Last year, Progressive Insurance achieved an intern conversion rate of 91%, far exceeding the overall conversion rate of 57.6% for 2021-22.

This gain underscores the value employers place on their internship programs and their commitment to them.

The large-employer winner of the 2023 NACE Award for Recruiting Excellence, DISH’s “Recruit Once, Hire Twice” college recruiting process brings in top interns and works to convert them into full-time hires.

Protiviti has long felt that setting up its interns for success from the moment they first power on their laptop during the summer session is integral. When Protiviti switched to a virtual onboarding model for its interns in 2020, it realized there was more that could be accomplished in the virtual setting with intentional planning.

Start with the basics. Your virtual internship should incorporate the elements that give your in-person program value: meaningful work that is tied to your organization’s mission and goals; immersion in your organization’s culture; and the opportunity to build a community with other interns that outlasts the summer.

Intern conversion is a business imperative at all times, but especially in the current job market, when many organizations respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic by shrinking programs and budgets.

While virtual internships are essential in the current work environment, it is important to recognize that many benefits of a traditional internship are lost when internships are done online, says Matthew Hora.

Position your internship program for success by ensuring your intern orientation provides a strong start for your interns. They will be able to make meaningful contributions to your organization, and your organization will establish goodwill with interns from the outset, putting you one step closer to conversion.

Employer members in the NACE Community discuss the appropriate amount of time to give an intern to decide on an offer of full-time employment.

Ellucian’s internship toolkits are intended to enhance the employee experience, while providing interns and their managers with key information and resources.

NACE offers suggestions for getting the most out of your organization’s intern surveys.

"When setting intern salaries, factors such as students’ major, functional area, degree, and year of study are important considerations.

The key competencies employers want in the students they hire for internships are also among the skills employers help their interns to develop.

When it comes to selecting students for their internship and co-op programs, employers have a set of five competencies that are “must haves.

Are students who repeat their internship experience with an organization more likely to convert to full-time hires? nearly 90 percent of eligible returning interns received an offer of full-time employment, and nearly 90 percent of those accepted. In comparison, just 43.5 percent of nonreturning interns were offered a job with their internship employer.

Document aspects of your organization’s internship program on an ongoing basis to, among other things, help you clarify what you do, how you do it, and why you do it.

NACE offers best practices for internship programs that feed full-time hiring, including recommendations for work assignments, work arrangements, housing and relocation assistance, and program management.

Successful strategies for converting interns into full-time hires. As the job market continues to improve, employers continue to look first within their internship programs for entry-level college hires.

PwC is providing its more than 3,600 summer interns with an experience that is preparing them for the new virtual world.

CDK Global’s retooling of its internship offboarding process has expanded opportunities for interns to stay connected with the firm.