The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines interns as individuals who work in professional settings related to their career aspirations or college major. Whether you work in a small office or growing business, your company could benefit when you hire interns throughout the year.
Infuse the office with enthusiastic interns who can help increase productivity. While your office may already practice time-saving productivity hacks, interns can bring new ideas and energy to work each day. These attitudes can help motivate employees to get excited about work, too.
Additionally, interns can complete tasks employees might not normally do. For example, certain unfinished projects can be assigned to an intern in order to help meet deadlines. An intern can take over certain tasks that might otherwise be on hold due to other priorities or unavailable resources. Your employees are then free to perform more high-level tasks or tackle creative projects that could improve and grow your business.
Tech-savvy interns of all ages can offer valuable insights and knowledge. Use their skills to update your business' technology devices, software, techniques and strategies.
Another area that an intern can contribute to is your social media presence. According to Pew Research Center, seven out of ten Americans use social media, making it an important asset for your company's growth. Take advantage of an intern's understanding of social media trends and best practices to help improve your company's online presence and brand recognition.
Interns can bring a fresh perspective to help solve problems, brainstorm new products and improve operations. They can help provide a different view and infuse your business with insights and ideas that you may not have noticed while performing your daily duties or doing business the way it's always been done.
By including interns in your business meetings and brainstorming sessions, you can leverage a fresh perspective that has the potential to improve your daily operations, long-term strategy and bottom line.
Your employees will learn valuable leadership skills as they supervise, guide, mentor and assist interns. An internship program can motivate employees to step up and become positive role models as it reveals their leadership potential. As a bonus, your employees may take more ownership for the company's success, meet personal development goals and prepare for management positions through your internship program.
The interns you hire may become your company's next entry-level employees. Interns gain practical experience and new skills as well as learn how your office operates and develop relationships with current employees. An internship program introduces you to an intern's work ethic, qualifications and professionalism, which could help determine if an individual fits in with your company's culture. This could result in that intern becoming a permanent part of your team.