Interns can be very helpful for your organization in many different ways. By running an internship program, you can improve your chances of attracting new talent and offload some of your employees. This article will explain the importance of interns and lets you know how and where to reach them.
New knowledge
Since interns are usually younger than your workforce, they enter your organization with loads of knowledge about new technologies and marketing developments. Who can teach you better about the impact of Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram than their main user group? You can target new groups and open up new opportunities for your organization. It is always good to have someone with a new way of problem-solving in order to fix problems you and your employees have become blind to.
Offload your workforce
Interns can offload some of your employee workloads if done correctly. For instance, simple yet time-consuming tasks can be done by your interns. However, never let your interns do mind killing work since they won’t be enjoying working for you anymore. Always offer your interns work that helps them to become professional in their own specialism. Show your interns love and they will show it back. If you can offer your interns the right guidance and knowledge, you will increase your chances of hiring them after they graduate. Did you know that 45% of all new hires come from employers’ internship programs? Even more reasons to start (or expand) your internship program.
Before deciding to offload your workforce, it is very important to write down exactly why and where your employees need to be offloaded. Good planning will prevent unnecessary time spent on managing. With our Workforce Planning Web App, you can see an in-depth presentation of your current workforce so you can forecast future open positions within your organization.
Improving managing skills
Your own employees can act as a mentor for different interns. By mentoring, your employees will learn key skills that are required to become a manager. A mentorship program can be helpful for the organization’s culture and will improve the interns’ well-being.
How to reach potential interns?
Once you’re convinced to set up an internship program, it is time to set up your goals and expectations. Decide which departments you want to help with interns and set up a budget.
You can reach interns by placing a vacancy on your website and social media. Encourage your own employees to share this vacancy so you can reach more possible candidates. You can also place your vacancies on job websites and have recruiters search for candidates. Since interns are very active on social media, we recommend you to run ads to target the right group. Facebook and LinkedIn give you opportunities to only reach candidates that match your criteria. For instance, you can select that you only want to reach people that study business administration within a 30-mile radius from your company. It’s simple and usually not too expensive. Read our article about recruiting candidates with LinkedIn to learn more!
Another great way to reach possible interns is by going to job fairs. Put up a stand and get in contact with hundreds of possible candidates. The biggest advantage of job fairs is that you can speak to the students. This way, you can already decide if someone is fit for an intern position at your organization.
How much should you pay your interns?
Internship wages depend on factors like the type of work, country, and level. Interns usually earn more in the United States than in Europe. Bigger companies also tend to pay more and some sectors, like the financial sector, have higher average pay. Since wages vary per country, we recommend you to look for the average for your country on the internet. If you want to attract the best of the best, you usually have to compete with other organizations that tend to pay a lot.
You should see it as an investment in new talent since a higher wage lets your interns feel more appreciated, which increases your chances to hire interns once they graduated.
