Whether you’ve seen the movie ‘The Internship’ or not, I’m sure you know; experience never g...
Whether you’ve seen the movie ‘The Internship’ or not, I’m sure you know; experience never gets old. Billy and Nick might be slightly older than you’d expect, nonetheless, it proves that interns are an important part of any successful business.
The days of hiring interns to simply fetch your tea and coffee are long gone. They are highly recognised for their talent and potential, more than ever before. Some of the largest companies in the world hire interns on a regular basis, with Google and Deloitte hiring over 3000 interns a year; and even small to mid-sized businesses are recognising the benefits of recruiting them.
Choosing to gain work experience rather than spending time in the sun with friends and family proves that ultimately these are the individuals who are hungry and passionate to succeed, and therefore the ones to look out for in the future.
With that in mind, let’s look at the top five reasons why you should be looking into creating an internship programme.
One of the biggest benefits of hiring interns is that they can challenge ‘the way we’ve always done it’ mentality, by providing unique ideas and thoughts about your business. The most successful companies encourage feedback from employees of all experience levels – that includes interns! If you want them to give their honest opinions and perspectives on your business, providing real, meaningful work, so that they feel valued is essential. Which will not only benefit you but will also build their skills and knowledge.
Coming straight from University, they are used to hearing about making it in the ‘real world’, so will likely want to prove themselves and make it in a corporate environment. This makes them determined to succeed which will likely shine through their quality of work.
The world is more connected than ever, so you might as well take advantage of all your employees’ social networking knowledge – and that includes the interns. They are studying at Universities and business schools right now (or have been recently), so they are likely learning cutting-edge strategies and techniques which you can take full advantage of. As a result, not only can they learn from you, but you can learn from them.
Another great benefit of hiring interns is that it opens the doors for employees to grow their leadership skills and become mentors. 77% of companies with mentoring programmes say it improves employee retention, job performance, and job satisfaction levels, demonstrating their worth within the business. Therefore, not only can it play a key role in decreasing employee turnover, but it is also a cost-effective way to get employees engaged and empowered.
When mentoring anyone, including interns, their successes become your successes. Interns can encourage leadership skills amongst current employees, which is great training for those who may eventually occupy a management position. Mentoring can also motivate employees to hold themselves more accountable and supports in improving communication. This also allows them to learn whether their explanations and instructions are clear and straightforward.
Interns can become your biggest brand ambassadors without you having to spend a fortune. They can spread the word with University networks and across social media platforms, allowing you to build awareness amongst new potential clients. As a mentor, you are supporting them in their future careers, so they will likely be singing your praises. Essentially, it’s advertising for your business (but it’s free!).
Internship programs are a year-round recruiting tool, generating a continuous stream of potential full-time employees. When going through the interviewing and hiring process, you may find yourself recognising the immense potential in someone. If you decide the intern fits perfectly into your business – hire them! You can snatch them up before your competitors do, and train them as your ideal employees. Who knows, it could be the start of a long-term career with you.
However, you need to be quick! Interns are being hired more frequently than ever before. In 2017, the offer rate for interns was 67.1%, of which 74% were accepted (with a 45% conversion rate). They provide a higher than average retention rate, which can benefit your business not only financially but also in building a more connected and inclusive culture.
Here at 3Search, we are passionate about giving interns the hands-on experience they desire. We have three interns working with us over the next year, who are doing all things Marketing; from organising our events to running our social media accounts. We also just said goodbye to our summer intern, Ollie, who supported one of the Directors in recruiting internally for the business.
Not only have they learned a great deal from working here, but they have been invaluable to the 3Search team.
3Search is an award-winning UK recruitment consultancy, specialising in marketing, strategy & transformation, and tech positions. Whether you’re seeking new talent or looking for your next career move, we can help.
