5 Reasons to offer a Student Placement Year

Posted by Niche Recruitment
12th October 2021

5 REASONS TO OFFER A STUDENT PLACEMENT YEAR

Students fresh out of their second year of university have a lot to offer. They provide a new outlook on existing problems and bring a positive attitude to the non-stop rollercoaster that is office life. It’s also hard to overlook their studies, further supporting your business with innovative ideas and a forward-thinking approach.

So, here are five reasons why we believe your company should consider offering student placements.

1. FRESH PAIR OF EYES

A fresh perspective and an eagerness to learn could be the solution that your business is looking for. Student hires can allow the latest theories to be put into practice, encouraging them to combine with and support your existing processes.

Worried about how easy the transition to office life will be for your hire? Fear not, your placement would seamlessly slot into current projects thanks to plenty of group work opportunities at university.

The modern student must be the best of both worlds though, having to combine their group work skills with a strong independent drive, allowing for true flexibility, a valuable skill in the working world.

2. THINKING BEYOND BOUNDARIES

Strong decision making, thinking outside the box, and a willingness to take risks. Key skills that are required in the business world. Placement opportunities give the student the platform to display these skills and prove that they can be valuable assets to your company.

Problem solving is not always as easy as we want it to be. Sometimes getting a helping hand from different sources can be the trick to finding the solution. Students may lack experience but given the chance, could be the solution that your company is looking for.

3. DEVELOPMENT

Late nights, long lie-ins, and microwave meals. The perfect description of the university experience? Quite the opposite, no longer does university life consist of continuous partying. Instead, high expectations and increasing competitiveness have helped instill punctuality and preparedness. Tight deadlines & tough criteria ensure a student’s readiness for working life. As we all know, the workplace can be a demanding setting. However, top students have dealt with pressure. Whatever you put in front of them, they will give it their all to deliver.

It doesn’t stop there though, embracing a student into the workplace can be beneficial to current employees. You might be on the lookout for opportunities to support your current staff, which is certainly a possibility with a work placement, delivering a perfect candidate for your employees to develop their mentoring skills.

Overall, a placement year is a perfect development opportunity, supplying the company with an ideal starting employee that can be moulded into a perfect future candidate whilst supporting the student’s professional development.

4. COST EFFECTIVE

We can’t gloss over the fact that offering a work placement year can be very cost effective. Whilst a student may not be as developed as a post-graduate, or an experienced worker, they do arrive with lower salary expectations. £17,500, the average placement salary, a small enough figure that allows your company to focus on costs elsewhere.

With many businesses struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this situation provides an opportunity to keep costs low whilst maintaining the high standard of employees your business has come to expect.

5. ONE FOR THE FUTURE

Long term benefits are always on our minds when considering these types of roles. Taking on a student for a year can allow your company to get a feel for potential future candidates, scoping out the talent pool of tomorrow before they even enter the market. At the end of the day, securing a future position at the business is always on the employee’s mind, leading to a hard-working and enthusiastic student giving it their all.

They might not be the final product when they first join, but your company gets the chance to develop them into an ideal employee. An opportunity that is definitely worth taking a look at.

FIND OUT MORE ON HOW WE CAN HELP…

So those were our five reasons why your company should consider offering a student placement role, but if you want to find out more, or perhaps want to know the next steps of hiring a student at your company, get in touch at 0193 230469 or look at our website… //nicherecruitment.co.uk/

Whatever your company is considering, the Niche Recruitment team is happy to lend a helping hand.

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