Although most businesses are aware of the benefits of engaging with interns in a general capacity, many haven’t considered the possibility of bringing one on board for a specific task or project. However, instead of hiring a temp or contractor to fulfil a particular role on a project team, there are several advantages to getting an intern to perform the same function.
So why would an intern be an excellent addition to one of your project teams?
1. An (Enthusiastic) Extra Pair of Hands
Taking on an intern gives you extra manpower for delivering a project on time. Instead of your existing staff straining to hit a deadline, you have an extra pair of hands eager to contribute. Coming into the company as a blank slate, an intern will be unfamiliar with company politics and has no potential feelings about the project, as your other employees might. Instead, they’ll be keen to help wherever they can while they pick up real-world experience, learn valuable skills, and boost their resume.
Better still, your intern will carry out a function that would have previously been undertaken by one of your team members, which now frees up said employee. This allows you to give them more stimulating work that will aid their professional development. In fact, you could even place the intern under their supervision to help them develop leadership skills.
2. They Are Cost-Effective
As well as delivering them late, one of the most consistent problems businesses have with projects is keeping them within budget. Under Fair Work Australia guidelines, interns receiving meaningful learning experiences, training or skill development are lawfully unpaid. This helps you to stretch your project budgets that much further. Combined with the fact that they make your company more productive, interns can help you realise a higher return on investment (ROI) on your projects.
3. Perfect for Short-Term Projects
Interns are perfect for the short-term nature of particular projects. Some projects are only slated to last for a few months, and so is your typical internship – so it’s an ideal fit. However, if you have to extend the project’s timeline, keeping the intern for a little longer after a discussion with them may also be possible.
In a best-case scenario, you might be impressed by the intern’s skills, attitude, and work ethic and decide to offer them a more permanent position at the company. If you wish to hire the intern after the placement, your company may do so, and there is no recruitment or transfer fee payable.
4. A Fresh Perspective
A project might call for new perspectives and ways of thinking – and an intern provides just that. First of all, they’re young and highly trained, which means they see the world from a different vantage point than your existing employees. Even if some of your staff are recent graduates, the world changes so rapidly that an intern may have had different experiences, got to grips with newer tools and technology, and been exposed to different ideas than when your young employees were at university. An intern has the potential to provide a paradigm shift that could positively influence the entire direction of the project.
So, whether it’s a tech enthusiast, an accounting and finance gun or a versatile marketer who will help you bring your business to life, thousands of talented, knowledgeable and available-to-work students with the right skills are waiting for you on ribit.net.