COVID-19 vs. 2021 Internships

Internships play a critical role in developing an organization’s future talent pools, but the pandemic had a significant impact on the intern programs of 2020. Some were completely canceled, while others were redesigned for a virtual platform. In a recent pulse survey report, we explore whether Cartus clients and prospects are delivering their 2021 internship programs virtually, what support they typically provide interns, and when and where the internships take place.

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.