Research shows that 77% of employees have experienced burnout in their jobs, and burnt out employees are 2.6 times more likely to search for another job. Bringing on one or more qualified interns can help reduce employee burnout by reducing their workload, at a fraction of the cost of hiring more full-time employees.
Interns also bring new perspectives and creative ideas to their work, among many other benefits! A successful intern program can save your business an average of $14,000 per hire, give full-time employees time back to focus on critical projects, and other valuable resources.
Okay, so reducing team workload is one way interns help reduce burnout. But what are other less apparent ways that interns can help reduce team burnout and turnover?
New Energy
Interns can bring fresh energy into the mix at the office. As newbies to the workforce, they are ready to dive into the company culture and bring an excitement for learning and eagerness to take on new projects.
This new energy and excitement often flows to more senior team members once they have an extra set of hands to help out on projects. Bringing on an intern creates an opportunity to reintroduce team-building exercises as part of their onboarding experience: ask creative ice breakers, treat your team to their favorite coffee during meetings, and celebrate non-work related victories.
This will relieve some tension for the entire team and clear the mind for more productive work.
New Skills & Values
Entry-level professionals come into the workforce expecting more balance when it comes to remote work policies, but they aren’t the only ones who could benefit from this. Encourage your interns to share with the team their favorite places to work outside of the office/home, or their best scheduling tips and vise versa. As tech natives, Gen Z can be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to technical skills, productivity hacks, and new approaches to getting work done more efficiently!
These types of conversations play a huge role in cultivating a culture that embraces learning and listening to new perspectives rather than sticking to the “norm.” While interns learn a ton from full-time employees, full-time employees could also learn a few things from the values and perspectives of Gen Z.
Management Training
Having someone ask you questions you haven’t given second thought to since you were an entry-level employee has a certain charm to it. It can take you out of the routine and make work about more than just you or your daily tasks. As a manager, employees are given the opportunity to play a vital role in someone’s life who could significantly benefit from the career guidance.
Everyone wants to have a purpose behind their work. The chance to step out of the same ol’ routine and share knowledge with entry level workers may be just what some full-time employees need to re-inspire them in their work. After all, job satisfaction is generally linked to higher employee retention.
When done right, hiring from a pool of talented interns results in higher employee retention, lower employee turnover, and reduced team burnout. The key is to give your interns valuable work that will keep them engaged. The more engaged your intern is, the more likely they are to stretch their skills to take on larger tasks, thus further alleviating the to-do list of yourself and your employees.
