You may see creating an Intern Program for your business as an inconvenient hassle, but it could help you take your business to new levels without costing you a fortune. More and more small businesses are recognizing the advantages of hiring interns. While a lot of companies are going the traditional unpaid route, some companies that are truly committed to finding the best graduates will pay interns for their term. Before you keep recruiting employees off of job boards, find out 3 reasons you really should bring an intern on board.
Get a Fresh Look At Your Business From Academically Focused Eyes
Interns are either currently enrolled in a business program or they have just recently graduated. They have been completing college credits to walk the line and earn their 4-year degree or higher. This means they've taken marketing, economics, business planning, and even management courses. All with updated curriculum and new and improved areas of focus.
All of the knowledge and strategic skills that have been attained in college can be used to help you get a fresh perspective on what you need to revamp. You are inside your company day in and day out. Getting some feedback and suggestions from someone who isn't already invested in the company can help you.
Finish Your Projects Without Increasing Your Payroll
If you have a large-scale project coming up or you're understaffed, you could use the extra set of hands to help you do basic tasks like printing and scanning, using machines like those at Lafayette Business Machines Inc. You don't have to leave the intern in charge, but put their skills to use and you can keep your budget for the project low. You don't have to up your payroll by paying overtime or by hiring new temporary employees. This tactic even helps keep your worker's compensation premiums lower.
Lower Recruiting Costs By Hiring Interns
The best internship programs are designed to supervise and train interns so they get enough experience to become assets to the company after the program is done. If your focus is to hire entry-level employees, try to look for the best candidates in your intern base. When you get to see how someone performs before they even are on the payroll, you can keep your recruiting costs down. Some of the top Fortune 500 companies actually retain 80 percent of their entry-level hires.
With the cost of labor in all industries on the rise, you can benefit from starting an intern program. You can keep your payroll costs down and do the community a favor in the process. Help graduates gain the experience they need to land a great job and grow your business in the process.
This guest post is courtesy of Emma Sturgis.