Intern Series: How Do Internships Help Employers?

When you think of an “Internship”, what usually comes to mind is how the interns will develop and grow throughout the process. There's a lot less thought and discussion about how the employer will grow and be impacted by the experience.

With that in mind, I thought who better to ask than those involved in the internship experience at Red Ventures!

I spoke with Molly Lynch, who works as an Associate Program Manager, at Red Ventures. Molly was the best guide for the interns throughout the first week of the onboarding experience!

When asked about what the employer gains from having interns, Molly’s response was -

“When employers intentionally invest in internship programs, the returns are endless. Employers have the opportunity to engage with and develop future talent as well as gain fresh perspectives and ideas. When internships are done well, employers get a sneak peek into what their future employees look like!”

In addition to speaking with Molly, I had the chance to gather input from past experiences and dialogue with others who manage internship programs. Here are the five main takeaways uncovered.

1. Real Work Gets Done

The purpose of an internship isn’t to give someone work that has no value-add but instead provide meaningful work that drives present AND future impact.

When starting an internship, I recommend you write a Professional Development Plan where you plan, track and achieve your professional goals to help you grow in your career. Employers, do this with your interns to help them maximize their experience at your company!

2. New Perspectives

“A fresh set of eyes and new experiences brought to the table can help lift up a team by allowing them to see new solutions or ideas. When in the workplace, the best way to gaining new perspectives is actually talking to people and building a bit of social capital.

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3. Recognition & Reach

Internships help build brand recognition, reach, and recruitment (the 3 R’s) for employers. Interns themselves act as yet another recruiting/marketing tool! So it’s super important employers create worthwhile experiences for interns as they are going to tell their friends (positive or negative) year after year. If enough interns have poor experiences as your company, it’ll absolutely tank your recruitment and retention strategies.

4. Growth Opportunities For Current Employees

Internships create opportunities for current employees (especially fairly new ones) to hone in on their management/leadership skills. Like they say “If you really want to master something, teach it”!

5. Faster Training For Returners

For interns transitioning into full-time positions, the onboarding period is much quicker and cheaper compared with new hires who didn’t go through the intern process. This saves employers time, money and resources! A win-win!

I hope this piece shows that no matter your position, status, or experiences, you’re always able to learn from others. We’re all here to grow and evolve, so keep an open mind! Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing the final two blogs in the coming weeks!

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