For entry-level job seekers, students in particular, internships are a vital part of getting real-world, hands-on experience before entering the workforce. These short-term positions allow young professionals to get a small sense for full-time employment.
And, businesses usually welcome internships with open arms. Why, exactly?
For starters, besides offering to help jumpstart someone’s long-term career, interns are a great way for businesses to get extra hands involved in various projects. This is not to say that interns only take on the work that others don’t want to do – rather, they often assist with short-term projects, new responsibilities and fill in where needed.
For accounting or finance teams, these can be projects that have been put on the back burner or are tedious and take a lot of time, such as data entry or filing. Nonetheless, internships tend to help boost productivity and achievement for teams over the summer months.
Now, as the summer comes to a close and interns start heading back to their universities or preparing to enter the workforce, some of those “back-burner projects” may start to pile up once again.
So, how can accounting teams and other business units recover after internships leave? Learn 3 Ways for Accounting Teams to Snap Back When Summer Interns Leave below!
1. Seek Contract or Interim Professionals.
Often times, hiring temporary professionals is a “win-win” for your company and the candidate! While a company can test out the skillset of a temporary professional before making any full-time hiring decisions, the candidate is able to feel out the culture of the company, while gaining direct experience in a corporate environment. Interim professionals can also be hired for specific long-term or short-term projects. No matter the complexity of the project, more often than not, there is an interim professional who can complete it.
Looking for interim needs right now? Learn about our Brilliant Financial Staffing talent or our Management Resources consultants.
2. Find Colleagues Eager to Help.
You may not be aware of this, but there are often colleagues who are looking to lend a helping hand when projects arise. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with tasks and projects in an intern’s absence, be sure to keep an eye out for those eager colleagues who are wanting to manage more and add more tasks to their plate. If the previous intern worked closely with specific colleagues, it may be a good idea to ask them for assistance first, since they understand the work that was left behind.
3. Consider Hiring a New Permanent Team Member.
It’s important to reflect on the company’s vision, goals and overall strategy when creating an internship. Be sure to have a set plan before the intern begins, and have an idea of how the internship will end. Are they graduating and you want to offer them a full-time position? Are they graduating in a year and you want to extend a future offer? Will you need to utilize contract professionals to manage the additional work? Will you create an entirely new permanent role and seek a new candidate? These are all questions that hiring managers should think about and plan for early on in order to stay productive.
We only named a few ways for companies to snap-back to productivity after internships end. Do you have other suggestions? Comment below and let us know!
Want to learn more about interim or contract resources? Contact the Brilliant team at 312.582.1800 and mention this blog.