will be adapted to suit you.  We want you working on projects that meet your interests, emphasize your strengths, and help you grow professionally.  Internship departments and past internship projects are listed below:

• Accounting
• Developing a new corporate cash forecasting model
• Reducing accounts payable liabilities at manufacturing plants by conducting on-site research and creating a new invoice-processing system
• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Improving efficiency in production of a new product line by 100%
• Improving the Six Sigma process for a product by 100%
• Product Design
• Eliminating ergonomic deviations in office furniture
• Improving each step of the concept development process
• Testing material strength and performing comparative analysis on different production materials
• Finance
• Developing a new process for streamlining financial reporting among departments
• Analyzing the performance of acquired companies and projecting their long-term performance against optimistic, realistic, and pessimistic market scenarios
• Information Technology
• Creating intranet applications, including online learning programs for HNI members
• Conducting member training for IT-related issues
• Law
• Launching a new ethics training campaign to ensure 100% member participation
• Developing member training courses for legal and business ethics issues
• Marketing
• Analyzing sales promotions to determine their effectiveness and devising strategies to increase promotional success in the future
• Researching end-user wants and needs for an operating company's quick-ship program to increase orders shipped through this program by 10%
• Benchmarking marketing programs against those of competitors and other businesses to improve customer satisfaction
• Public Relations
• Preparing an HNI operating company for NeoCon, the furniture industry's biggest trade show
• Writing news releases regarding executive management decisions
• Learning the launch process for a national advertising/PR campaign
• Human Resources (Member and Community Relations)
• Restructuring company job descriptions and creating new candidate interview guides
• Creating and implementing a more effective screening process for job candidates
• Redesigning the HNI college recruitment Web page that you're reading now
• Researching and summarizing benefits programs across all operating companies and making recommendations for corporate-wide improvements based on the results
• Quality
• Developing a new product-testing method for office panel systems
• Preparing for recertification from the International Standards Organization by collaborating with an operating company's test lab
• Safety
• Completing ergonomic assessments of production line movement to pinpoint potential causes of injuries and reduce the chance for injury
• Supply Chain
• Creating a Forecasting Report Card to measure the accuracy of demand forecasts by comparing forecasts with historical data
• Determining the cost savings of bulk-packing component parts and implementing improved packing standards
• Developing a tool for accurate product forecasting at many levels (aggregate, by location, etc.)

What Our Interns Say

We've told you about all of the great things we have to offer you.  But don't just take our word for it!  Our interns have some thoughts for you, too.  The interns who provided this feedback took part in a summer 2007 internship with Hearth and Home.

"Working at Hearth and Home Technologies has been a great experience, from working on RCI (Rapid Continuous Improvement) event to learning about process flow.  I have worked on many cost saving project that have been very rewarding.  Anyone can learn about 6S, kaizens, Rapid Continuous Improvement principles, and lean manufacturing in college, but seeing how it's implemented out in the workplace helps you understand it better and realize how much it can make a difference.  Hearth and Home Technologies does an excellent job implementing these philosophies.  Overall, my internship has been a positive learning experience and I would highly recommed HNI to anyone looking for an internship."
       Krista Grange, Process Engineer Intern, HHT 

"What I've learned in the classroom is nothing compared to the real-world experience I've gained from my internship with Hearth and Home Technologies.  My day-to-day work challenged me, and it was rewarding to see my work directly contributiong to the company's success.  Because of the knowledge, experience, and skills I've gained from working with HHT, I'll have an edge over other applicants when competing for jobs post-graduation."
       Jessica Shaw, Marketing Intern, HHT
       University of Portland

"An internship with Hearth and Home and HNI is a great experience for any intern.  HNI cares about their members, and it's easy to see that every day you go to work.  Within a week of when I started at HHT, I felt like I was at a family reunion that 600 people showed up to!  (A final word of advice: Don't powder coat yourself - it's not as fun as it sounds!)"
       Dan Reynolds, Manufacturing Engineering Intern, HHT
       University of Iowa

"During my internship, I was given the freedom and support to put my knowledge to use in a way that benefited the company and allowed me to practice what I had learned in the classroom.  I was allowed to design, complete, and present projects that were of interest to me.  The Hearth and Home family welcomed me, and has made a positive impact on my life."
       Lauren Graupner, Ergonomics Intern, HHT
       University of Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

What basic requirements do you look for in internship candidates?
In most cases, interns working for HNI and its operating companies have completed two or three years of college education and are in good academic standing.  Our ideal internship candidate has been actively involved on campus and may have had previous relevant work experience.  In addition, a healthy dose of enthusiasm, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn and grow are necessary for a successful internship experience.

How does your selection process work?
You'll probably first seek an internship with HNI through your university's career fair or by submitting your application through our careers Web site.  After reviewing candidates, we may invite you to interview on-campus or on-site at an HNI location.  If you're successful through this initial evaluation, you will be invited to a final interview for a specific position at an HNI location.  When you successfully complete this second interview, you will be given a job offer and become an HNI intern upon the satisfactory completion of a drug screen and background check.

I'm an international student.  Can I apply?
We encourage international students to apply.  You must be eligible to work in the United States.  At the time of hire, you must have a copy of a valid visa and a United States Social Security card.

Can I get academic credit for my internship?
Check with an academic advisor at your university to determine whether academic credit is available and beneficial in your case.  If it's a good option for you, we will encourage and facilitate the use of your internship for academic credit.

Think you'd be a good candidate?
We want to hear from you!

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