Having been a small business owner the last 4 years and having my own set of “staffing problems”, I know first hand the importance of hiring the RIGHT individuals.
It is a scary thing this “hiring stuff” and I don’t care who argues with me, it is. You’ve got a lot on the line – your money, your time, your name, trusting someone else and hoping they are going to work out – it can be exhausting.
I can remember:
My first hire
My first fire
The first raise I granted an extraordinary employee, and of course,
The first time an ex – employee filed for unemployment.
Oh the joys of owning your own business.
BUT, it doesn’t have to be “this hard”. Nor should it. Your business IS important and the people you are going to hire are just as important.
I heard a quote on “Bruce Almighty” the other day that said, “Behind every great company is a great employee” and that couldn’t be more true. SOOOOO, it’s time to show you why it’s important to think about interns.
Why hiring interns is it important:
- Your business needs to grow. Most business owners get stuck in growth mode because it’s kind of like “the chicken or the egg” – you need extra help, but how do you hire someone if you don’t have the money to hire them, right?! Internships are a great vehicle for you (and the individual) to “test each other out” without as much of a financial investment or emotional/mental investment up front.
- You need the right people in the right positions. It’s one thing to hire someone who “just needs a job”, it’s totally different to hire someone who is willing to do an internship and can actually engage head, heart, and hands at a position within your company that lets them do what they love and what they excel at because they are using their natural skill sets in a professional setting.
- You need different, outside eyes. It’s easy for us as business owners (and even people) to get caught up “doing things the way we’ve always done them”… well, once you bring on an intern, the whole environment has room to change (IF you let it). An intern is not privy to “your way of doing things” and can easily give outside perspective, creative, new ideas, and can help implement different ways of doing things, which ultimately can help your company’s growth.
- You need to leverage your time. The only way for you to begin making more money with less of your personal time is to hire the right people who can take some of those tasks off your plate. Don’t worry, if you implement number 3 correctly, you will be confident in knowing that you hired the RIGHT intern in the RIGHT position, which will ultimately give you some time to do more of what you’re good at and like doing within the business and/or frees up a little more time for you to yes, have a life too.
- It’s your opportunity to give back to the next generation of people. We are all in this together and the only way business, our economy, and our country is going to grow is by reaching out and encouraging, mentoring, and presenting opportunity to one another. This is your chance to give back in a way you never thought you and will be so forward moving to all parties involved.
- They want to give to YOU. In this day and age, we are working with a generation of people who WANT to be a part of something more. It isn’t just about a paycheck but rather an opportunity to engage at a higher level. The majority of people are looking to leave their foot print, want to make a difference, and want to be a part of a company that believes in what they believe in. Which means, yes, they do want to give to YOU AND YOUR MISSION.
Bottom line, interns are a great way for everyone to win.
I just hope you will jump on this train before it leaves the station.
