How Will Interns Help My Business?

As your small business grows, you may find yourself with an ever-increasing workload. You know you need some extra help around the office, but hiring a full-time employee is either out of your budget right now, or you just don't have the time to search for the right candidate.

If that's the case in your business, you might want to look at bringing on one or two interns to help lighten your load.

How Interns Can Assist

Perhaps the most obvious benefit to hiring interns is that they can take some of your workload off your hands -- especially time consuming tasks like paperwork. This helps boost your productivity, and allows you to focus on more important tasks, like generating leads.

Another great benefit of having interns on staff is that you can judge whether or not to bring them on as full-timers once their internship is over.

This means you won't have to go through putting up a job ad and interviewing candidates. You'll be able to test out your potential employee before investing in the time and money to hire him.

To Pay or Not to Pay?

Whether or not to pay interns is another question that stops many small business owners from hiring them.

While a paid internship will certainly be more attractive to students and bring you a great choice of candidates, lack of budget may have been the purpose at considering interns in the first place.

You'll have to weigh your options on this question and decide what's best for your business. But be careful if you choose to go with the unpaid option, and consider checking with your business attorney first.

How to Find the Best Interns

Remember when you're looking for an intern that this person may end up becoming a permanent part of your staff. You'll want to find someone who will want to stay -- and who you'll want to hire.

Here are some things to look for:

* Career passion. Internship is not a glamorous way to spend a person's time. Some interns will see it as lowly drudgery, and won't put in the effort you want to see. Look for candidates who have a passion and enthusiasm for the industry, and who view the position as a learning opportunity;

* Creativity. A major benefit of hiring interns is getting a new perspective on your business. An intern can help you view your company through fresh eyes, and show you new ways of tackling problems you may be facing. Pay extra attention to candidates who show you their value in creative ways, and consider ways you can adjust your hiring process to bring out each candidate's personality;

* Job skills. If your intern comes to your business already knowing the basics of the job, you'll spend less time on training. Ask if the candidate has worked in your industry, or has a portfolio of school or work projects similar to what your company does.

Hiring an intern for your business can be a great experience for both of you.

Take your time and look for the right candidate, and you may end up with more than just an intern. You may end up with a dedicated long-term employee.