Interns Have a Great Return on Your Investment

by Infinity Concepts | Jun 24, 2014 | Leadership

People have conflicting thoughts when hiring interns. Interns can fill gaps that are in an organization, however they need mentoring, real work experience, and time to complete tasks.

Investing in an intern pays big dividends in the immediate and future years, especially if the intern you currently have is local. Local interns need employment in a year, and what better way to train up an A+ employee than through an internship?

You do have to remember, whether the intern is paid or not, they are not employees with the same experience as your lead man. They will not have the same skill sets you may be accustomed to from a real world hire. Some interns take longer to develop, but it’s the job of your staff to develop them no matter how long it takes.

Not everyone in college is Payton Manning, and you must assign a mentor to guide them through the workplace minefield, be there for all the questions, and help them think independently. You are offering valuable experience that prepares them for future employment.

Your organization and your assigned mentor play a special role. You must recognize what the intern is lacking and address those shortcomings through the work process of assigning particular tasks to particular skills. Follow this process and you will have, not only secured a future employee, but you have a home grown resource with a skill set custom made for your organization.

Your ROI

On average it costs companies 35% to 40% less to hire an established intern when you consider the time and resources involved in seeking out new talent, training them, and getting them up to speed on your organization’s style. This is a serious cost to consider when hiring.

There is value in your intern investment when you bring them on as an employee that hits the ground running. Train them, work with their schedule, have patience, and you’ll give them everything they need to succeed. Invest in an intern and you’ll have a well-rounded and happy employee for years to come.