Using working students in your organization: a good idea?

In their search for new staff that is both affordable and of good quality, more and more companies are coming to work students. There are stuck in it for both large companies and companies SME segment various advantages to the use of working students. What makes this type of recruitment so popular?

Working student: more than a part-timer

First of all to clear up a misunderstanding: a working student is a bit more than a part-timer who, in addition to his or her employment, also studies or attends school. With a working student, we are talking about a student at a college or university who can carry out work of a decent level. Working students perform functions that you do not just dismiss with the term 'side job'.

Skilled and with growth potential

This brings us directly to the greatest benefit of working students. They are skilled workers who like starter enter the labor market. A working student is often in the final phase of a course; there is therefore a good chance that such an employee, once that study has been completed, can be permanently employed full-time if the collaboration is successful.

Such an employee immediately has good growth potential; after all, there is prior education, and work experience is already being worked on properly.

Flexibility

Working students are known for their flexibility; something that you as an entrepreneur do not always find with potential employees. There are no family obligations at stake and often no high financial obligations that an employee must take into account. A working student is often very flexible in terms of available hours, often does not mind working in the evenings and during weekends and is usually very employable during school holidays, for example. That also makes a working student ideally suited for seasonal work or holidayjob.

Advantage compared to trainees

Many companies are registered as an internship company in order to regularly find affordable workers. In this way you will be offered students who will complete their graduation assignment in the service of your company. Although this is the cheapest way to get work, this method also has a major disadvantage: an internship entails obligations. The assignment must be completed and for this you often have to talk to the intern and the supervisor. With a working student you do not have all these limitations and obligations.

Are there any disadvantages to the use of working students?

Are there no disadvantages at all that you as an entrepreneur have to take into account when considering working students? There are some risks, but for many entrepreneurs they do not outweigh the benefits.

However, you have to take into account that this flexibility can work both ways: student schedules can suddenly change and this can have an impact on availability. You will therefore also have to be able to adopt a flexible attitude. Working students can also work like employees neglect.

A second risk is that a working student leaves your company relatively quickly, for example when the study is completed and the student elsewhere find a nice vacancy. Entrepreneurs are therefore afraid to invest a lot of time in a working student, to then see them leave the company. On the other hand: it is precisely by investing a lot in a working student that you can ensure that the collaboration is such a success that it naturally turns into employment after the study has been completed. It depends on how well you are doing as an employer and how well you are discussing this with your working student (s).