COVID-19 vs. 2021 Internships

Key Findings

• Pandemic Impact. The pandemic’s biggest impact on internships is that they are being delivered virtually (according to 59% of respondents). Encouragingly, no one indicated that their organization’s intern program had been canceled or put on hold due to COVID-19.
• Challenges of a Virtual World. Delivering a virtual program does not come without its challenges, with some respondents expressing concern over virtual networking and whether it was less impactful when compared to face-to-face “meet and greets.” Others indicated that virtual events could be engaging for interns, but a “high level of creativity” was required to deliver them successfully.
• Biggest Internship Benefit. Regardless of whether internships are delivered during a pandemic or not, the overall key benefit that these programs bring to organizations appears to be talent management. 85% of participants indicated that their internships were a source of future talent, with an additional 56% reporting that interns “filled resource gaps.”

If you would like to discuss how we can help you deliver a successful internship program for 2021 and beyond, contact your Cartus representative or email us at cartussolutions@cartus.com.