Can Interns Offer Fresh Insights and Innovation?
BY |16/10/19
Interns can offer more to a workplace than just another set of hands.They can bring new perspectives, ideas and ways of looking at a business that may never have been considered.
They are a likely a recent University Graduate, and would still be in a learning and absorbing mindset, sensitive to all the stimuli that makes a workplace function.
Millennials and Gen Z have grown up around technology. They generally have a natural connection with fast tech and
have never known the sweet sound of a dial up connection or a five-minute wait for an image to load. This could give them unique insight into improving systems in your workplace, better ways to use social channels and if your clientele are young, a first-hand glimpse into what makes them tick.
Traditional dividing lines around gender, sexuality and race are more blurry and much less relevant to Millennials and Gen Z than to previous generations. Old-fashioned hierarchies and subtle inequalities in your workplace may be glaringly obvious to someone who grew up in an era where female prime ministers and gay marriage are the norm.
Next time you think “We do it that way because that’s the way we’ve always done it”, think again. Something that may seem normal to you may not seem right to a young intern. By taking on an intern, you’re allowing someone into your world with unique and intrinsic insights, no preconceptions about your company and no workplace baggage.
“Part of the value (of an intern) for our team is being asked the questions we don’t normally ask ourselves. For example, one of our grads found a high risk issue in the second week she was here. No one had identified the same issue on 28 years.”
Bruce Lawson, Head of Internal Audit, HCF.
About Author
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Michael Ciantar
Michael is a Corporate Partnerships Executive with Readygrad. He brings a wealth of Marketing & Management knowledge, and has worked with a range of organisations in client facing roles. Michael is passionate about identifying and working with companies that provide hosting opportunities, as well as delivering the best possible outcomes for Readygrad Students.
