Craft a good assignment, explain it realistically and work to make it special. That will endear you to the student and build a foundation for closing on an offer later on. Provide incentives to join your company and stay Never make the mistake of believing that your company is so special or so wonderful that everyone wants to work there. Build into your intern program stock options that vest over a period of time, or bonuses that pay out based on the length of the internship PLUS a certain number of months of employment. While cash and upfront benefits may be good enticements to join, the longer ranging benefits will pay off in spades.
Some companies offer a choice assignment after the student commits to become an employee.
Some may customize the offer. For example, a student who has completed an assignment with excellent results may want an international job rotation. That could be the very thing that gets them to say yes. Remember, you should know this person better than any competitor, and therefore should have an inside idea on what this person considers fair compensation. There is no such thing as fair in a limited job market .