Student assistants are a crucial part of our team. So crucial that we also try to keep them on board while they go on exchange programmes abroad.
The days of student assistants just entering data and fetching coffee are long gone in most organisations. And with good reason: If you take talent seriously, students can have a huge impact on both the team and the business.
For us, student assistants have become an integral part of the team. A natural extension of the competences we already have. A way to fulfil important tasks that we would struggle to do without their help.
Of course, especially in the beginning, it requires a lot of feedback and supervision so they can develop with the tasks. But once they get into our flat structure, there's room for their opinions and attitudes - and to take responsibility. We never take on more than two full-time employees for one student assistant - because we want them to learn something so we can build towards a long-term collaboration.
So far, it has been very successful. Most of our student assistants over the years have been with us for a long time - some have even become permanent employees after graduation. We really want to keep them, so now we're trying to extend the co-operation into new markets while they're on exchange.
A foot in new markets
It just so happens that two of our student assistants are going on exchange at the same time this autumn. Of course, they need the freedom to do so, but we also hope to have them back again afterwards.
So for the first time, we're trying to keep each other on their toes by offering them the opportunity to take six hours of work per week on exchange. In this way, we want to anchor both the projects and each other.
Unfortunately, in one case it turned out not to be possible due to visa regulations. visa regulations. In the other, where it is possible, it requires a little extra planning and an increased phone bill across borders. But we're also trying to utilise the opportunities in the new locations: hopefully, we can make the first tentative connections that can take Conhoist in particular to new markets.
Only time will tell how well this will work in practice, but the ambition is clearly to take the role of student assistant to a new level.