Sit Down with Mary: Understanding the Internship Program Benchmark

• Clara Taylor
• January 29, 2026
• Newsletter Article

Discover how the AgCareers Internship Program Benchmark helps employers elevate their internship experience through anonymous intern feedback and industrywide comparisons. This data?driven tool reveals program strengths, uncovers improvement opportunities, and supports building a stronger early?talent pipeline—all with minimal effort from employers.

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When it comes to attracting future talent, internship programs play a crucial role. But how can organizations know whether their internship experience truly stands out? We sat down with Mary Barefoot, Manager of Research & Insights, to discuss AgCareers Internship Program Benchmark—a powerful tool designed to help employers evaluate, strengthen, and elevate their internship offerings. 

 

What Is the Internship Program Benchmark? 

According to Mary, the Internship Program Benchmark is a unique opportunity for organizations to take a deeper, datadriven look at their internship programs. It allows employers to benchmark in two important ways: 

• Direct feedback from participating interns, gathered at the beginning and end of their internship. 
• Comparison against other industry programs, helping organizations understand how their internship offering stacks up in today’s competitive market. All it requires is sending two quick surveys—AgCareers handles the rest. The result is a streamlined, efficient business solution for employers committed to providing meaningful earlytalent experiences. 

 

Why Participate? Insights You Can’t Get Anywhere Else 

Many employers feel confident in the internship experiences they offer. However, Mary notes that interns aren’t always comfortable sharing honest feedback directly with their employer. A thirdparty survey eliminates this barrier and encourages transparency. 

Participating companies gain: 

• Genuine, anonymous intern feedback 
• Benchmarking against peer organizations 
• Clear insights into program strengths and improvement areas 

This combination provides a unique advantage—companies can see how they’re performing internally and externally, all in one snapshot. 

 

What Makes This Survey Different? 

Mary emphasizes that the Internship Program Benchmark offers something traditional surveys don’t: industrywide context. 

Because results are aggregated and confidential, organizations can learn from peers without feeling exposed or vulnerable. The dualsourced data—feedback from their own interns plus insights from other companies—creates a powerful framework for improvement. Employers walk away with actionable insights that go far beyond surfacelevel feedback. 

 

Why Industry Benchmarking Matters More Than Ever 

Today’s internship programs are highly competitive. They’re no longer just a “summer project”—they’re a talent pipeline strategy. 

Mary explains that benchmarking matters because it helps organizations: 

• Identify skill gaps or inefficiencies. 
• Strengthen their employer brand. 
• Offer competitive pay, perks, and learning opportunities. 

Deliver an internship experience that resonates with today’s students. 

“Internships are a chance for companies to ‘test drive’ talent,” Mary says. “But interns are evaluating the company just as closely.” 

 

Confidentiality: The Backbone of Honest Feedback 

Interns need to feel safe sharing their true experience—and employers need confidence that their data is protected. Mary highlights that confidentiality is central to the Benchmark’s design. 

AgCareers ensures both intern anonymity and secure aggregation of company data, providing valuable insights without compromising trust. 

 

What’s the Timeline? 

For companies planning to participate, Mary outlines a simple annual schedule: 

• Register by May 1 
• Survey Part 1 distributed in midMay (during onboarding) 
• Entry report delivered in June 
• Survey Part 2 distributed late July / early August 
• Final results delivered in September 
• Complimentary consultation included to review findings 

This structured timeline aligns seamlessly with typical internship cycles. 

 

What’s the Commitment for Employers? 

Good news—participating is easy. 

“The company’s only responsibility is sending the survey links to their interns,” Mary says. AgCareers manages all data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

Each organization receives: 

• Two comprehensive, boardroomready reports 
• Insights into their program’s effectiveness 
• Sidebyside industry comparisons 
• Key findings and recommended next steps 

It’s designed to be simple, valuable, and impactful. 

 

How Better Internships Improve Hiring & Retention 

A strong internship experience doesn’t just help organizations fill summer roles—it directly influences longterm hiring outcomes. 

Mary explains that interns and employers are both evaluating fit throughout the program. Organizations that deliver meaningful, wellstructured internships often see: 

• Higher conversion rates to fulltime hires 
• Improved retention of earlycareer talent 
• A stronger reputation among the next generation of ag professionals “Students talk,” she adds. “A great experience becomes a powerful marketing tool.” 

 

What Have Companies Learned in the Past? 

The Benchmark has revealed insightful patterns. Mary shared that organizations often discover: 

• Gaps in communication 
• Inefficient hiring or onboarding processes 
• Pay or benefits inconsistencies 
• Need for more enrichment or leadership exposure 
• Opportunities to better support intern managers 

Sometimes, companies even learn that they’re exceeding expectations—an encouraging confirmation that their talent strategy is working. 

 

As Mary puts it: 
“You don’t know what you don’t know.” 

 
The Benchmark helps uncover it. Learn more about the Internship Program Benchmark today by clicking here: https://www.agcareers.com/internship-benchmark-program.cfm#gsc.tab=0