Have Some Ideas on Hiring the Best Interns?

Not every company has interns, but if you don't, you might be missing out on some great opportunities.

But before you jump into choosing one, it helps to step back and think of the reasons you want one.

Once you know the benefits, you can come up with a list of qualities and skills you would like to see in the interns. Not only are you helping them get some excellent work experience to put on their resume, but it benefits your company as well.

Reasons to Hire Interns

There are a wide range of benefits to hiring interns at your company.

The financial benefit is one many companies consider, because they either work for low or no wages. This is generally the exchange for hiring interns with little to no experience, helping them to improve their resume.

You also get the chance to try out new employees before officially hiring them. It is not unusual to keep an intern on full time, offering them a full benefits package if you decide to keep them as permanent employees.

Lastly, many interns have just completed school and training, making them experienced and can help you with your daily business operations.

Tips for Selecting the Right Interns

When it comes to choosing the right interns, make sure you have verified their experience. If this is their first job and they claim to have certain education, call their college or ask to see document proof.

You should also not be lax on checking their background just like you would with any other candidate, as well as personal and professional references.

Things to Look for

There are certain things that you should look for in your interns, not including those skills specific to the type of job they will be doing.

Here are some basic things to look for in interns:

Experience - The first is of course experience. While many interns have no experience, others do, even if it was just through volunteering or special training at their vocational school. Ask them about any related experience they have, paid or not.

Attention to Detail - Among the different skills, paying attention to detail is one of the most important in any type of job. If they mention being good with details, it is a great sign. A good way to determine their attention to detail is looking on their resume or application and seeing if there are any errors.

Willingness to Learn - A good intern also shows that they are willing to learn. One of the benefits of hiring an intern instead of someone with years of experience, is that they are not going based on how they like to do things, but how you want things done. Interns that show they are open to how you run things and want to learn how to do it right, is a good sign for a good intern.

Aside from these tips, make sure the intern is a good cultural fit.

Every company has their own culture, whether it's laid back and casual, or strictly professional. This is an important quality in an intern.