Finding future employees. An internship program is a proven recruiting tool; an ongoing pipeline of future employees, saving the cost of recruiting and hiring!
According to a 2009 Internship Survey,
67.7% of 2007-08 interns were offered full-time positions;
83.6% of these offers were accepted; and
35.3% of employers’ full-time, entry-level hires came from their internship programs.
“Test drive” the intern
Hiring someone as an intern is the most effective way to evaluate their potential as a full-time employee.
Increasing employee-retention rate. The proof for the test-driving theory is in the positive employee retention figures: According to the same Internship Survey, almost 40% of employers reported a higher five-year retention rate among employees they’d hired via an internship program.
Enhancing perspective. New people bring with them novel perspectives, fresh ideas, and specialized strengths and skill sets.
