Benefits of intern recruitment

If you’re still deciding whether recruiting an intern is the right move for your business, read on for some of the reasons why it could be beneficial.

• New ideas: They can bring a fresh critical perspective and will look at your business in a different light.
• Find a future employee: Recruiting someone as an intern is an effective way to evaluate their potential as a full-time employee, while at the same time having the benefit of an extra resource.
• Give back to the community: It’s a great way to raise awareness of your business, create goodwill and motivate your existing workforce.
• Improved retention rates: Employees who have previously interned at a company are more likely to stay at the organisation for longer.
• It benefits your existing employees: Existing employees at your company can share some of their workload, leaving more time for them to focus on more demanding work or projects.
• Leadership opportunities: As current employees mentor and supervise the interns you recruit, they’ll gain valuable leadership skills. This can be great training for any of your employees who will go on to seek a management position within your company in the future.
• Latest technology skills: As much as your interns will learn from you, you can also learn from them. Students learn the latest cutting-edge strategies, techniques and technology, and will bring all of that up-to-date knowledge into your business.

Links to government guidelines on recruiting interns

The following links are found on the government website gov.uk and offer guidance on the recruitment process including eligibility, funding and the minimum wage. Employment rights and pay for interns Minimum wage: work experience and internships Providing supported internships for young people with an EHC plan Common best practice code for high-quality internships

Tips for recruiting interns

If you’ve decided to recruit an intern, it’s good to have a recruitment strategy in mind that works for your company. Take a look at these top tips for intern recruitment.

Outline the job roles

Assess your business needs and determine the areas where you need additional help. Outline the role expectations and duties from the start and you’ll have a more precise idea of the person and skill set that you’re looking for.

Advertise widely

Advertising widely is a good way to ensure that word reaches candidates who don’t have connections and may not get the same opportunities as others. It’s a good way to find talented people who will value the opportunity.

Know the law

It’s important that you know your intern’s rights, especially when it comes to being paid. If you’re looking to offer an unpaid UK internship, then there are stipulations and criteria involved. You can find more guidance on this and other recruitment help and information at the links above.

Use social media

Social media is widely used by younger people, so it is a great platform to use to advertise your internship. You will reach a high number of your target audience and hopefully attract a higher number of quality applicants.

Interview properly

Just because an intern isn’t a fully fledged employee, doesn’t mean that you should skip the normal recruitment process. It’s a good idea to apply the same recruiting and interviewing techniques that you use for your normal recruitment process. This is especially relevant if you’re hoping to hire them as a full-time employee after their internship has finished.

Look for a candidate’s potential

Some candidates won’t have had access to the same opportunities as other candidates and will not have had a chance to build up experience. Therefore, an opportunity at your company is likely to mean a lot to them and their career. Their experience may not be directly relevant to your workplace, but they may have picked up valuable transferrable skills. It’s worth looking at a candidate’s enthusiasm or their potential to thrive in the role.

How to make sure you and your intern have a good experience

Internships should serve a purpose for both parties – your company and the intern. Whether it’s a paid or unpaid UK internship, or just providing them with extra experience for their CV, the internship should provide value to everyone involved.

Here are some tips on how to make sure that you and your intern have a good experience.

• Value their opinion: Encourage them to contribute ideas and let them know that their opinions are valued.
• Encourage them to network: In the early stages of a career, networking is vital. Consider setting up lunches where they can learn from senior leaders in your business, and if you have more than one intern at your company, plan events where they can get to know each other.
• Give them plenty to do: Make sure that you’re providing enough work to keep your intern appropriately occupied and stimulated so that their days are full.
• Teach them new skills or provide training: An intern who’s engaged in development opportunities is going to have more skills, knowledge and is more likely to enjoy their job. Plus, if the internship turns into a full-time position, you’re investing in a highly skilled workforce.
• Be available: Be accessible, open to answer questions and provide guidance. Ensure them that you’re available if they have any problems and that they can come to you, but also take the initiative to check in with them regularly.