The days of having interns who take up residence within your office may soon be a thing of the past. That’s right, remote work isn’t just an option for full-time employees. Hiring virtual interns is not only practical, but also an increasingly common practice spanning across all sizes of companies and industries.
It shouldn’t come as a shock to hear that virtual internship opportunities are on the rise. Thanks to the plethora of online communication channels, many companies are currently thriving in an increasingly hospitable environment for telecommuting positions. As for students, their Millennial status establishes them as perfect candidates for the digitally forward communication skills required in virtual positions. While these opportunities may seem enticing, it’s important to note that virtual internships aren’t always the perfect match for every company or student.
It’s up to a company to not only create an enticing virtual internship program, but also brand themselves in a way that sparks the interest of talented students with the experience, skills, and integrity for this type of position. I talked with Nathan Parcells, co-founder and CMO of InternMatch, to gain some insight on how to hire and attract the best intern candidates for your virtual internship opportunities.
Taking On Virtual Interns
According to Parcells, the current economy is the top way in which employers vet and recruit young talent. An increasing number of small businesses and startups are recruiting virtual interns to harness the sheer horsepower and widespread talent easily accessed through remote work.
“Virtual internship positions offer an ideal scenario for small companies that are tight on resources, yet in need of team members who will impact their growth potential. Larger organizations are also tapping into virtual power to provide experience and skill development to students in an online educationally forward environment,” Parcells said.
He also added that with the right planning, structure, and eye for management, almost any internship can be transformed into a virtual position. But there are some roles that are perfect for the specific management style, learning curve, and general work type characterized by telecommuting internships.
“The most common virtual internship positions tend to fall into the realm of marketing, social media, communications, and sales. Recent trends have shown more companies are hiring interns to handle cold calls, manage company blogs and social media, as well as variety of other online marketing aspects.”
Parcells also noted the top reasons companies of all sizes are choosing to transform their internship opportunities and take on virtual student talent.
“Virtual internships allow organizations to break away from their locations. Through a nationwide search, they have access to a more diverse pool of experiences, skills, educational backgrounds, and ultimately a fresh perspective for the company. Organizations can also access help on a per-project basis. Not to mention the increased scheduling convenience, ease of communication, and reduction of daily work-based interruptions. Remote interns can even help you save on overhead costs related to space, technology, and supplies,” Parcells said.
Branding Your Company To Attract Virtual Talent
Strong employer branding is the gateway to landing outstanding students for your virtual internship opportunities. Parcells suggest laying the foundation for your intern hires by building connections with the birthplaces of your talent: top universities throughout the nation. Connect with career centers and if possible, make appoint to be physically present at their career fairs. He also shared the importance of gaining employer-to-candidate facetime — even in spite of the distance.
“Engage students at a greater distance by creating opportunities for virtual face-to-face interaction via video chat programs. Google Hangouts are one of many great ways to connect students and employers in a setting where potential interns can learn more about the company through receiving internship-specific information and insight into their future industry,” Parcells said.
According to Parcells, companies looking to attract the best talent should also take to online platforms to showcase their one-of-a-kind company culture and showcase the kind of work opportunities their potential virtual would be able to participate in. Currently, many companies are attracting outstanding intern talent by putting a creative twist on their hiring process.
“Drawing in the best students to apply for virtual internship positions requires companies to ditch their traditional recruiting and hiring methods. This means getting rid of the run-of-the-mill cover letter and resume screening process. Organizations should focus on building their talent community online, and then present potential interns with a creative challenge to allow them to showcase their skills,” Parcells said.
Qualities Necessary For Outstanding Potential Virtual Intern Hires
Virtual positions require a special breed of intern. Parcells suggests building your job description to cater specifically to virtual candidate who will match your company culture, the experience and skills necessary for the position, and also an eye for the necessary traits required to thrive in a virtual position.
“For a student to excel in a remote work-based setting, they must be highly accountable. Only consider students who have previous experience at undertaking tasks and meeting deadlines with little-to-no supervision. Your potential virtual intern candidates should also be well-versed in online communication. This is the kind of student who emails back immediately and is always open to chatting via phone call, text, email, Skype, or even Twitter. Some other traits to consider include students who have a keen grasp on time management, individuals who express strong self-disciplined, an eye for organization, and a fresh and innovative attitude,” Parcells said.
Setting high standards for the qualities required for your virtual interns will benefit your company in the long run — especially if you’re looking to transition your virtual interns into full-time hires. One NACE survey found that employees who were hired from an organization’s own internship/externship program were retained after one year at a rate of 75 percent, compared to the 66 percent of hires that had no internship experience. After just five years, the difference was even more evident with 62 percent of internship program hires still at the company, compared to 48 percent of hires with no previous experience.
The Bottom Line
Without a doubt, virtual internship opportunities are certain to become the norm in just a few years time. Parcells suggests establishing a strong online presence and outside-of-the-box tactics to draw in only the best and most well-matched virtual talent.
Posted By: rachael galperin
Wednesday, May 8th 2013 at 6:13PM
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