RADNOR, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As part of its commitment to developing the future workforce, Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) today launched its summer 2020 internship, which for the first time will be conducted 100 percent virtually. Additionally, in the coming weeks Lincoln will kick off its full-time early career programs for recent graduates in a completely virtual environment. A total of 138 individuals (88 students and 50 recent graduates) from 77 colleges and universities will participate in these intensive programs, which are focused on experiential learning, leadership exposure, and professional acumen.

The launch of these virtual programs marks another key milestone in Lincoln’s swift and nimble response to the COVID-19 environment. A four-year digitization investment (starting in 2016) coupled with deep business continuity planning positioned Lincoln to quickly pivot to remote work for the majority of the workforce in mid-March. Immediately, the company rolled out a completely virtual immersive onboarding experience for all new hires.

“Our response to COVID-19 has been guided by three strategic principles: protect our employees, serve our customers without disruption, and help America get through this crisis. Shifting our early career programs to a virtual environment hits on all three objectives,” said Dennis R. Glass, president and CEO, Lincoln Financial Group. “We are confident these virtual programs will provide the kind of robust developmental experiences that will prepare these individuals for their careers, help us fortify our talent pipeline to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible services to our customers, and will strengthen the overall American talent pool and help our nation rebuild its economy in the aftermath of this tumultuous time.”

It’s important to note that virtual doesn’t mean anything “less-than,” as Lincoln remains committed to programs that will immerse participants in Lincoln’s culture, expose them to executive leadership, offer rewarding work/stretch projects, and facilitate social engagement both during and outside of working hours through virtual co-working spaces, coffee chats, game nights and more.

“The students in the internship program are going to be facing a competitive job market as they graduate, and it’s more crucial than ever they have opportunities to prepare for increasingly complex and challenging roles,” said Jen Warne, senior vice president and chief talent officer, Lincoln Financial Group. “Early talent is an important focus for Lincoln, and we are deeply invested in providing meaningful and impactful experiences that can’t be acquired in the classroom.”

The virtual internship program is grounded in Lincoln’s eight leadership expectations, which include themes such as optimism, diversity and inclusion, strategic skills and more. Each week, students will interact with multiple leaders from across the company to learn about that week’s theme and bring it to life in their work. Participants will benefit from virtual mentorships, an executive leadership speaker series, career development webinars, dedicated training on working remotely, and developmental opportunities for each individual, both within the business area in which they work and broadly as a cohort. They will also be encouraged to engage on internal and external social media platforms to share what they are learning, how they feel about what they are learning, and what it’s like to be a virtual intern.

University of Pennsylvania student Shirly Liu was relieved to learn she would still be able to have those experiences as a summer intern. She applauds Lincoln’s decision to stand by its commitment, along with its ability to adapt to the times and deliver on expectations no matter the situation.

“I saw Lincoln’s decision to move internships virtually due to the pandemic as a great example of adaptability during difficult and uncertain times,” said Liu. “Through transparent communication and forward-looking optimism, Lincoln made the best out of the situation and chose to deliver an experience that is still value-added and rewarding.”

Lincoln’s other early talent programs – including its Lincoln Preparation Program (LPP) and Actuarial Development Program (ADP) – both full-time programs for recent graduates, will also begin virtually later this month. Like the internship program, Lincoln has pivoted to create a comprehensive virtual experience for these new colleagues.

Executive vice president and chief people, place and brand officer Lisa Buckingham commented on the company’s approach to these comprehensive early career programs: “Each year we look forward to welcoming diverse, talented individuals from such varied universities across the country… and 2020 is no different! From a talent perspective, it’s so exciting to see the future of our workforce come in, learn what we do, and truly be captivated by helping people protect and plan for their financial futures. There’s a ton of empathy in what we do in any role at Lincoln, and building that skill-set is critical in our early talent programs.”

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $247 billion in end-of-period account values as of March 31, 2020. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good. Dedicated to diversity and inclusion, Lincoln earned perfect 100 percent scores on the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index. Lincoln has also been recognized in Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies and is among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers, Best Large Employers, Best Employers for Diversity, Best Employers for Women and ranked on the JUST 100 list. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

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