A business requires talent to be an effective asset to a community, but finding top talent can be difficult and frustrating. It often requires a business to look beyond their local market for talent and it also considers non-traditional avenues of talent such as outsourcing. The one solution to your organization’s talent deficit is often ignored: Internships.
Why Internships Are a Good Idea
Many organizations are implementing positions for eager college students. By attracting talent with opportunity, some businesses discover that some great workers. Below are a couple of good reasons why your business could benefit from implementing an internship program.
- You’re helping the next generation of workers: One of the most common complaints about finding the right worker for a position is the fact that the area doesn’t necessarily have enough skilled workers, or the right candidate hasn’t shown themselves. In situations like this, an internship program might be a good way to find up-and-coming talent in your area, especially if there are local colleges and universities. With or without a college degree, we all know how difficult it can be to find work without any real experience. Do the next generation of workers a favor by giving them a chance.
- Reduced labor cost: Being that interns have no experience and are still working on their education, their pay rate tends to be less than an experienced employee in the same position. Additionally paying unemployment is not needed if they don’t work out for the position.If you’re lucky though, you’ll find that your investment was worth it, and shift capital to other parts of your business.
- You might get a full-time employee out of the deal: If your intern proves to be an exceptionally gifted individual, you might see some value in keeping them on as a valued part of your team, even after graduation. In this case, you get a trained employee who’s familiar with your business and its workflows.
- It looks good for your business: Besides the fact that you’re helping students in their professional development, the public will see you as an organization dedicated to the development of the local area. If you play your cards right, you can use an internship as a great marketing opportunity, especially in regards to finding more talent.
Tips for Implementing an Intern Program
An internship can potentially be an excellent addition to your business’s repertoire, but it’s not always simple to implement. Here are a couple of pointers that you should consider for your internship opportunity.
- Make sure it’s a paid opportunity: As a business owner seeking to provide interns with a great opportunity, you should make sure that it’s a paid opportunity. You want to provide an incentive for interns to apply, and more often than not, the experience won’t be worth it on its own, as even young people need to eat. Besides, paying your interns shows that you care about their development and that you want to invest in their success. That investment can really pay off if you can cultivate a productive worker.
- Discuss partnering with local universities and colleges: Besides the fact that you’ll be going through the proper channels to ensure college credit can be given where it’s due, you’ll also benefit from the exposure of the campus that you’re going through for implementing your internship program.
By investing in the youth of tomorrow, you may just see substantial organizational growth. For more business tips, or to learn about our success with internships, call us today at 888-546-4384.