Employment, HR and Outsourcing

Data from Largest Internship Study Reveals Best Practices Just In Time for the Summer Internship Season

WELLESLEY, Mass. - Apr. 27 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Intern Bridge Inc., a college relations and intern staffing firm, released today their 2007 Internship Data Report, based on the largest survey to ever be conducted solely on the topic of internships. More than 6,200 students and 240 organizations participated in the research.

Research findings show that organizations need to do a better job of allowing interns to follow-through on tasks; keep them busy with meaningful work; and increase project responsibilities as their internship time progresses. Interns should also be given the ability to set priorities, and be able to explore careers in other areas of the organization.

The research project, conducted in cooperation with Babson College and the Northeast Human Resources Association, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), focused on the components of an internship program: why students pursue (or do not pursue) internships; structure; supervisor selection; recruiting and marketing; orientation practices; compensation and benefits; evaluation; and more.

* The highest paid interns by academic major are accounting students, earning an average of $15.48 per hour. By industry, the highest paid interns are in finance and banking, earning an average of $17.31 per hour. By position, the highest paid interns work as software developers, earning an average of $17.05 per hour.

* The top three reasons students pursue internship experiences include gaining real work experience, building resumes, and learning new skills. Earning money is ranked as the ninth reason, providing evidence that employers may not have to pay interns as much (if at all), so long as the actual work structure of the program is robust and effective.

* While fewer than 70% of interns report that their supervisor was involved in the internship, over 32% report that supervisors sometimes did not provide adequate explanation concerning assigned tasks. Furthermore, 20% reported that supervisor expectations were not always realistic. Less than 20% of organizations evaluate individuals for their ability to act as internship supervisors.

* The orientation process needs the most work. Over 45% of interns reportedly remained unsatisfied with the quality of the orientation they received, over 35% of interns reported that they were not given a meaningful introduction to their fellow employees, and over 30% of interns reported that they were not given adequate training to be able to complete their assignments or tasks.

* The most common benefit is free or subsidized parking, immediately followed by discounted merchandise or services, social events for interns, and work during the internship being counted towards "total work," should the intern be hired on a permanent basis.

* Organizations reported that they most heavily weigh the interview for selecting interns, but also put emphasis on the candidate's people skills, availability, and technical skills.

The complete data report is available from Intern Bridge at www.InternBridge.com under the research section of the website.

Text provided by the news source, Intern Bridge Inc.


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