Would you offer an internship to a worker you’ll never see? Virtual interns, who await their assignments at home, are becoming a fixture in today’s increasingly flexible workplace.
Offered by companies of all sizes, including giants like General Electric, KPMG and Deloitte, financial advisory firm Grant Thornton, and global law firm Linklaters, virtual internships are making work experience more accessible.
The benefits mimic that of remote working, opening up industries to bigger pools of talent, with proximity to the office no longer a barrier.
Virtual internships are now offered by large companies including KPMG and Deloitte
Peter Mead, head of marketing for Bitcoin Australia, is convinced the virtual work placement is crucial for addressing the dearth of talent in his sector. He says: “In Australia, there is a limited number of people with knowledge of key technologies that we use, such as blockchains and lightning networks. By promoting a virtual internship program, we get access to a global talent pool of crypto technology geeks.”
He also thinks the arrangement is much fairer for interns. He explains: “When a traditional intern finishes a task, they stick around, expecting that there is always more work when, sometimes, there just isn’t. If the intern has traveled hundreds of kilometers for this empty opportunity then this is just unfair. Virtual interns can clock out when they finish their tasks and back in when they’re needed.”
Interns, often cash-strapped students, can also save on travel, accommodation and business attire, and need never put their hands in their pockets for after-work drinks. The compromise is–probably–missing out on the chance to observe culture, team dynamics, and to develop people skills.
But some business leaders are concerned virtual internships stretch the concept of remote working too far, and think it should be reserved for experienced employees only.
Md Mohsin Ansari, digital marketing manager at office chat app Troop Messenger, thinks the advantages of on-premise internships–like strengthening interpersonal relationships and teamwork–are lost in virtual internships. He adds: “Experienced talent contributing from a distance adds value to both the worker and employer, but a rookie intern is more likely to jeopardize self and company interests rather than being productive.”
Steve Pritchard, founder of U.K.-based Checklate, says virtual internships rob young people of the chance to gain both skills and an understanding of how the working world operates, from the coffee breaks to the in-office banter. He points out that interns who don’t experience all these things may suffer later when it comes to having to do an in-office job.
He adds: “For young professionals to truly flourish, they need to be able to have experience in working alongside people, day to day. Teamwork isn’t impossible when working remotely, but having your interns in the office prompts them to ask more questions and gives them a feel for the office environment and the various personalities they are working with.”
Virtual interns may miss out on experiencing office culture and the chance to develop interpersonal … [+]
But Taisha Betz, an independent financial planner at Continuum Wealth, thinks virtual internships are badly needed to attract more talent in the U.K. financial services industry, which is facing a recruitment crisis caused by thousands of advisors due to retire in the next five to 10 years and the intake of young advisers stagnating.
She thinks a hybrid arrangement could be the solution to keeping interns motivated and learning, adding: “I think interns would likely drift without at least some regular contact days in the office, for orientation, meetings and coaching.”
With more companies offering flexible working options, and others becoming fully remote, virtual internships are likely to proliferate. The cost benefits to businesses–no desk space and fewer expenses–and to interns who needn’t cripple themselves financially to take part, are second only to the social and business benefits of opening internships to those who could not ordinarily afford to pursue work experience for little to no pay.
But success will come down to willingness of businesses to support virtual interns with robust onboarding, e-learning and communication tools, and their commitment to training up a team to track their progress. Then there’s no reason virtual internships shouldn’t be a positive offshoot of the remote working wave.
