Summer Hire Training for a Stronger Start
Give your summer hires a chance to get comfortable, make connections, and practice speaking up before the summer gets moving.
Summer is short. Give connection a head start.
There’s a lot to fit into a summer program. Training, project assignments, introductions, networking events, and somewhere in there, the actual work.
For someone joining your organization, there’s another assignment running alongside all of that: figuring out how to be part of the team.
When should I ask a question? Is this idea worth sharing? How do I introduce myself to someone more senior? What happens when I don’t know the answer?
Make room to practice those moments early. Improv-based summer hire training gives people opportunities to participate, listen, adapt, and get comfortable contributing before the summer gets busy.
Practice the skills nobody learns from an orientation deck.
Improv asks people to pay attention, respond to what’s happening, and build something together without having every answer in advance.
Get comfortable contributing
Practice sharing an idea before you’ve rehearsed it six times in your head. The goal is to contribute clearly, stay involved, and give other people something to work with.
Listen closely enough to respond
There’s a difference between hearing someone and planning what you’ll say when they stop talking. Improv puts attention back on the other person.
Build on someone else’s idea
Group work is more than a collection of individual contributions. Participants practice making room for other people, recognizing useful ideas, and helping the work move forward.
Handle the moment that doesn’t go to plan
An unexpected question. A change in direction. A presentation that takes a detour. Practice staying present, adapting, and continuing the conversation.
A practical addition to your summer program
Make communication part of the training agenda alongside the technical and organizational knowledge your hires need.
Intern Classes
Introductions, asking questions, contributing to group projects, and getting comfortable with professional conversations.
Summer Associates & Analysts
Communicating clearly, listening carefully, responding to unfamiliar questions, and working with colleagues across levels of experience.
Early-Career Cohorts
Collaboration across departments and building relationships beyond an immediate project team.
When the program is short, connection has to happen faster.
Active training. Not another presentation.
Participants work through guided, interactive exercises with our facilitators. We start with approachable activities and build from there, giving the group time to get comfortable working together.
Along the way, we pause to discuss what happened and connect it to situations at work. What changed when someone listened more closely? What helped an idea move forward? What made it easier for someone to contribute?
Make room for it in your summer schedule.
Start with orientation
Give people a shared activity while they’re still learning names and meeting colleagues. Set an early expectation that asking questions, listening, and supporting one another belong in your program.
Build toward a shared project
Focus attention on how the group will collaborate: sharing ideas, making decisions, and responding when teammates see things differently.
Reconnect mid-summer
Bring the cohort back together after they’ve spent time on different assignments and revisit communication habits with some real workplace context behind them.
Build the session around your cohort.
Tell us who’s joining you and what you want them to practice. We’ll help you choose the right format.
Signature Program
A hands-on workshop where everyone gets direct practice with improv-based exercises, guided discussion, and facilitated group work.
Explore the Signature ProgramKeynote Experience
A strong fit for larger orientation groups, combining an interactive presentation with opportunities for the audience to participate together.
Explore the Keynote ExperienceCustom Solutions
Develop original programming around your organization’s values, summer curriculum, leadership goals, or specific communication challenges.
Explore Custom Solutions
Your hires are learning the job. Help them learn how to join the room.
Role-specific training gives people knowledge. Improv-based training gives them a place to practice what happens between people: listening, responding, contributing, adapting, and building trust.
Summer hire training FAQs
Is this appropriate for interns with little professional experience?
Yes. The exercises don’t require a particular job title, industry background, or previous improv training. We’ll discuss your cohort’s experience level and goals when planning the session.
What about quieter participants?
Being the loudest person in the room isn’t the objective. Listening and supporting other people are part of the work, too. Our facilitators guide participation through approachable activities rather than expecting people to entertain the group.
How much time should we allow?
We recommend allowing 90 minutes to three hours for a Signature Program workshop. Share your agenda with us, and we’ll help identify an appropriate format and length.
Can you come to our office or summer program location?
Yes. We facilitate programs at client offices, conference venues, and offsite locations across the country. Virtual and hybrid formats are also available for distributed groups.
Does this replace our regular onboarding or job training?
No. Think of it as a practical addition to that work. Your team provides the role-specific knowledge, policies, and expectations. We focus on communication, collaboration, and participation.
Give your summer hires a stronger start.
Tell us who’s joining you, what you’re planning, and where a training session could fit. We’ll help you find the right format for your cohort.
Share a few details below and we’ll get back to you with next steps.