Numerous companies decide to hire an intern for various reasons. Some will hire them because they are free or cheap labor. Others want to give all their monotonous work to the interns in order to ensure their workers are more productive and do not focus on the small tasks and issues. An example is of my friend who worked for a very important company last summer. I was really envious of him as I was daydreaming of him being in important meetings contributing to the company (what can I say? I live vicariously through my friends). At the end of the summer we met over lunch and he reluctantly told me that all he did was focus on Excel sheets to the extent that it was affecting his eyesight. In other words, he hated the internship. It then made me think about when it is important for companies to hire interns. Here are some reasons to consider the right time to employ them:

When there is a specific project that needs extra human resources

Internships are meant to be a time when an individual is able to have a work experience – it should be seen as a professional development opportunity for the intern and not free labor. So a company should consider whether they need an intern according to the amount of work within a certain project. If there is a new project that needs new inputs and human resources, it would then be wise to hire an intern.

When there is enough manpower to provide mentorship

While interns are really good to have within an organization, they also need to be mentored and given on-the-job training. This helps interns to not only know how to work within the company but they also learn the organizational culture and have a meaningful work experience. So while companies might think that hiring an intern is the end of the process, they should consider if they have enough human resources to also mentor the interns when they arrive. So always know that you must not be busy when you hire interns. Be ready to provide sufficient supervision and support to your interns.

If you are looking for labor pipeline

Internships are a good way to test if an employee is compatible with the company values and culture without making a commitment. Companies should use their internship programs in order to hire interns at the end of the internship period. They just will use this period as a test to see if the intern is worth keeping as a full-time employee.

If you hope to remain relevant in the market

Interns are usually young millennials and externals from the company. They are usually current and know how to bring a fresh perspective to the company and the team that they are in. This generation grew up around technology and they are technologically savvy. They then can move the company towards what’s current, hip, and fresh on the market in order to be more marketable to your customers. So, if you are considering being relevant on the market consider getting an intern.

So that’s it folks! Always consider these reasons when thinking about hiring an intern as it will be a sure way to measure if you will make ‘cents’ at the end of the period. If you find this informative, go ahead and find out how to hire an intern by clicking here.