We all know the typical image in our minds when the word "intern" is mentioned. He's the eager college student, hungry for experience and willing to get coffee or take lunch orders from the staff members. But interns are actually much more valuable to a company than you would think. Steve Pollock, Pres. of Wetfeet, says that companies are dedicating more time and investing more money for internship recruiting, especially on-campus efforts in order to create a pipeline for reliable full-time candidates in the future.
Sure, interns are valuable assistance that's easier on the budget, but they can ultimately be the next senior level employer if a Company does a good job retaining their interns. According to Pollock, "...of the 61% of this year's survey respondents that reported receiving a full-time offer (from their internship employer), only 40% said they planned to accept it."
As a topic for mediabistro's monthly Human Resources Breakfasts, recruiters from several media companies discussed some tips on retaining and hiring excellent interns. There were events mentioned, such as a boat cruises and luncheons, to programs that allows interns to interact with CEOs and other department Managers. A key point repeated in the breakfast was to always have Human Resource employers handle all issues related to hiring interns. This can range from tax forms, recommendation letters, to confidentiality agreements and security setups. It may seem like a load of work for such an entry level position, but these interns-to-be are creating a stepping stone for their career path. It's definitely not because they simply have nothing better to do.