Work is constantly evolving – and so should the way we attract and develop talent. Internships have long been a key strategy for organizations to recruit and identify future leaders early in their careers. Traditionally, internships took place in office settings during the summertime. However, work doesn’t happen just over the summer, so why should internships? With the prevalence of remote work, increased accessibility, and greater flexibility, the standard summer internship model is changing.
More organizations are offering year-round internship opportunities and for good reason. Here are four benefits of hosting a year-round internship program:
1. Secure All-Star Talent
It can be challenging for organizations to stay top-of-mind for interns after their program ends. However, it’s important to remember that competitors constantly recruit all-star talent. Your team has invested time and effort into developing these interns, and you don’t want to lose that potential to your competitor. Hosting interns throughout the academic year ensures your organization continually dedicates time and resources to early talent, safeguarding their connection with your organization.
By keeping this talent engaged, you increase the likelihood that they want to join your company in the future. Many global biopharmaceutical organizations, for example, host interns year-round and run multiple cohorts, opening doors to full-time positions after completing internships. For specialized fields, extended academic commitments, such as PhDs, can create long gaps before full-time employment, and a year-round internship model helps maintain engagement during these periods.
2. Demonstrate Your Organization’s Flexibility
By hosting interns year-round, your organization demonstrates its commitment to embracing innovation and change. Your team should redesign your internship program to fit your company’s needs today. Typical internship programs throughout the year include Summer, Fall, Spring, and Winter semesters to reflect the student’s academic calendar. However, your organization doesn’t have to design its internship program accordingly. A great time to leverage interns is during peak season when your company needs additional talent for various projects. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to running an internship program. It’s time to redefine a successful internship program that serves your team and company goals.
3. Expand Your Talent Pool
If you run multiple internship cohorts throughout the year, you may have the capacity to hire more talent and increase the talent pool from which your organization recruits. By growing your internship program, you can help your company improve its recruitment strategy, demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion efforts, and create more opportunities for students to succeed in their careers. It is important to note that internships are a great branding mechanism for many organizations.
4. Strengthen Your Organization’s Leadership
Lastly, internships are a great way for managers to gain leadership skills and become mentors. Mentorship is an important component of an internship, often the defining characteristic of why an intern returns to an employer. By keeping your intern during the academic year, you can maximize the intern’s educational experience. Enable your interns to apply what they have learned to drive your business. Furthermore, many hiring managers feel a great sense of accomplishment by investing in the success of their interns’ work and careers. This is a great way to start an employee’s track to becoming a manager or leader at your company.
The Future of Internships is Year-Round
The benefits of hosting interns year-round are clear: you can keep top talent engaged, adapt to business needs, and nurture future leaders. Now is the time to reinvent the typical summer internship. Leading organizations are redesigning their programs, and the results are a refreshing experience for interns and employers. If you haven’t already, it’s time to reflect on improving your internship program – consider hosting interns year-round!
