Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Our Interns

Last week, the firm released findings from our annual intern survey, which we use to help us understand – and try to keep up with – the perspectives of different generations. While some of the questions we ask are more lighthearted and fun, it’s a unique opportunity to understand our interns’ interests and needs, especially since they are our future leaders. It also creates transparency around things we might have in common – something that truly resonates with me.

 After reflecting more on the results and listening to the recent Exchanges at Goldman Sachs podcast, which featured a pair of 2019 summer interns and Dane Holmes, head of Human Capital Management, I have a few takeaways that I think should be top of mind for us as a broader community. When we learn more about someone or a group of people in this instance, we can connect in ways we may not expect.

 Here are my top highlights:

The Power of Brand

There seems to be some misconception that younger generations are flocking to social media to see which things they should purchase based on the preferences of their favorite video game streamer or Instagram blogger. Over 40% of our interns shared that branding power is key to forging strong consumer ties with this group, even more than the products themselves. Perhaps this says something about how we should think of our personal brands. It’s not about what you say or what others say about you, but it’s more about who you are – what values and interests are core to you – and how you deliver yourself. This is certainly my aim, to underscore my commitment in furthering diversity and inclusion in our firm, in our industry, and beyond through my own work and actions, and I’m fortunate that I have Goldman Sachs’ support and joint commitment to these efforts.

Page-Turners vs. e-Book Scrollers

Interns told us the books they recently read, ranging from the iconic world of the Harry Potter series to one of my personal favorites, Michelle Obama’s Becoming (I even shared this favorite on the Goldman Sachs "Back-to-School Reading List"). But what I found surprising about their reading habits is almost three-quarters of them prefer paper versions of their stories over digital readers. Despite the convenience of having tons of books at their disposal in the form of devices and apps, turning the page is still more satisfying for them. This fact reinforces that we must continue to challenge assumptions across the generations, and funny enough, I now prefer to read or listen to books on my iPad!

 An Inclusive Workplace Means…

This stat didn’t surprise me as much since we’ve heard it before from other places, but it was satisfying to hear that 82% of our own interns think developing leaders who foster an inclusive environment is the best means to achieving an inclusive workplace. Additionally, they feel having diversity at all levels will drive this change as well. This helps cement some of the priorities we should focus on as a firm as we integrate greater diversity across all dimensions into our workforce at Goldman Sachs, and as an industry overall.

 Although these are just a few of the fun facts that stood out to me, there were many other things I learned from this year’s survey results. For example, the data we collected from our interns regarding what the next generation is thinking of when it comes to work-life integration is consistent with the culture my team aspires to advance – one that enables both a rewarding career and time better spent with family and friends.