Do companies benefit from offering student internships? I have often heard the comment that these students would be ‘in the way.’ What is in it for the employers?
An internship gives the employer the opportunity to assess a student’s compatibility or fit with the company before possible full-time or part-time employment. Though they may have little knowledge of a company and its products or services and may not yet be fully trained professionals, interns bring a fresh perspective to the workforce and could well be technologically savvy.
Young as they are, they tend to be at ease using the latest technology; they can bring in new ideas, offer unfamiliar skills and help companies discover different ways to market and promote their business using various forms of social media. After all, many young people are adept at communicating online.
It’s not hard to see why companies should consider hiring interns. The benefit that they can bring to a place of work is very positive and a company can feel good knowing that efforts are being made to help train young people to become successful as they enter the future workforce. In the long run, an internship can help a company to identify potentially valuable future employees more effectively than conventional selection procedures. Well-run internships enhance a company’s reputation in the labour market.
Studies show that retention rates are higher for employees who have previously interned at an organisation versus those who haven’t (Calvo, 2011). Organisations fulfill their retention needs. Internship programmes deliver positive outcomes.
Interns can apply classroom learning to the real world and learn to think strategically
One of the most significant informal initiatives involves their own employees. They are encouraged to act as mentors by helping others progress in their careers. Professionals driven by a desire to learn and grow have unlimited access to learning that can be instructor led, on the job or virtual. Assigning a mentor to an intern has been shown to increase candidate inclusion and later on retention (Tees, 2009).
Employers should consider offering internships and making them a fulfilling and enriching experience. If employers misuse interns by getting them to do trivial or menial tasks a typical employee avoids, interns will most likely inform their peers about their disappointing experience. As a result, the organisation may have problems recruiting interns for future openings.
Students seek different possibilities for complementing their knowledge with practical experience. The discrepancy between educational programmes and expectations of employers raises the significance of internships provided directly by the employers themselves.
In fact, some academic disciplines have introduced study units offering relevant work placement options as part of their university course.
Internship programmes are an important channel for sourcing future employees. Students want to work for organisations that foster innovative thinking and develop their skills. They are just asking for a chance to show their talents.
Interns can apply classroom learning to the real world and learn to think strategically. Perhaps even more importantly, they learn to work, collaborate, and lead inclusively in teams, which could also be multi-cultural in nature. Interns gain exceptional experience from working in an environment where they learn about the culture and what it is like to work in an organisation.
Work experience stands out on a resumé. Students gain competitive advantage over those who have never worked before. They also get the opportunity to cultivate or nurture the must-have skills and network that will serve them throughout their careers.
Undergraduates and students who have not yet entered the labour market seek meaningful internships that lead to attractive employment offers; they want to be challenged and receive guidance and support in their career growth. Employers, on the other hand, can work with their internship programmes as a key sourcing channel and measure the conversion from intern to full-time hire.
There is a great deal that can be achieved for both student and organisation if the internship placement is carried out in a planned and organised manner, where objectives and expectations are agreed to from the start.
amthake@go.net.mt
Anne Marie Thake is a HR professional and lectures at the University of Malta.