Pay the interns

• Many organizations use internship programs to feed their full-time hiring strategy—employers have reported that their internship program is the single best strategy for recruiting new college graduates! By paying interns, you are increasing the size of and diversifying your pool of potential interns.

• Paid internships help make opportunities accessible to students who rely on summer income.

• A paid intern can be given high impact work so you will be able to assess performance and make an informed decision about whether to offer the intern a full-time job. There are legal constraints that may impact your ability to do this if your interns are unpaid.

• The average hourly wage for interns is currently at about $23/hr: We recommend using this as a baseline when determining your interns pay.
  • Reference: NACE Hourly Wage for Interns Exceeds $23/hr
  • Hourly rate may vary based on region, class year, and required skills

Recruit for your internship program as you would for your full-time hiring 

• Your internship program can be a powerful strategy for achieving your goals for full-time hiring. Approach sourcing, recruiting, securing, and training interns with the same level of care and rigor as you would with full-time hires. 

• Research has shown that organizations who are intentional in their intern recruiting process are rewarded with higher intern to full time hire conversion rates. 

Align your internship program with your organization’s overall goals for your workforce

Organizations are working towards an inclusive workforce, but have overlooked how their own internship program can play a role. If an organization develops a pool of interns that match their full-time hiring goals, the internship program can help meet overall workforce goals. 

Start by looking at your recent intern cohorts—do they reflect your entry-level hiring goals? Celebrate what’s working and spot opportunities to grow. If there’s a gap, it’s a chance to broaden your reach: build new school or organization partnerships, refresh your virtual recruiting, and try new approaches to attract a wider, more diverse pool of candidates. 

Consider work arrangements that will work for your interns and your organization

NACE research shows most students prefer in-person internships, with many also open to hybrid roles; fully remote options are far less popular. In-person and hybrid setups also tend to make it easier to build strong connections with your interns. 

That said, remote internships can still be a great way to reach students who can’t participate on-site—just be prepared to invest more effort in keeping them engaged. 

To strengthen relationships, consider keeping interns on as part-time remote employees during the school year or inviting them back to work over breaks. These touchpoints help maintain connections and build lasting ties.

Provide the interns with real work assignments 

Providing meaningful, real work is key to a successful internship program. Assign projects that align with interns’ skills or majors, offer a challenge, add real value, and fill the full work term—these experiences strongly shape intern satisfaction. 

To make this consistent, review job descriptions, reinforce expectations in manager or mentor training, and check in with interns regularly to understand their experience. 

Hold orientations for your interns 

Make sure everyone starts on the same page with orientation sessions for managers, mentors, and interns. Aligning expectations and roles early is time well spent—and pays off throughout the program. 

Provide interns with a handbook and/or website

Provide a handbook—PDF or web-based—to answer common questions and share guidelines in a warm, welcoming way. An intern website offers the same benefits with more flexibility, and can double as a hub for updates, resources, and even intern-written content. 

Have a dedicated intern manager/supervisor

A dedicated program manager is the best way to keep your internship program running smoothly and aligned with your goals—but that’s not always feasible. As a practical alternative, consider hiring a graduate student (e.g., in HR) to help manage day-to-day operations. This gives interns a clear point of contact and eases the load on your team. 

For this to work well, set the program structure in advance and stay accessible to support your intern program lead. 

Encourage team involvement  

Involve your college recruiting team—whether volunteers or dedicated staff—in your intern program. They can host social events, support professional development, and help interns connect with your culture (think picnics, speaker events, or even game outings). 

Hold new-hire panels  

New-hire panels featuring recent grads (typically within 3 years) are a great way for interns to get honest, relatable insights. Interns often ask about career choices, first-year experiences, grad school, and work-life transitions—plus practical advice they can use right away. College relations staff should attend but stay in the background to keep the conversation open and authentic. 

Bring in speakers from your company’s executive ranks 

Executive speakers—especially engaging ones like your CEO—give interns valuable exposure to leadership and career paths. These sessions also help executives connect with and champion your program. 

Offer training/encourage outside classes

Support intern development through internal training and skill-building opportunities. You can also share information about nearby community colleges or courses—and, if possible, offer tuition support. Even small levels of assistance make a strong impression. 

Conduct focus groups/surveys 

Use surveys and focus groups to understand the intern experience from their perspective. This feedback can also reveal what competitors are doing well and where you can improve. 

Showcase intern work through presentations/expo 

Give interns a chance to present their work through presentations or an expo-style event. It’s a great way for them to showcase accomplishments and for your organization to highlight the value of the program. 

Tulane provides an opportunity for students to showcase their summer projects at the Fall Ideas Symposium.

Stay connected with your interns after they return to school 

 Keep in touch with interns after they leave, whether they’ve received offers or may return in the future. Ongoing communication helps maintain interest, engagement, and long-term relationships.  

Conduct exit interviews 

Conduct exit interviews (or surveys plus conversation) to gather honest feedback and assess interest in returning. These insights are key to improving your program and strengthening future recruiting. 

Collect, track, and analyze your program’s statistics 

Track key metrics to understand what’s working—especially around recruiting, performance, and conversion to full-time hires. Data is essential for continuous improvement.