Interns - the Underrated Resource

Here is summer, the busiest time of the year for placement and induction of interns across organizations. While some institutes and businesses are more organized than others in student placement efforts for internships, there are many students who miss out on this opportunity. Corporate world has over decades always expressed concern of a short supply of talent and employable skill in the market and more recently we see leading business magazines and research organizations covering stories of gaps in the talent requirements of the business versus the generation passing out from the various universities and institutes and that there is a widening skill gap that the future employers and young graduates are facing as a significant challenge. It will be na?ve to assume that internship can completely and all by itself resolve these challenges, however, it is surprising why not many more companies use the opportunity to offer internship considering the many benefits it stands to offer.

Employer Branding – interns who experience even a half decent internship, become ambassadors for the organization, its products and culture for a life time. This could be a priceless gain.

External perspective – interns are a good source of new ideas in the organization on a wide variety of aspects such as product, branding, culture, practices, etc. they not only bring their own opinions but also carry with them views of their friends, colleagues, families, etc. This is low cost, first hand feedback.

Cost Efficient Resource – in a market where companies are constantly under pressure to cut headcount to remain cost efficient, interns are an efficient resource to fill the gaps in fulfilling tasks left unattended due to constant headcount reductions. Coordination of events, system and data updates, report compilations, running market surveys and research, support on marketing campaigns, are just a few of the many other areas interns can be very effectively engaged in. In the interest of gaining solid work experience, many interns are happy to work without a stipend and if the laws of the country permit, an organization can do so when extremely cash strapped. In such situations it is advisable to ensure that interns are engaged in experiences that make it worth their while and reward them with non-cash gift or promotion items available in the organization to ensure motivation.    

Induction of a New Generation – Internships are an opportunity for organizations to bring in creative ideas and improvement perspectives. We do see the newer generations more tech savvy and happy to contribute through their skills. These tech savvy and creative people can help with efficient ways of working, and even upskilling the more tenured staff in the company. Some high profile FMCGs earmark their new recruits through the internship program itself.

Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow– if there is a skill gap between the graduating student and business needs then internship is one of the ways to upskill them on those very areas. Ensuring that internships provide experiences in exactly the areas where the talent gap may exist, will give them the opportunity to learn some of it on the internship assignment and additionally they take the message with them to the educational institutes on what they need to develop themselves on to be competitive and employable once they graduate.

Corporate Social Responsibility– Internships are not just a good to have but are a social responsibility of the organizations operating in communities. By offering valuable experiences and skill development opportunities organizations create a better employable workforce and help communities lift themselves and create a better future. An 8-10 week internship could make a significant difference to the start of someone’s career. Open these opportunities for others.  

How to make best use of interns:

1. Prepare for the intern arrival and stay well before hand so their presence is not seen as a burden on the time or an interruption and fits into the flow.
2. Make sure to give them meaningful assignments and challenges. Photocopying, filing, making coffee can be inserted as fillers but are not worthwhile internship assignments on their own.
3. Engage them by acknowledging their work, respecting their opinions and inputs and involving them in any office celebrations and activities.
4. Give them a letter of appreciation and completion at the end of the assignment, acknowledging the work they have done and contributions made.
5. Widen the network of institutes and faculties from where you take in student interns as that gives diversity.
6. Explore possibilities of converting internships into full time employment opportunities. 

All in all, interns are an underrated resource that organizations can benefit from in a much better way.