Dive Brief:

• The annual CareerBuilder Job Forecast signals strong hiring numbers for the upcoming summer months, particularly in the private sector. 41% of employers are planning on hiring summer help, up from 29% last year.
• Companies hiring summer employees have been particularly active in reaching out to their personal networks, with 34% hiring friends, 30% hiring family members and 19% hiring their children to fill temporary positions.
• Additionally, 79% of employers responding to the survey said they would consider summer workers for full-time, permanent positions, an uptick from 76% in 2016.

Dive Insight:

Surveys like the CareerBuilder Job Forecast indicate a positive hiring season this summer — something that all employers need to start planning for now.

There will be an influx of students and new graduates seeking summer jobs. Therefore, online recruitment campaigns that appeal to younger generations are a good place to start. Employers will need to go beyond traditional job boards, though, leveraging social networks and employee referrals.

Particularly for highly competitive industries like tech, today's summer interns aren't just pencil pushers —some of them can end up making more than $60,000 a year. Indeed, startup recruitment experts have been listening to younger employees' demands for career development over ping pong tables. Employers who are able to brand themselves as inclusive places that get new hires involved from the start will likely find success.

CareerBuilder mentions the high number of employers that plan to offer permanent jobs to summer workers. Creating a meaningful summer job experience, followed by performance reviews, can identify those employees who are suited for long-term jobs.