Activate Your Company's Potential By Teaming Up With A University

By John Hall, Forbes.com, 22-08-2014

Top-notch talent is critical for any business. For a growing company, universities are the perfect place to hunt for the most ambitious and passionate entry-level employees.

For my company, developing a relationship with the University of Missouri made perfect sense. It has one of the best journalism schools in the country and makes an effort to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in its students.

Professors are looking for real-world opportunities for their students, and offering that experience through our internship program gives us access to top journalism students. All it took was contacting a few professors, speaking in classes, and finding ways we could provide value to the university.

Teaming up with students helps them shape their futures and gives your business a fresh outlook.   Here are a few reasons forming a relationship with a local university makes sense:

1. Students Are Enthusiastic Learners

Every company wants passionate employees who are eager to learn and are genuinely interested in the company’s expertise... 

2. There’s Always New Talent

Recruiting can be stressful for small businesses. As we’ve grown, our biggest challenge has been finding qualified people who want to settle in Columbia, Missouri... 

3. You Get Them Early

When you hire students as interns, you catch them before the job search even begins. This reduces competition and allows you to groom them into your ideal full-time employees...

4. Students Aren’t Set in Their Ways

You shouldn’t underestimate the value of seasoned industry veterans, but for some positions, it’s often more valuable to have a fresh mind that hasn’t already adopted a distinct way of doing things...
5. Students Are Affordable

When your diet consists of pizza, beer, Ramen noodles, and other things I remember from college, even the smallest amount of discretionary income from a side job or internship can help. Leaders don’t have to spend much to hire students part-time...

6. The University Benefits, Too

When you develop a close relationship with professors, you’re helping them out, as well. Instead of relying on textbook material, professors can call on you to offer real-world examples in class and provide students with hands-on learning...

John Hall is the CEO of Influence & Co., a company that helps brands build their influence.

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