An internship program is an opportunity to work for a firm for a fixed period of time. An intern position may be part or full time, paid or voluntary, as short as one week or as long as a year. A number of sectors offer internship programs including sales, marketing, engineering, graphic design, management and I.T. These programs are popular with undergraduate students who work as interns during their summer break in order to gain relevant and practical experience in a specific field. In return, interns provide companies with an array of benefits. Start a summer intern program to gain the following advantages:
Develop an excellent recruitment channel: Use the internship program as an opportunity to educate interns regarding your company culture, your goals, structure and the inner workings of your organization. Help them develop professionalism, leadership abilities and communication skills. Interns who learn your company process and perform well are great candidates for future hire.
Increase productivity: An intern can assist your full time employees with simple, short-term tasks and projects. This frees your personnel to accomplish creative tasks or jobs that require high-level expertise, thus increasing your company’s productivity.
Bring a fresh perspective: Interns arrive with specialized skills, the latest knowledge, and new ideas. Include them in your brainstorming sessions. Their fresh perspective can inspire, motivate, improve processes and help surpass goals.
Enhance your social media outreach: Interns tend to be at the age where they are generally informed regarding popular culture, current events, and the latest social media trends. Involve them in your social media strategy and seek their feedback as they can help you establish a social media presence, enhance your current strategies, build your following and move your business forward.
Foster leadership skills: Have your current employees mentor and supervise the summer interns. Your staff will practice management skills, learn to provide constructive feedback and gain leadership experience thus helping create leaders in your organization.
Access to knowledge of the latest techniques/technology: College students learn cutting-edge strategies, are familiar with the latest techniques/technology and have tech-savvy skills. An internship program gives you direct access to their knowledge/skill set. Learn from them!
Solve a specific problem: Carefully assign your interns to departments that will most benefit from the advanced computer skills that college students possess. Allow the interns to help you solve problems and automate tasks.
Improve the work environment: Interns often inject energy, enthusiasm and creativity. They’re eager to learn and explore new things. This can be contagious! The presence of interns can improve the work environment and the culture of your company.
Improve public relations: An internship program makes a difference to the local economy and the local people, making it a cost-effective public relations tool.
Increase visibility on college campuses: If interns are happy with your program, word will spread. The most sought after talent on the campus will be interested in working for you. Recruiting interns from local colleges opens access to a valuable talent pool.
Improve brand recognition: Students will talk about their intern experience in their college courses, with family, friends and online. Your company will garner attention and increase its brand awareness.
Receive low-cost labour: The hourly wage of an intern is significantly lower than that of full-time employees, making interns an inexpensive resource.
Starting an internship program is an excellent way to foster success for your company. Interns provide enthusiasm, new ideas, social media savvy and a fresh perspective. They reduce employee workload, increase productivity and provide access to the latest knowledge/techniques/technology. An internship program is an effective tool for cultivating a pool of candidates for future positions. Set up a great program and you’ll attract top candidates.
Need help finding the perfect employee for your organization? Call the Calgary recruiting agency, Equation Staffing Solutions at 1-844-367-9618. We are a reliable, innovative, collaborative agency here to support you with staffing, contingent workforce management, software testing and training, and payroll/PEO/ASO requirements. Our experience will keep your business running smoothly! Contact us today.
References:
https://www.internships.com/employer/resources/setup/benefits
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
https://www.inc.com/entrepreneurs-organization/4-benefits-of-a-student-internship-program.html
https://blog.societyinsurance.com/4-benefits-of-an-internship-program/
https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers-advice/internships/what-is-an-internship