Finding and keeping talent, especially in today’s market can be costly for a business, whether it be budget or time wise, or both!

In the same way the pandemic forced businesses to rethink their everyday workplace practises, the current job marketplace has prompted them to reconsider approaches to attract and retain talent. We’re seeing talent strategies being built on the ground up meaning entry level roles and programs to attract graduates are paramount.

Graduates are the next generation of talent; they are ‘untapped’ resources providing new ways of thinking, have eager attitudes and are ready to be moulded & guided through the maze of the professional world.

Hosting a graduate intern can assist your business in many ways including accessing a new pool of talent along with a range of other key benefits including:

Build your Talent Pipeline

An intern or intern program provides access to graduates you may have not previously had access too. Under the guidance of an internship program, they can show their skills, value and help a perspective employer understand what role they may best suit. It’s essentially a three-month job interview for all parties to ascertain if the graduate is right from both a technical and soft skills perspective as well as cultural fit for a business.

Staff Development

Giving staff the opportunity to mentor an intern is a positive and valuable way to gain managerial experience and broaden leadership skillsets. If a staff member has expressed interest in managing. mentoring or working towards a promotion, having them mentor a graduate intern for a short period is a great way to provide the opportunity.

Diversity in the Workplace

Diversifying the workforce not only promotes inclusivity but with a wide variety of people in your business spanning different ages, culture and backgrounds it provides both balance and range of voices and can improves productivity, innovation, and creativity. When staff feel they are in an open and inclusive environment, they are more likely to engage in teamwork, co-operative behaviours and collaboration aiding overall performance. Promoting diversity will naturally also diversifying and grow your talent pool which is always a win. By hosting interns, you can promote diversity across multiple areas in the business as well as helping someone gain valuable on the job experience.

Fresh Perspectives

For Host Companies, an internship program provides not only an important learning experience for the intern but also the potential to learn or see different views from someone new to the business. Being open to new ideas which a fresh graduate can provide could lead to new or improved process or improved initiative.

Brand awareness

We’ve said it before, attracting talent can be tough, especially in the current market. However, providing interns with on-the-job experience also delivers brand awareness opportunities for a business. Graduate interns by average age fall into Generation Z and are the most likely to share their internship experience (be it good or bad) so can be a fantastic word-of-mouth marketing tool!

If this article has sparked your interest in exploring or hosting an intern, please contact us today to chat further.

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