What Interns Can Do For Your Company

Do you wish it was easier to find top recruits? It might be time for your company to start an internship program. What could be better than a constant flow of eager, smart, and fresh talent that you can mold into your perfect future employee? Plus, interns are generally keen to work for free. Take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

If you want to start an internship program,  make a plan. Determine where you need interns and what those interns will do. Next target the intern market of recent graduates and college students. Build relationships with higher education facilities and use online job boards (like the JobMonkey JobCenter) to spread the word.

Treat an internship like a real job. You need to write a proper job description, advertise the job in the right places, perform interviews, and ultimately “hire” your interns. Once you’ve chosen your interns, be ready to supply them with hands on training. Give them real work to complete – remember this is their chance to prove their skills to you. Include them in the day to day routine and provide them with regular feedback. This is your opportunity to mold them into the perfect employee.

Internships are the perfect way to test out candidates to see if they can do the job and to see if they fit in to your company’s culture. But remember than internships are a big opportunity for the intern too. They want to gain real world work experience in a career that they aspire to pursue. Interns want to network, build a resume, and get their foot in the door. This is their chance to kickstart their career.

Starting an internship program is a win-win for everyone. It’s a low risk way to find future employees. It’s a great way to develop a talent pipeline that regularly presents new faces and new ideas with no long term commitments. It’s the perfect proving ground to test out a potential future employee. If you like the intern, offer them a job. If you don’t like them, send them on their way. It’s the perfect recruiting situation.

According to Mashable.com, nearly 60% of interns were converted into full-time hires by companies. You’ll never find a better way to test out a potential hire than via an internship. Start an internship program today. It’s the first step toward your company’s long term success.