Do you have big plans for your business this year? Or are you simply wondering how you’re going to get everything done? Either way, if you are a business owner or a hiring manager who needs inspiration, fresh ideas, or wants to grow this year, we recommend that your the single resolution for 2025 should be: hire a student.
Need more convincing? Here are five reasons why hiring a student is the best 2025 resolution.
1. Gain new, eager team members.
Students are keen to make a good impression at work and can work on projects of any size. Whether you are working on your small start-up, or you work for a large organization, a student can help support your needs.
For example, your team might be swamped with projects as you return to work after holidays. Since you are busy trying to get caught up, smaller projects might get pushed to the bottom of your priority list. Perhaps an extra set of hands could help clear these types of tasks from your to-do list! This type of work is great for a student, which means that your year can begin in a more productive way!
2. Fill in the current gaps.
Did you know that students might be able to help fill skill gaps on your team? Many students have specialized knowledge in emerging technologies, tools, or techniques that the team may be lacking. For example, students majoring in fields like data science may have software skills and access to tools that complement the technical needs of the team. In fact, The Marriage Advocates had this exact experience. By onboarding two data science students, they were able to analyze data that they had previously collected. To learn more, check out The Marriage Advocates’ experience.
Students also come from a wide range of educational institutions and cultural backgrounds, which means that they can offer new ways of thinking and problem-solving. This can help the entire team (even experienced professionals) explore new processes or find alternative ways to complete tasks more efficiently.
3. Gain insight into the newest innovations.
A new year provides a fresh start, meaning it’s the perfect time to try something new. Since students are constantly immersed in the newest technology, and the most up-to-date research, they may be able to contribute solutions that you aren’t aware of. No matter what, students can provide a fresh set of eyes, and a new perspective.
For example, maybe you feel stuck with your social media growth. After learning about student talent, you decide that a marketing student can help you grow your online presence. The student, armed with knowledge about tools that measure demographics and audience insights, can help you create meaningful content. With the support of your new student, you may even be able to double your social media following – just like local start-up Hidden Gemz! Watch this real example to learn more.
4. Give back to the community in a tangible way.
Did someone help you get started by offering an internship, co-op placement or even job shadow opportunity? Now is the time to pay it forward by offering insights into real-work experience for a student.
Not only are you getting an extra set of hands, but you are helping the next generation by providing valuable experience. A student’s time working with your team, and the mentorship you offer, can help them become ready for the workforce post-graduation. To hear about how impactful work experience can be for a student, see what Linda, a graphic design apprentice, has to say about her time working with Catch Communications.
5. Create a talent pipeline.
Students placements offer short-term opportunities to test out new recruits – and you can even keep talented students after their initial placement! This is a great way to keep an extra set of hands that you know and trust on your team. The Calgary Counselling Center (CCC) is a prime example of an organization that had such a great experience with their summer student, that they kept them on throughout the fall. By doing this, CCC was able to reduce their hiring costs, ease staff workload, and bring fresh ideas to their work!
Additionally, even if the students go back to school after their internship, you are creating a pool of pre-vetted and qualified candidates to choose from in the future, saving time and resources with future hiring.
If that’s not enough, your current team members will naturally become leaders when you onboard a student. No matter how new or young your current team members are, they are still experienced role models in the eyes of a student and can serve as mentors and guides to the student staff. Therefore, you aren’t just building your pool of entry-level talent, but you are also helping other employees progress in their roles through leadership experience.
How can you hire a student this year?
If you think hiring a student could be a great 2025 resolution for you, we are here to help you achieve your goal. You can think of TalentED YYC as a one-stop-shop for all of you student hiring needs. After you contact our team, a specialist will reach out to schedule a free, individual meeting. In this meeting, they will be able to help you decide what type of student experience is the most beneficial for your organization. They can also help you navigate funding resources that can help you pay your student, and create a job posting for our portal.
The portal is the optimal solution for hiring student talent. It is connected to all seven of our post-secondary partners, meaning that your posting will automatically be matched with the relevant job boards. Once your posting is live, students can begin applying for it. From there, you can select the perfect candidate. Get started today with 5 Easy Steps!
So, what now?
First of all, subscribe to our e-newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on all the free resources and information we offer about working with students.
When you are ready to put your 2025 resolution into action and have students do some work for you, reach out to us directly! Since we can help you navigate funding and reach Calgary’s best students through our post-secondary partnerships, hiring a student is easy through our portal! Contact us today to get started!