For a long time, students have enjoyed earning a penny on the side for various reasons. Some do this out of financial necessity, others to have a little more pocket money. Figures from the National Social Security Office show that in 2021, 565,248 Belgian students were earning on the side. That number has never been higher. As student work becomes more prominent, it’s also useful for companies to know the benefits that hiring students can bring. Below we list the main reasons given by our clients.

1. Fresh perspectives
A student is often a lot younger than the average permanent employee in a company. This means that they have little experience and are still open to many impressions. Students can provide a company with new ideas, provide interesting insights in brainstorms and offer a different solution to a problem from their environment. The ideal source of inspiration!

2. Flexibility

Young people studying in college or university often do not have full-time class schedules. That is, they often have a morning, afternoon or even a full day off. So students can also work during the week and not just on weekends. If a company needs extra help on a weekday because, for example, a lot of deliveries are coming in, the shelves need to be replenished urgently or an employee is taking a day off, it can perfectly call on motivated students.

3. Cost
Financially, students also provide a company with an advantage as they are usually cheaper to hire than permanent employees. This is due to the advantageous solidarity contribution that applies to students, whereas permanent staff often have to pay the full pot of taxes. So it is definitely worthwhile for a company to supplement its workforce with some students.

4. The employee of the future
It can be interesting for an employer to bring young people into contact with the company early on. One can then already train the students to work after their studies. The students gain valuable professional experience and the employer potentially gains a well-trained future starter. Sounds like a win-win!

As an employer, are you curious about working with students? Does using a staffing agency with a huge student pool seem interesting to you to have some extra helping hands in the workplace?

We’ve got you covered! 👇🏽👇🏽