In the world we currently live in, an undergraduate degree alone does not amount to much. Students in college are told that they need real-world experience before they can get a sustainable entry level job. One route many students are required to take to gain this experience is by completing an internship. As a leader in your company, you should capitalize on this need by hiring summer interns. Still skeptical? These are the best reasons to have interns around.
Do The Unwanted Work
Unfortunately, every company has that one task no one likes doing. Having interns around means you will have someone eager to learn even the most monotonous of tasks. Although you should not force them to do this kind of work for the entire summer, it can be helpful to have an extra set of hands around that won’t complain as much.
Vacation Coverage
Summer can be a difficult season for any business, as many employees choose to go on vacation during these months. Interns can help pick up the slack by filling in where appropriate. Sure, they may not be able to handle an angry client or complete work for your top-paying account, but they can do the behind-the-scenes work until your employees come back.
Temp Hires
No business likes hiring temporary workers. Since these employees know they will not be around forever, they have more of a tendency to violate policies with disregard. Interns, on the other hand, can have college credit or future success on the line, making them much more reliable and ready to listen.
Recruitment Pool
If you know your company is going to expand in the next year or so, keep an eye out for interns who do their job well and cause no problems. Internships are an easy way for companies to get to see the talent out there without having to take a chance on someone they’ve barely spoken to. If you have a few people in mind, make sure to offer them a position as soon as you’re certain. Fail to do so and you may have your talent poached by a competitor.
Fresh Eyes
Do you have a project that has been dragging along for months? Having a fresh set of eyes to look at your processes can lead to some much-needed changes around the office. You might have entirely new procedures for how to handle a particular task. Also important is the feedback you can get around training. Interns can offer valuable insight as to what they feel equipped to do and what they need more training on, leading to better training for future employees.
Hiring summer interns may not sound like the best idea in some companies, but I struggle to think of an environment where they could not be utilized. Before dismissing the idea altogether, take a look at what your company needs and see if a temporary helper would fit right in.