The Business Benefits Of Hiring An Intern

Find out just how beneficial an intern could be for your business…
The existence of the hosting industry itself is testament to the changes that business has changed beyond recognition over the past two decades. The technology that has emerged from the digital boom has altered the ways in which we conduct meetings and make allowances for remote working, in all, it has completely revolutionised the global business infrastructure.
Whatever the size of your business, the idea strategy has been to ride the digital wave and adapt to the new working ways. Websites have grown from ugly, clumsy ducklings into interactive aesthetic swans (if they’ve had the right web designer looking after them). Take a wander back in time by looking at this website if you have any doubts!
With new generations, changing tastes and myriad online resources, many businesses realise that the time has come to look to the new generation of workers to bring their companies into the present, and those workers need to learn the tried and tested ‘old’ rules of business. Welcome to the age of the intern.
Businesses with small budgets but big aspirations can still benefit by taking on an intern, and not just for the cost implications it will make.
So just how could an intern be beneficial for your business?
Keeping the budget in check
Many companies hire interns. The reason? They believe they don’t cost anything. Regardless of your moral compass, using an intern as unpaid staff can cost you in the long term. To the tune of up to £5,000. The only times an intern does not need to be paid are:

• If they are doing work experience as part of a recognised course of further education.
• If they are of school age and are doing work experience.
• They are a volunteer.
• They are on work experience and are only observing.

At any other time, an intern must be paid the National Minimum Wage. So why are interns so popular? Basically they would rather work in the industry they eventually want to work in for minimum wage, than work in a less interesting one for the same wage. You gain their enthusiasm for the promise of a reference on their CV. It’s win-win. Should you be looking to rein in the budget whilst gaining an extra pair of eyes, ears and hands, an intern could be the option for you.
If your budget won’t stretch to accommodate an intern, you could look into getting involved with programs such as Adopt An Intern, who help out with the financial burden and organise mutually beneficial partnerships
Share the load
Getting set up in business can be a stressful experience, and you’ll need all the manpower you can muster up to take the strain off for everyone involved. An enthusiastic intern who is looking to build a credible CV will provide some much-needed help in getting both the micro and macro tasks done around the office. There are often systems in place because ‘that’s the way it’s always been done’. Bringing in a fresh pair of eyes can see archaic systems replaced by new, leaner workings.
Connect with a new target market
The millennial generation is more technologically competent than most of your existing staff. They have grown up in the digital boom and don’t understand how life worked before the internet revolution. They’re will know the ins and outs of social media websites far better than they are know how to change the fax machine paper, and that could be just what you need to connect with a new audience. Don’t know the power of the hashtag? Let an intern open your eyes to new ways in which to market, new demographics to connect with and new sales to chase.
Spread the word
News travels fast in this age of social media and technology; hiring an intern will effectively mean hiring a new brand ambassador who is more than likely social media savvy. If the experience is positive, your intern could share their experiences in their personal lives both on- and offline, giving your company some extra exposure.
Trial them
An internship can be offered on a provisional basis with the view of hiring in the long-term. Taking someone on on a trial basis and allowing them to prove their worth to your company can be very wise. In this day and age, the process of interviewing may not show you enough of what your candidates are capable of, so why not give them a test run in the hope that they’ll come up trumps? Even if it doesn’t work out, at worst you’ll have benefited from some cut-price insight and at best, you’ll have managed to get that annoying gremlin sorted on your Facebook page.