Throughout the Employer Toolkit, you will learn a lot about work-integrated learning (WIL) and how to create a successful WIL experience. But let’s start with ‘why’. Why choose to hire a WIL student? Why hire a WIL student over a regular hire? You might be wondering about these questions yourself or you might need to convince others within your organization why hiring a WIL student is the right decision.
Here are some reasons why hiring a WIL student might be the right for your organization:
1. WIL prepares student for success in the workplace
WIL programs prepare students to contribute to your organization. WIL students are trained on résumé and cover letter writing, interview preparation, and workplace skills. The focus of this training is to help students identify and articulate their skills which makes finding the right person easier for recruiters. WIL students are looking for experiences that connect their academic studies to workplace experiences, so it's much more than a job to them. You'll get more value from your student by helping them make these connections through providing meaningful and challenging work.
2. WIL reduces hiring risks
WIL can help reduce the pressure talent managers face to find the ‘right’ person. It gives you a chance to find candidates you’d like to hire post-graduation, assess their talents, and see how they integrate into the workplace. A WIL student is a low-risk hire because the duration is fixed and relatively short, and the financial cost of hiring a student is lower than other employee groups. If the WIL student ends up not being the right fit, they can exit the organization with minimal consequences.
3. WIL contributes to long-term relationships
Many employers look to WIL to develop their long-term talent pipeline. You might start by hiring a student with specific talents to address an immediate need. But if you consider what talent you'll need in the next one to three years, or beyond, you may see an opportunity to bring the student back for later work terms or even convert them into a full-time hire. Talk to your WIL student about their plans after graduation and let them know you’re interested in hiring them - it could save recruiting costs and help avoid competing for talent with other organizations.
4. WIL services make hiring easier
WIL programs offer services to help make hiring the right student easier. In addition to the student training mentioned earlier, many WIL programs have staff resources to guide you through the process. Staff are often mobilized to help with administration, send reminders on recruiting deadlines, provide support if issues arise, and suggest ways to enhance the outcomes of the experience. In Step 2, we cover what to look for in an institution partner.