Summer’s approaching, also known as high season for hiring interns. Employers expect to increase their summer intern numbers by 9.1% from last year according to a recent survey released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. One reason for the increase is to lock in talent in a tight job market.

Nineteen-year-old Lexi Harrell is studying human capital and labor relations as a junior at Michigan State.

This summer, she’ll have her first-ever internship. It’s in human resources at the insurer Allstate and her goal is to learn about both HR and insurance.

“I just want to be someone that people can ask questions to instead of being the person that’s always asking questions,” said Harrell.

Employers view internships as an opportunity to ask questions of potential workers. Many say it’s an integral part of their recruiting strategy. 

Mary Gatta with the National Association of Colleges and Employers says that a lot of internships result in job offers and of those interns who accept, “the retention rates for employees who served as interns are higher at the one year and the five year mark than those who did not.”

Gatta says internships give workers a chance to get a sense of a company’s culture. And that comes through even in a hybrid setting, where workers are in the office sometimes and sometimes remote — a reflection of the way lots of office jobs currently are.