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At the heart of it, that’s what internship programs aim to do, and it’s why more companies are establishing their own programs. But there is a mutual value to internships:  for companies, it’s a chance to tap into a pool of potential future candidates and leverage their skills to accomplish immediate goals. For interns, it’s an opportunity to earn practical job experience, deepen skill sets and absorb the corporate culture. For both, it’s a chance to “test-drive” a business partnership to determine if it could ultimately lead to a long-term, perfect fit.

Over the pandemic, internship programs took a hit, with many companies opting to pause programs and some pivoting to a virtual format. Three years later, in-person internship programs are back and more relevant than ever as companies recognize their critical value to organizational sustainability.

In 2022, we teamed up with Weichert Corporate Housing to conduct our first Interns & Mobility Survey. In the industry’s most comprehensive study on intern mobility, we uncovered incredible insight to help guide companies looking to establish (or improve upon) internship programs that are cost-effective, inclusive, and magnetic enough to woo top talent. The survey revealed that:

• 56% of participants expect intern volumes to increase
• 93% of respondents leverage their internships to develop a pool of critically skilled candidates, however, nearly a third of organizations have difficulty transitioning interns to a permanent position upon program completion.
• More than half of participants cite housing supply as their top administrative challenge

A year later, we’re back at it again to find out how companies view their internship programs and whether 2022’s trends and challenges remain consistent. With over 30 corporate participants, findings from our 2023 Intern & Mobility Survey emphasize that internships play an even more vital role in the talent strategy of companies across the spectrum of size, geography, and industry. Most notably…

• Programs and support for interns are increasing.
  • 97% of respondents use internships, with 69% offering mobility benefits (up from 58% in 2022)
• But housing woes persist.
  • Even more participants than last year responded that housing supply and knowledge of house options remain their most significant hurdles in intern program management
• Tech tools will drive better experiences for interns.
  • More than 70% of participants are looking to their relocation provider’s technology for accurate reporting, satisfaction metrics, and expense management – the kind of data they can use to measure the impact of their internship program and make changes the following year.

Keen to dive into the full report of findings? Get your copy of Interns & Mobility 2023 by clicking the image below:

For those with an intern program, this year-over-year data will prove valuable in plotting the direction of your program as business needs change. And for those without a program, we hope these insights inspire you to tap into this powerful talent recruitment and skill-building tool! Any questions? Throw us a line – we’d love to chat!