Match Group CEO Revives Tinder Internship Program
Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff has revived the company’s summer internship program, which had been canceled the previous year to cut costs. The revived “Tindership” program received more than 30,000 applications for just 27 available positions, making it more selective than most Ivy League universities.
Rascoff, who took over as CEO in early 2025, said he was surprised to learn the program had been shuttered. He quickly reinstated it, believing Gen Z talent is essential for a company whose main audience is 18–24-year-olds. The interns, who begin on June 1 and finish August 28, will work across Tinder’s engineering, product, design, marketing, and analytics teams. The program includes executive mentorship, educational sessions, and informal activities such as pickleball and home gatherings with leadership.
The high application volume reflects both intense competition in the job market for young people and strong interest in working at a prominent consumer tech company. Internship postings on Handshake were down 16% earlier in 2026, continuing a decline since 2023. Broader industry trends show reduced hiring of early-career talent: the share of 21–25-year-olds at large public tech companies dropped from around 15% to 6.8% between early 2023 and mid-2025. Big Tech companies also cut recent graduate hiring by approximately 25% in 2024.
Rascoff described Match Group’s strategy as deliberately counter to the wider tech industry trend of relying more heavily on AI and reducing junior roles. He emphasized the value of “AI natives” who naturally incorporate new tools into their workflow, rather than established professionals adapting later.
The decision highlights ongoing tension in the tech sector between automation and the need for fresh perspectives, particularly for consumer-facing apps like Tinder and Hinge that target younger demographics. The AI-native focus is also a clear hint that Tinder is intending to lean further into AI, or at least ensure a rotation of employees who have a willingness to use AI openly. The 27 selected interns in this particular push represent less than 0.09% of applicants.
