There are multiple reasons why I believe every organization needs to have a thriving internship program. Here are a few.
An internship program is the best interviewing program I have ever found. It is actually a four month interview. Using a designed internship development system, you can discover in the first few weeks if they are capable of basic business concepts. After two months you will know if you can give them added responsibilities and observe their growth and interaction with the rest of your staff. Prior to the end of the four months you will know if they are a long term fit in your organization. This process will greatly increase retention rates once they are full time employees
An internship program is a perpetual source of new talent. Having interns involved in all areas of your business creates a talent pool that is easy to draw from. If a manager has a need for a full time employee, they can hire an intern with the qualifications they are looking for that is working in their area or another area of the business. They are a known entity. Also, students who enjoy working for your company are the best “recruiters” you have on their campus. They will let their friends know about their experience in your workplace.
An internship program reduces the cost of completing entry level work. You will pay an intern less than your administrative staff to do the same work. This allows you to give your full time employees work of greater value-add and complexity increasing their worth to the company and improving their morale.
The internship by definition is only a four month commitment. If you have a spike in your business, it is easy to add interns until you determine if the growth is sustainable. If the growth is permanent, you have a group of interns to choose from to fill your new full time positions. If business drops off you can simple eliminate the intern positions until such time as business picks up again. This allows you to reduce staff without eliminating permanent positions.
When you hire an intern they get invested in your business and form relationships with your staff. This will make it more difficult for a firm from out of town to entice them to move away. Keeping local talent is a key to sustaining and growing your local economy.
A well run internship program has a positive bottom-line effect. I hope you see why I believe every organization should consider building a program.
Christian Life Coach 