How internship programs help scale small companies and which aspects of business is the most influenced by bringing in young interns is the topic of our discussion here.
Small and medium business owners always need to look for additional benefits and extra value in order to scale their operations more rapidly. One of the paths that many small business owners decide to take is starting an internship program. How internship programs help scale small companies and which aspects of business is the most influenced by bringing in young interns is the topic of our discussion here.
In order to scale and increase their revenue, people who run small business operations need to keep two things in mind:
- Effective workflow management. The less time it takes to finish current projects, the faster larger projects come are completed.
- Acquisition of talents that will help the company grow and accomplish higher goals.
Internship program brings in extra hands, which means current projects could be finished sooner. This allows employers to start larger projects faster and hit the next level of operations easily. While interns spend their time in the company, their progress can be a good indicator for future hire, which makes the recruitment process seamless. That being said, it’s easy to see how internship covers these two basic needs of every small business. But let’s get more into detail, and explain how internship pays off.
Future hiring benefits
People give their best to look good on job interviews. Jane Sturgis, an experienced resume writer from Careers Booster, once said: “Writing resumes for job interviews made me an expert in making people look better.” Many people really have what it takes to be a valuable addition to the team, but the training process takes time, and there’s a chance the new employee won’t be able to handle the workload. As opposed to hiring externally, internship programs allow a faster and more reliable recruitment option. Employers can track interns’ progress over time and evaluate their talent and contribution to the company before hiring. In addition, since the employee was already active on past and current projects there’s no need to spend time and money on training and showing them around the company.
The news of a company hiring fresh talent can spread easily and this can lead to more talented college students applying for an internship program with your company. Such a course of action can create a valuable pool of talent for the future. Moreover, a company can make a name this way and become a well-respected employer and an important figure in the local community for helping out local students. This is especially important for those students who need to support themselves while in college.
Talking about support, an intern’s salary is a lot less than the salary of a full-time employee. Additionally, there are no unemployment and severance packages to pay, so this means even lesser expenses. In return, interns are among the most productive members of the staff and useful for dealing with simple, short projects that would only drag down your senior employees and keep them away from dealing with bigger issues. When you put things in perspective, it shows clearly that internship pushes overall company productivity forward.
Company culture and staff building
Loyalty is an important aspect of a company’s growth. In order for a business to thrive, its foundations need to lie on a strong, dedicated team with experience. Studies show that employees that are hired after their internship ended are more eager to stay with the company. Positive feedback attracts more fresh blood that brings in new ideas and contributes to overall creativity. This sort of engagement can result in creating a strong brand with an admirable company culture for any small business.
One of the most powerful aspects of the internship program is the ability to mold those young brains until they become the perfect company asset. People with previous working experience tend to bring along habits from their previous job. With college students coming in fresh, employers can become mentors and craft a strong professional that will scale the company sky-high.
Final Thoughts
When a company decides to hire interns, it covers more ground in terms of added value than most other hiring options. Getting part-time help in order to handle current workload is a short-sighted maneuver and lacks long-term benefit. Interns are hardworking, loyal, and eager to progress, which makes them a potential future asset that grew in-house. Internship programs add to company productivity, creativity, and make an excellent marketing strategy among the younger generation of students that could become future additions to the company. It’s a two-way street that leads to mutual benefit for both the company and the young people with a desire to put their knowledge to a practical use.
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