The No. 1 thing your interns want? To come back and work for your company.
A recent RippleMatch survey of 3,000 Gen Z candidates makes one thing clear: Interns are approaching their summer programs with intentionality.?
We asked interns to rank what is most important to get out of their summer internship, and a return offer for a full-time role was the most commonly selected as No. 1.?
Especially in this economic climate, it’s not terribly surprising that interns would like the security of a return offer. But it does illustrate that interns aren’t just treating internships like a line in their resume – they’re treating these programs like a true career launching pad.?
Tangible skill building also comes out on top
The No. 2 most important thing candidates want to get out of an internship is experience working on real-world projects, followed by new or more developed hard skills. Notably, our team also analyzed this between candidates majoring in STEM-related fields vs. non-STEM and saw no significant difference in the rankings. If they can’t get a return offer, candidates are clearly hoping to walk away from their summer experience with valuable skills they can put on their resume.?
Connections with peers, though? It’s not quite as important.
Soft skills and networking with peers take a backseat
While networking connections and the development of soft skills are often touted as cornerstones of a successful internship, our data indicates a shift in priorities for Gen Z interns. Surprisingly, these aspects were ranked lower in importance when compared to the prospect of a full-time job offer, engaging in real-world projects, and acquiring hard skills. This suggests that, for today's interns, the tangible outcomes of an internship—such as a secured job position and technical proficiency—outweigh the more traditional, intangible benefits of networking and soft skills development.?
This isn’t to say those things shouldn’t be prioritized by internship program managers. After all, experienced professionals know how important it is to be able to connect with your colleagues, communicate effectively, and contribute positively to a company culture. In addition to creating programming that can help with soft skill development and relationship building, it’s worth discussing with interns why these skills in the workplace are valuable and how they can contribute to long-term professional success.
How are leading employers doing with intern to full-time conversion?
In November, RippleMatch collected data from the leading university recruitment programs during the application process for our Campus Forward Awards. One piece of this data, which can be found in this report , revealed the median return rates of interns (total interns hosted / total interns that returned full-time) across 200 leading early career programs. According to this data, the median intern return rate is 64%. Teams in the top 90th percentile of return rates saw an 86% return rate, while those in the 25th percentile saw around a 40% return rate. These rates, however, vary depending on program size. Small programs (85 or less early career hires a year), for example, have a median return rate of 45%. Enterprise programs (400+ early career hires a year) saw a median return rate as high as 70%, no doubt a reflection of a more consistent headcount and budgeting than smaller programs may have.
Planning a successful internship: What the data tells us
Crafting an internship program that resonates with what Gen Z is looking for isn’t just beneficial for them—it’s strategic for your company. Based on our survey findings, here’s some actionable advice to ensure your interns not only gain invaluable experience but also seriously consider a future with your organization.
Return Offers as a Priority: Emphasize the potential for full-time positions post-internship. Clarify the criteria and create a roadmap for how an intern can earn a permanent spot on your team.
Meaningful Projects: Assign tasks that matter. Let interns contribute to significant projects, giving them a sense of ownership and accomplishment that they’ll carry forward.
Skill Enhancement: Organize targeted training sessions that help interns develop specific hard skills relevant to their field, regardless of their major. Practical skills development is key to their growth and your program’s value.
Soft Skills and Networking: While not top-rated in the survey, these are essential for a well-rounded professional experience. Integrate these elements subtly through collaborative projects and professional development sessions. Show interns how these skills fit into the bigger picture of their career.
A well-rounded internship program can be a powerful tool for talent retention and company growth. It’s about aligning with interns’ ambitions and providing a platform for them to shine, both of which are integral to fostering a committed future workforce. As you develop the core components of your summer internship, be sure to keep these data points in mind to create a standout program.
Wavelength is a weekly newsletter exploring trends in emerging talent and workplace insights, powered by original data collection and research through Kate’s role as Director of Community and Insights at RippleMatch , an AI-powered early career recruitment platform.