College interns can be a fresh new source of talent, able to bring youthful enthusiasm to any company. Interns can also be a distraction and might deter you organization or department from achieving its core mission.
An internship program will be right for your company if you set clear goals for the program. If you’ve picked up a large project or are considering trying out a new process, interns can supply a temporary supporting manpower boost or personnel dedicated to working on an extra project.
The one thing a company cannot do is simply look at interns as a source of free labor to do work that no one else has time to do. Interns and the schools that place these students expect them to walk away with new skills, knowledge and experience. If you don’t have time to properly mentor these young minds, don’t bring them on board.
Bring in New Perspectives
If your organization is locked into doing things a certain way, an infusion of interns can bring a fresh perspective that might lead staff members into rethinking their tried-and-true processes. Still in the inquisitive mode of the college classroom, interns are mentally primed to look at old processes critically, and possibly develop all-new standard operating procedures.
Interns Have Up-to-Date Tech Knowledge
Paid for via tuition and countless other fees, universities typically have some of the most up-to-date technology for their students to work with. When you bring on college students, they may already be familiar with the pros and cons of hardware or software your company is currently considering purchasing. In this situation, interns can add value in a tech consultancy role.
Test Drive the Talent Level of Today’s Students and Graduates
Bringing on interns also showcases the talent levels of students coming out of various local colleges. An internship program allows you to see the work ethic, skill set and knowledge base of college-educated millennials. Also, if an intern comes through who is particularly talented, your company could have the first crack at hiring them.
Tackle special projects
If you have a project or new process the company is considering testing, an internship can be a great resource for tackling that project, and the intern or interns will appreciate the opportunity to work on something meaningful for the company. To stay clear of potentially violating The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), just make sure the interns’ work is research-based, and not providing an immediate advantage over the competition.
Give Back to the Community
Finally, an internship program is a way to get involved with, and give back to, the local community. Businesses often rely on their surrounding community, and feeding this two-way relationship improves the company’s image in the community and allows you to have an influence on the skill set of local talent.
At CAREERXCHANGE, we have many recent graduates with up-to-date skills and internship experience. Contact us today, and we can help your company with an infusion of extremely qualified millennial talent and more!