To run an intern scheme or not?

With the current economic uncertainty it is difficult to justify adding extra staff to your workplace, particularly when you are just starting out, but one way of adding fresh blood to the office without shelling out money on recruitment and huge wages is to take on interns.

Now is a particularly good time to think about taking on interns as tuition fees are increasing and more and more students want to avoid student loans and debts by getting straight into the working environment.

But what can they offer.

Add new thinking to your firm

Younger people often are unafraid of putting new ideas out there and while some may not be suitable or viable, they often come up with a new way of looking at a problem and can offer an alternative that you may never have come up with. A lack of experience may be an issue in some areas, but it can also mean interns are not held back by bad experience in the past.

A hunger to learn

Of course the majority of interns have little experience in the world of work, but generally they are more than willing to learn as they know anything they pick up during their time at your firm will help them in their future career.

An effective low-cost recruitment strategy

As well as all of the benefits interns can provide to your new organisation, there, of course, is one that is the most appealing, the cost savings. As internships are often unpaid, the cost of covering travel expenses means that they are cost-effective resources.

And the biggest bonus of all is that you can always recruit them at the end of internship and as they know the business and will probably have enjoyed their time, they will jump at the chance.