5 Ways International Interns Bring Great Value to Your Company

5 Ways International Interns Bring Great Value to Your Company

 

Top fast-growing companies are continuously seeking innovative ways to expand and succeed. One way to approach these objectives is to welcome aboard fresh ideas through the addition of new employees, typically interns. Why? Here are 5 ways international interns bring great value to your company. Find out how this group of candidates can highly contribute to your organization.   

 

1. International Knowledge

2. Cost-Benefit

3. Freshness

4. Self-Drive

5. Unearthed Talent

 

If you have already thought of some of these previously, continue reading for some statistics. For those, who have not considered all of them, make sure to learn more about some incredible ways expat interns can add to your organization. 

 

1.  International Knowledge 

 

An international intern’s main power can be found in its international knowledge. It ultimately englobes a variety of things, such as foreign languages, cultural habits, and global awareness. Therefore, why should a company pay attention to this fact at all? 

 

When analyzing the benefits a multinational intern brings to an organization, all of the topics mentioned above come to mind. If you own a global business that deals with a diverse and multicultural audience, hiring international interns is key -- especially if they come from a country you work with or if they speak a language your clients speak. Why? They will not only be able to assist with your global projects, but will also be able to provide you with incredible insights experienced first-hand. 

 

When you want to hire internationally, you will come across a lot of candidates that would be a great fit for your company. However, this process takes a lot of time and brings the need to have the right recruiting strategy to choose the best talent for your company. In such cases, you can delegate work to professionals in global expansion because they understand the complexities and nuances of country-specific hiring regulations, cross-cultural implications, and best practices when hiring in a specific geography. With this expertise, your business will have access to a high number of talents that would be a great fit for your company, thus, helping you create a team that boosts your global success.

 

International interns have lived their entire lives in a different country and know the dos and don'ts of how to approach their own people. Every country has its own way to communicate and retains a specific first contact approach appropriate or not. Top companies, such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon have hired bi-lingual interns to assist with worldwide projects and succeeded in doing so. 

 

On top of languages and cultural knowledge, most interns are aware of international trends and therefore, are capable of creating landscape analysis. These are used to have a better idea of the market and the companies’ direct competitors. As a company, make sure to utilize your interns expertise to target new audiences and expand your business.

 

In addition, foreign interns have knowledge and abilities that are not available in the local work pool. They have received different education since all countries have their own educational system. You might end up finding out crucial information in what they have to share during 1-1 meetings or team brainstorms. On top of that, international interns are able to easily adapt to new environments and cultures, but even better, they are willing to do so as they are already found in a foreign land. 

 

Overall, international interns have their minds wired up differently, they see the “bigger picture” and see things from a different perspective. The reason is because they have had international exposure, which is very valuable for fast-growing and fast-changing multinational entities. 

 

Here is a visual explanation of the EU market, the age brackets, and languages spoken:

 

EU multilingual job market 2020

 

2. Cost-Benefit 

 

When it comes to compensation, international interns are no different than local interns. It ultimately comes down to your company’s budget and procedures. Some companies choose to offer some assistance by providing monthly allowances, while others only hire unpaid interns as they do not provide financial help. Nonetheless, it is strongly advisable to offer economic assistance of any type as it will not only serve as motivation, but also help them with whatever costs they have in order to get to your company or with buying meals during the week. 

 

In this case, it is always good to remember that interns will not require such a high payment in comparison to a full-time employee. It is true you will also need to mentor them in order to be a win-win situation, but the “cost-benefit” is worth it as they can also bring great innovation to your company. This being said, in terms of affordability, hiring an international intern is well worth it. 

 

If you are wondering of ways you could compensate your international interns, here are a few ideas:

 

ways to compensate your interns

 

3. Freshness 

 

As mentioned above, international interns can bring innovative ideas. How? Through their experiences abroad, diverse educational background, and networking. On top of that, interns are still studying, through your company and through their university, which means they can bring freshness to your organization and to your projects. 

 

Allowing an outside person to have an input in your plans and objectives can definitely be beneficial as the ideas will be new and fresh. Most of your staff, including yourself have been working on the same topics for years, and sometimes there is the possibility that there is a tiny detail you have been missing out from overlooking the situation. If you do not have a huge budget, hiring an intern could be a great out-of-the-box solution.

 

International interns can bring extra knowledge, if comparing them to local interns. Why? Because they are not receiving the same education as the students and graduates from your country. In other words, the global education this intern possesses can be the missing cherry on top of the cupcake for your organization.

 

Creativity, innovation, and freshness are key words when describing ways international interns bring great value to a company.

 

4. Self-Drive

 

Expat interns are self-driven, which is one of the 5 ways they bring great value to a company. They are not only interns, but international, which means they know they must work harder in order to adapt to the new environment and succeed. They have the ability to motivate themselves as they know there is a thin line between being an intern to becoming a full-time employee. They are aware of the importance of their performance and they take this opportunity as a stepping stone or foot in the door towards real employment.

 

In other words, foreign interns are self-motivated and flexible. However, if you are a company aware of it, make sure to be honest and fair with them. Overworking interns will only lead to stress and despair. Although it is true they are there to help your company, they are also there to learn from you.

 

If you are a company wondering what are the most demanded foreign languages in Europe and are wondering what strategy to follow in order to find your self-driven intern, make great use of the infographic below: 

 

Most demanded foreign languages in Europe

 

5. Unearthed Talent

 

It is no secret that a company can find undiscovered talent by hiring international interns or interns in general. It is not because they have not had enough professional experience that they do not have potential to learn and become an entry-level employee.

 

In fact, top companies use intern programs to discover new talent. It is the best way to find out if a candidate has the right profile to be a part of your team. You will be able to observe closely their habits, what motivates them, and if they got what it takes to suceed in your industry. Let’s be honest, there is only so much you can learn from someone during an interview, as it is on a daily basis that you really get to know an individual. Therefore, consider hiring international interns to join your departments, especially if you are offering german speaking jobs, as German speakers are in high demand worldwide and are very expensive candidates to acquire. 

 

Altogether, what do you think interns want during an internship? They want to prove themselves to you, they want to show off their skills and their ability to learn and adapt to your company's needs. Thus, if you are considering to offer internship programs and opportunities, make sure to register on our platform as the numbers and statistics are as mentioned below:


 

Annual report 2020

 

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If you are a student reading this, make sure to take a look at the 23 reasons you should take an internship. If you are a company seeking newness and positive shifts, consider one of these 5 Ways International Interns Bring Great Value to Your Company in assisting you to achieve your goals.