Our strong recommendation is that in addition to regular check-ins with students, employers conduct exit interviews at the end of the WIL placement. Employers can get feedback from:

• Students participating in the program
• Customers or clients who have worked with the student
• Employees who have supervised and/or worked laterally with students

These can be in the form of anonymous surveys, focusing on if the WIL program was “worth it” from their perspective,if they would recommend the program to a friend as well as an open comment box about suggestions for improvement. 

In terms of quantitative metrics, a program could evaluate the year-over-year changes in retention (how many students join the company after graduation), workload (if teams are able to complete additional projects with the help of students); innovation (if students brought new ideas or processes forward); and the impact of hiring students on the organization’s ability to achieve its strategic goals.