How Interns Add Value To Your Company
Whether you are looking to get some extra tasks done or train the next employee candidate pool, interns may be precisely what your company is looking for! Contrary to popular belief and the world of movie magic, interns can be quite beneficial to many companies and organizations. In order to create the perfect internship and internship program for your company, it is crucial to understand all aspects of an intern.
So if they aren't coffee runners, who are they?
Interns are "developing professionals who work at a company for a short time to gain entry-level experience and knowledge about a particular career field," according to Indeed. Usually, they are college students, but they can be any age. Interns are just like employees and employers; they often look for various qualifications and preferences. This is why it is essential to orchestrate the right internship program for your company and your interns. They come in a variety of types, including:
Summer internship: Usually the most common type of internship. Throughout college, most students will experience a handful of internships during their summer break in between semesters. It is standard that these are between 2-3 months.
Externship: Also known as job shadowing, this type of internship lasts just a few weeks.
Cooperative learning: These types of experiences are longer, generally lasting about a year or more. Most co-ops are a mix of work and classes.
One-year internship: These internships last approximately one year. For the most part, interns are only paid for the second portion of their time with the company. The first portation is to show employers their dedication and potential.
Virtual Internship: These internships are remote and have lots of flexibility for both interns and employers.
Service Learning: Unlike the typical internship, service learning often requires a combination of learning, interning, and community service.
Great, so now that we know precisely what an intern is and what internships can look like, it is just as important to understand how they can be beneficial. Internships are valuable to both the intern and the employer's company. They can add value, much like a regular full/part-time employee.
Internships are often ways companies will invest in their well-being and future. They will often take on smaller, lower-priority tasks. This leaves the other employees free to finish higher stake projects and other work.
Although this is a short list, here are just a few of the great benefits your company can get from interns:
Increased Workforce: Support, support, support! Giving interns introductory tasks gives other employees more time to work on more advanced tasks and projects. Even by providing employee support, interns are learning essential skills and aspects of the industry.
Leadership Opportunities: Interns are an excellent opportunity for current employees to act as mentors. Current employees are not only mentoring and guiding future leaders. They also motivate themselves and their team to reignite their work ethic and passions.
New Perspectives and Ideas: Don't be afraid of the new kid on the block. A fresh face can offer new perspectives and points of view on a company. Whether it be working on strategies, planning, re-organizing, or growing social media presence, interns can be a great addition. A new set of eyes never hurt, that's for sure. Interns bring a fresh understanding and education surrounding the strategies and techniques in their career field.
Positive Publicity: Not only do internships help interns, but they also help companies' reputations! It is often commended when companies bring on interns to be the next generation of movers and shakers. Internships promote both company and community involvement.
The Next Generation: The next generation of professionals can also be the next candidate pool for a company. Often interns develop skills and talents they need to be hired as full-time employees after they complete their education. Internship opportunities benefit both employers and potential new hires. Former interns are better suited to return to a company than an external newbie. Companies prefer to hire someone with pre-existing knowledge of the company over someone who does not- giving interns incentive and motivation while making recruiter's and hiring agent's jobs a whole lot easier.
Understanding why you should bring on interns, and if not, which type is exceptionally beneficial for companies. Whether you have a pre-existing internship program or not, it is a good idea to think about how one could help your company's future. After all, they are more than just coffee runners. RJ Reliance is proud to offer various internship opportunities. If you are curious about what our internship program offers, reach out!
