The Value of Internship Programs
Insights from a recent and soon-to-be college graduate
Ali De Luca and Terese Radke
Internship programs can, and should, function as a pipeline to entry-level positions. After all, who better to hire than someone already familiar with your organization’s mission, brand and vision?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early spring, many businesses were left with no choice but to press pause on their internship programs due to the significant economic strain. In fact, according to a survey from the employment platform Yello, 64% of student internships that were canceled this summer did not provide any form of an alternative offer. This left many students and young graduates with limited opportunities to build their portfolio and skillsets.
“When the pandemic first hit, it felt as if everything changed in one day. In an instant, in-person classes moved online and spring break plans were canceled. Once the leadership team made the decision for Kane to transition to working remotely, I couldn't imagine what my internship would look like,” said Terese Radke, Kane’s public relations and social media intern. “Now, five months later, the sweater I left at the office back in March still sits along with my desk full of pens, papers and sticky notes. Yet, from the comfort of my bedroom, I’ve still been able to learn and develop my skill set thanks to the opportunities Kane continued to make accessible.”
Not all industries suffered, though. Some saw an increase in client work and relied on interns and entry-level employees to stay on track. In the process, businesses and students alike were faced with navigating a new remote work environment while still looking for ways to remain connected and gain industry experience. If anything, today’s circumstances have proven the benefits of having an internship program in place.
“We love having interns at Kane and truly enjoy training and opening doors for the next generation of communications professionals,” said Kimberly Kane, president and CEO of Kane Communications Groups. “It’s mutually beneficial - interns bring fresh ideas to the table and we help them get hands-on real world experience. Internships are also a great opportunity for us to see if they might be a future full-time employee for our team.”
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 7% percent of interns are offered full-time positions, with 6% percent of these offers accepted. NACE also found that 40% of employers reported a higher five-year retention rate among employees hired via an internship program.
It makes for a simplified onboarding process
It’s no secret onboarding processes can be time consuming and cost intensive. An internship program has onboarding that should directly translate to future positions.
For instance, Ali De Luca, a former Kane intern, recently rejoined the team—this time as a communications associate. Ali was able to quickly learn the ropes of Kane’s new remote work practices given her previous exposure to the organization’s processes and workflow. Not only did this allow her to quickly become integrated on client accounts and internal projects, but it lessened the need for additional time and resources required during the traditional onboarding process.
“When I first heard that my final year of college would transition to online learning I felt a mixture of emotions. While I was confident in my university’s decision to prioritize the safety of its students and faculty, I was unsure what it would mean for the future,” De Luca said. “As a recent graduate in the midst of a global recession, I’m eternally grateful that my previous internship with Kane led me to an Associate position. I was already familiar with the company culture, brand and most of the team, which made the transition into my new role that much easier during a time of uncertainty. Here I am—three months, one postponed commencement ceremony and many Zoom meetings later—living in a new city, yet still able to work for an organization that has played such an integral part in both my personal and professional development.”
Kane’s intern onboarding program calls for supervisors to provide interns with access to documents or links with useful information including a brand style guide, company templates and relevant examples of previous work. Kane also provides an onboarding schedule, checklist and access to digital tools such as a Zoom, Asana, etc.
There are fewer surprises when you are familiar with who you’re hiring
Internship programs are a great way to test-drive candidates and recruit future employees.
Kane’s intern onboarding program incorporates “Meet and Greets.” These one-on-one meetings with other employees allow interns to establish connections and help them learn about the role each team member plays for the company. This ultimately serves as a gateway to mentorship opportunities and allows for a better understanding of their goals and interests.
In turn, employees develop an understanding of the interests of the interns and the skills they possess. They might even get a glimpse at the quality of work the intern might produce. This reduces the number of surprises that may arise when it comes to their ability to work as part of the team. Not to mention, the base level knowledge of the intern allows you to know whether or not they accurately represent your brand and align with your company’s mission, vision and values.
Investing in Future Employees
Internship programs have the potential to serve as a training ground for future employees. Investing in an internship program could save your business time and money down the line. A true testament to the importance of investing in your employees—hiring interns is a great way to recruit future employees while increasing workplace productivity, employee-retention rate and lowering costs in the long run.
“The talent and dedication we’ve seen from our interns is inspiring, even with the shift to remote work,” said Sydney Hofer, senior advisor of brand journalism and public relations at Kane Communications Groups. “Thanks to the success we had in shifting our internship program online, we’re looking to expand our reach in recruiting new interns moving forward.”
As our communities and businesses start to reopen, leaders should work towards lifting hiring freezes and restarting internship programs. The opportunity to mentor interns and entry-level employees and provide them with tools is too great to dismiss. Internships should be an intentional pipeline for new hires and talent - even if the opportunity looks a bit different than it once did.
Terese Radke contributed to this post.
Ali De Luca is a Communications Associate with Kane Communications Group. A class of 2020 graduate from Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication, Ali has previously interned with Kane during the summer of 2019 and recently re-joined the team—this time remotely—in early May of this year, after finishing the remainder of her degree online. She now works for Kane from New York City, one of the many opportunities the “new normal” has made possible.
Terese Radke is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies Program. As Kane’s public relations and social media intern, Terese started her internship in February, but soon transitioned to interning remotely in March.