There may still be snow on the ground, but spring and summer are approaching.  That means there are many college students in the market for summer internships once their classes end.   Internships aren’t only beneficial to the interns; they offer many advantages to businesses as well.   The benefits of hiring interns could be just what your company needs after a long winter.  CollegeGrad.com reported that college intern hiring was up 9.6% in 2016.  With the job market improving, that number is likely to increase in 2017.   To show how much your company can gain from hiring interns, here are some of the benefits of internships for employers:

1)  Hiring Interns is a Great Way to Recruit Entry Level Employees

The best way to spot good talent for your company is to see them in action.  An internship allows both the intern and the company to give each other a trial run, making better recruitment and retention of employees one of the benefits of hiring interns.  Bringing interns on as full time employees instead of someone that has never worked for you saves the company a lot of time and money.  You can see how interns perform and work with others before you offer them a full-time job at your company.  Meanwhile, while they are an intern you pay them a lot less than you would a full time hire that may have interviewed well but performs poorly on the job.  According to Smartrecruiters.com, “Within one year of hire, nearly 86% of those that have taken part in an internship at the hiring organization are still on the job, compared to 81% of those who didn’t do an internship.” Also, if you decide the intern isn’t a good fit for an entry-level position at your company, you aren’t obligated to give them unemployment or any other compensation after their internship ends.  If you decide not to bring on an intern full time, you have at least contributed to their growth as a professional.

2)  Hiring Interns Brings Fresh Ideas to Your Company

Another one of the benefits of internships for employers is the new ideas and special skills they will bring to your workforce.  Younger generations possess insight, knowledge and skillsets your company may be lacking.  Many of them are more familiar with social media and are fast learners with many software programs.  Also, because they haven’t been inside the day to day operations of your company for a long time, one of the benefits of hiring interns is the outside perspective they can offer.  Include them in company meetings and brainstorming sessions, and encourage their input on how they think the company can improve.

3)  Hiring Interns is a Cost-Effective Advertising Tool

Bringing interns into the inner workings of your business and company culture can be great exposure for your company.  One of the benefits of internships for employers is the likelihood that interns will spread the word to their family, friends and college peers what a great experience it was working for you.   This could help you recruit even more talent with less effort, as well as increase your customer base.

4)  Hiring Interns Increases Productivity at a Low Cost

One of the most obvious benefits of hiring interns is the extra manpower it gives you to complete projects, catch up on tasks that have been on the backburner, and help the company meet its objectives.  Most interns are looking to make a good impression, so they are likely to give their all to any tasks you assign them.  Hiring interns also takes some pressure off your full-time staff, so their energy can be more focused on more advanced projects that truly require their skills.