Thousands of students are getting ready to start their summer internships. At the end of the summer, they’ll hopefully come out of it with an improved resume, a letter of recommendation- and if they’re really lucky, a new job.
Many communities don’t realize that internship programs are a great way to bring in new talent into the senior living industry. Creating an internship program may seem daunting and time-consuming, but don’t let that steer you away from the benefits.
Save money
Believe it or not, an internship program can actually save you money.
The Fair Labor Standards Act dictates that employees must be paid, so interns may not be considered employees if they’re unpaid. There is a lot of debate on the ethics of offering unpaid internships, but even a paid intern is cheaper than a full-time hire.
If they’re promoted beyond their internship, you will be able to simplify the hiring process by avoiding some of the training costs of bringing in a new person. You’ll also save the time and money that would’ve been spent advertising job postings and screening candidates.
Test-drive talent
Hiring talent is risky. You can mitigate some of those challenges by bringing in people that you’ve already worked with into entry-level roles. Hiring someone as an intern is the most effective way to evaluate their potential. It also decreases the number of staffing errors made.
Build up referrals
There is a lot of competition and turnover in the world of senior living. A good internship program likely won’t be the ultimate source of successful occupancy, but it stands to reason that a greater number of people who have had a positive experience with your facility will attract referrals. It also doesn’t hurt that you’ll generate positive relationships with local universities.
Increase productivity
Adding interns can prevent your executive staff from getting overburdened by side projects and free them up to accomplish more pertinent tasks. It always helps to get a fresh pair of eyes, that can spot operational weaknesses. Interns have the opportunity as outside observers to improve your facility’s processes.
Before you can worry about hiring the right interns, you need to make sure you’re hiring the right executives. Senior living has experienced robust growth with a forward-looking 10-year horizon of more growth and innovation. As demand grows, and Senior Living communities offer heightened levels of service and amenities, finding the right leadership is crucial. If you’re looking for top talent, reach out to one of our consultants here.