By all accounts, you may believe your internship program blows other ones out the water. After all, you provide real work opportunities, mentor interns throughout the program, and provide benefits like free food and pet-friendly offices.
While these are things most interns want, what happens when your intern pool has gone dry? With 97 percent of employers planning to hire interns or co-ops in 2014, more organizations are looking to grow their teams from the ground up. Competition is fierce, and it’s up to you to increase the amount of prospects you receive.
If you aren’t landing the applicants you want for your internship program, take a look at these four ways to really rev up candidate flow:
Post your openings in the right place
In order to increase your chances at finding the best internship candidates around, you need to post your openings in the right places. Think about using niche job boards, career center listservs, social networking forums, or even commenting on relevant blog posts and articles. If you go where internship candidates are hiding, they’re more likely to see your opening and the benefits associated with it.
Promote perks
Let’s be honest: Perks can make or break your internship. It’s not enough to just have an internship program anymore. It’s about what your program can do for the candidate on top of being a resume booster.
Perks come in all shapes and sizes. While the No. 1 perk is definitely competitive compensation, others to consider include health benefits, organizational outings, company culture activities, and skills training. Whatever you offer should all be listed in your job description and on your career site. This will ensure potential interns understand what you’re all about, in addition to being a great place to hone their skills.
Reach out to past interns
Interns who’ve already gone through your program know what you want. They understand who will fit best within your company culture and know what skills are needed to succeed. When you reach out to your past interns to find the right fit, you’ll not only get more candidates, you’ll get the right candidates.
Remember past interns are doing you a favor. Give them all the information they need and details on the application process. This will reduce the time it takes to receive key applications and avoid any communication issues.
Go on campus
Promoting your internship program at a university is a great way to increase candidate flow. After all, college students are typically first in line for real work experiences. But with other organizations likely building a presence on campus as well, you need to use alternative measures to stand out.
You can participate at career events, speak at club meetings, or host workshops to give your internship program a voice and promote it to a large body of students. Another tip: Tweet university career centers and tell them why your program is so unique. This can lead to a connection, a conversation, and even a plug for your program.
If you feel like your internship program isn’t getting the right momentum, think about switching up your recruitment strategies. Once you do, you’ll notice more qualified applicants coming your way, increasing your chances at finding the right fit.
What do you think? What are some other ways to increase candidate flow for your internship program?
Ashley Mosley is the Community Engagement Manager of InternMatch, an online platform connecting the best intern candidates and employers. Connect with Ashley and InternMatch on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
