In the talent war, organizations are modifying their hiring practices to acquire the best employees. HR professionals are experimenting with new ideas and finding more ways to enhance the candidate experience.
Diversity, work-life balance, employee well-being, remote work, and soft skills development are the latest buzzwords to attract more and more applicants. HR managers give their best to manage the talent supply chain effectively. However, this is not enough; an organization needs to freshen up its perspectives with time to keep up-to-date with the latest needs of the talent market. As a result, many businesses hire interns to introduce creative ideas in the workplace and try different points of view.
Many studies prove that internship programs lead the company on the path of innovation, and it helps to communicate the employer brand efficiently. There are many other advantages of running internship programs also; let’s see the details:
Benefits Of Implementing Internship Programs In Your Organization
Helps You Gain New Perspectives
Interns are a perfect combination of fresh knowledge about the industry and a can-do attitude so that they can provide your company with innovative and creative ways to achieve its goals. They get involved in the day-to-day tasks and suggest changes in strategies, plans, and policies. In addition, their opinions can help you evaluate your current business practices from a different point of view.
This way, your HR department can gain knowledge of what today’s workers expect from employers and make efforts to satisfy their needs.
Communicates Your Employer Brand In A Better Way
From the day of receiving an internship offer letter, they become your company’s representative in the talent market. If they have received good experience and mentorship from your managers, they will communicate your employer brand with potential employees and indirectly increase the number of applications you receive for a role. This word-of-mouth publicity of your business helps you build a robust identity as an employer, eliminating future recruitment issues.
Many communities see organizations that offer internships as the next generation of business people. These programs show that your company provides valuable opportunities to the modern workforce and builds a diverse workplace. It ultimately boosts your business’s reputation.
Reduces Your Employees’ Workload
Hiring interns means you are providing some extra hands to the work, freeing managers’ time so that they can utilize it for other essential tasks. Usually, managers delegate entry-level administrative tasks to interns, alleviating the burden of senior executives. After a specific period, you can also ask them to perform serious tasks with proper mentorship and supervision.
Additionally, interns can change your employees’ “we have always done it this way” attitude and enable fresh ideas to boost productivity. They are good at observing something and questioning the process, so they might bring better ways to accomplish the work.
Improves Tech-Savviness Of Employees
Every business and industry is transitioning from manual to tech-enabled practices, and it is not easy, as the previous generation of employees was not habituated to using digital devices. Hiring interns can help you in that aspect because they possess the essential knowledge your company needs. The image above indicates how the modern generation is fond of tech inventions, so they can give your business a better way to move into the next decade of technology.
The interns can train your existing staff about utilizing digital devices and getting the most out of automation strategies. They can also help you build an attractive online presence of the organization on different platforms to communicate with your potential customers.
Increases Networking And Skill Development Opportunities
Your business can build excellent relations with colleges and universities by offering internship programs. It will boost the visibility of on-campus hiring drives and help to recruit qualified applicants.
Internships provide networking opportunities to your workforce as they will meet the new generation’s workers and grasp their unique skills. On the other hand, interns will learn from the upper generation and gain practical knowledge about the work. This way, both types of employees inspire each other and develop different skills.
Tips For Recruiting Interns
Partner With A College
According to Smallbizgenius, at least 60% of students in each graduating class since 2013 completed an internship during their time. Colleges, universities, and other educational institutions are the most trusted sources of interns. Students often find opportunities to earn and learn in their academics, and an internship is the best option that satisfies both requirements. So, partnering with colleges will give your business plenty of applications for internship programs.
You must visit the job fairs arranged by colleges to reach out to more students who might be interested in your program. Some colleges have their own job boards where you can post advertisements for different intern positions. This way, your organization will also gain an advantage over hiring other types of employees.
Here are some tips you will find helpful in partnering with a college:
- First, build a hiring plan and outline your organization’s needs. Then, look for colleges and consider the number of students in each stream.
- Evaluate the college’s past hiring drives and the average number of students getting placed every year.
- Communicate your offerings to students effectively and run campus ambassador programs.
Use Social Media
Social media holds much importance in modern-day hiring practices. Candidates prefer social platforms over other methods to search for jobs, so you must maintain your social presence. Communicate your internship programs through different channels to spread the word. You can post the interns’ reviews about the company in video format to attract potential candidates.
You should also showcase the benefits you offer to the interns to promote your employer brand.
You might find the following tips useful in leveraging social media for recruiting interns:
- Consider using social media ads to promote internship opportunities.
- Select your platform wisely from a variety of options, as each one consists of a different audience and interests.
- Use applicant tracking system/recruitment software to automate the social media efforts and gain essential insights into the process.
Develop An Effective Training Program
The main purpose of an intern is to obtain practical knowledge about the industry and build up related skills for a better career. Therefore, it is vital to provide the recruits with a knowledge-sharing culture so that they can gain expertise. Furthermore, creating a training program will not just help your interns in their work but also help you attract more applications, as job seekers consider these programs as a valuable offering by any employer.
Mentorship and on-the-job training are the two best ways you can make your interns develop new skills. The training technique can vary by position and business goals; however, it should meet the standard needs of the role.
Below are some crucial tips for establishing a training program:
- Assess the training needs of the interns and identify their behavior types to provide them with a personalized experience.
- Provide the interns with crucial learning materials such as manuals, e-learning courses, presentations, and workbooks.
- Implement the program and evaluate how they are performing. Also, set success metrics to measure the effectiveness of the program.
Post Online Advertisements And Run Referral Programs
Online job boards hold great traffic from job seekers around the globe, and they provide excellent candidates to companies. Therefore, you must consider advertising your intern roles on these platforms for better reach.
Employee referrals are also an effective way to hire interns. You must ask your existing employees and current interns to recommend candidates. Many organizations also offer rewards to their employees for providing suitable recommendations.
Here stated are some valuable points for you to consider while running online ads and employee referral programs:
- Prepare a list of social media platforms and see which one your audience is using.
- Make a comprehensive list of job requirements and briefly describe the benefits to promote in ads.
- Engage the employees in the recruiting efforts and encourage them to suggest candidates by offering monetary and non-monetary rewards.
Final Words
According to Zippia, around 70% of persons are recruited in the same company where they have served the internship. This shows that businesses are looking for people who have proved themselves to be hard workers. Gone are the times when only degrees and qualifications were required to land a job; work experience and practical knowledge are also becoming necessary in the competitive job market.
Moreover, employee skills and behaviors matter in the modern workplace, and internships are the best way to analyze them. This way, you can ensure you are hiring the perfect and suitable candidate for your business.
