Every summer, college, and graduate students participate in summer internships in various American companies. Internships allow students to gain invaluable hands-on work experience while providing companies with young and eager workers passionate about their industry.
This is a mutually beneficial arrangement, and often, companies will hire their interns for permanent positions once they graduate from school, making internships an excellent pipeline for hiring new talent. Unfortunately, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many companies’ offices are closed, with most of their workforce working from home.
This leaves organizations in an unusual position to cut down on their internship, hire drastically, or cancel their internship programs altogether. If this “new normal” has shown us anything, though, it’s that businesses can run efficiently and effectively with virtual employees. Given the success of the work from home model for full-time employees, remote internships can be just as successful.
Benefits Of Remote Internships
By eliminating internship programs, organizations could lose out on discovering new and upcoming talent. Moving all interns online gives organizations the ability to maintain their talent pipeline and expand it exponentially. Remote internships allow companies to look for interns from other states and universities that they haven't been able to look at before. According to LinkedIn, the number of remote internship postings has increased by 20% in 2020 alone. Here are some of the powerful benefits of remote internships.
It’s Easy To Get Started
Companies already have the tools to go virtual. By utilizing Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Microsoft Teams, businesses can reproduce the office environment seamlessly. Businesses can easily pair interns with work mentors allowing the interns to meet and learn from company leaders. Additionally, companies can organize virtual social events to enable remote interns to meet and network with each other.
Increased Productivity
Companies offering remote internships can move towards project-based assignments that students can complete remotely, and company leaders can review and provide feedback on. Project-based lessons boost productivity as long as expectations and deadlines are clear from the beginning.
Companies can present payouts and incentives for completing the projects, so interns are compensated for their time. This project-based model allows businesses to have peace of mind knowing that their remote interns are staying busy. Moreover, remote internships reduce disruptions and distractions that are often found in the office. No more “water cooler” chatter = higher productivity.
Cost-Savings
Since remote interns don’t work at your office, you don’t have to allocate additional workspace or spend money on workplace supplies like computer chairs, printer ink, paper, pens, and more. Remote interns are also responsible for their laptops, internet connections, and printing products, though many firms do offer compensation for these items.
As internships are already a cost-effective source of motivated, intelligent labor, virtual internships take the value focus one step further with significant cost savings
Remote Internships Are The Future
While it’s a challenge to have interns who are not working in a physical office, the experience of having interns in-house can easily be replicated. Businesses have discovered effective ways to keep operations running smoothly in 2021 with technology like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello, and more. Overcoming the logistical challenges that COVID presents and maintaining a level of normalcy for their business operations, including remote internship programs, sets the great companies apart from the rest. Hiring virtual interns allows firms to reach a vast pool of eager talent, ready to hit the ground running. As the workforce is only going to continue moving to a work from a home model, companies that hire remote workers are gearing up for the future, one internship at a time.
NexusCW can help ease the uncertainties of hiring remote internship participants in different states. We handle all the employment administrative burdens and complexities so you can focus on providing a meaningful learning experience for your future workers.