Key Takeaways
- Tinder’s revived internship program drew 30,000 Gen Z applicants for 27 spots, showing that younger users still see cultural and professional value in Tinder.
- CEO Spencer Rascoff says Gen Z’s “AI native” mindset gives them a unique advantage in shaping modern tech products.
- A competitive job market and Tinder’s enduring cultural “resonance” has made its internship program especially attractive to young applicants.
- Rascoff believes Gen Z interns will help shape Tinder’s culture and product direction, arguing that young users’ perspectives are critical to the app’s turnaround.
Tinder’s newest recruiting effort is revealing something surprising about Gen Z: Even if younger daters aren’t downloading the app at the same rate as millennials once did, they still see major value in the Tinder name.
The dating app’s newly revived internship program — dubbed the “Tindership” — received more than 30,000 applications for just 27 available spots, suggesting that Gen Z still views the legacy app as both culturally relevant and professionally valuable.
Between June 1 and August 28, the select group of interns will work alongside Tinder’s engineering, product, design, marketing, and analytics teams to help shape the app’s future.
CEO Spencer Rascoff is also implementing a mentorship component into the program, hoping to spark “inspirational conversations and mentorship” for a new generation of daters and dating app developers.
By extending resumé-building internships to young adults, Rascoff not only hopes to revive their interest in the app, but to use their perspectives to turn Tinder back into “the app of the moment” — to make Tinder relevant again to the modern Gen Z generation of daters.
Why Did Tinder Get Rid of the Internship Program?
Rascoff said he was stunned to discover the internship program had been shut down before he joined the company.
The reason? What else: money.
“That was the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard,” Rascoff told Fortune. “We build apps for Gen Z. Our main demographic audience is 18 to 22-year-olds — of course, we need as many of these folks around our halls as possible.”
Cutting down on internships in an effort to cut overall costs is tempting. But Rascoff believes that Gen Z’s familiarity with emerging technology gives them a unique advantage inside modern tech companies, and could even help Tinder become more profitable in the long run.
“I intend to hire more early-career people who are coming out of college as AI natives,” he said.
Why Does Gen Z Want To Work with Tinder?
One of Tinder’s strongest assets is its name-recognition. Most Gen Z daters grew up understanding Tinder as the go-to dating app. While that dominance may not be as absolute today, Rascoff believes the platform still has strong “resonance” with younger professionals.
In fact, the overwhelming response to the internship program suggests that Tinder still carries significant weight among young adults, even as Gen Z increasingly experiments with alternatives to traditional swipe-based dating apps.
The current state of the job market — one word for it is “bleak” — has likely contributed to the intense competition. Young professionals are increasingly eager to put recognizable names on their resumés, especially in tech. Rascoff acknowledged that some applicants may see Tinder as more of a launching pad than a long-term destination.
“It probably speaks a little bit to the challenges of job seeking among early career people, I’m sure,” he said. “But I’d like to believe that it mostly speaks to the quality of the company that we’re at. I’m so excited.”
Still, Rascoff sees the program as more than a recruiting initiative. He believes younger workers are essential to shaping Tinder’s future product decisions and overall identity.
What Will Gen Z Interns Do at Tinder?
Even if these interns aren’t personally writing code or making executive decisions, they play an integral role in shaping Tinder’s vibe. And these days, there’s nothing more valuable to someone on a dating app than a good vibe.
“We’re going to get much more out of them than they’ll ever get out of us,” Rascoff admitted. “We need their voices in the room when we’re making these product decisions.”
Speaking about his own early-career experiences at Bear Stearns, Rascoff emphasized how formative internships can be for young professionals.
“I remember how impactful that internship was for me in helping me figure out how to start my career,” he said.
The company’s renewed focus on Gen Z perspectives extends beyond internships. Tinder and Match Group have increasingly leaned into features centered around safety, authenticity, and AI-powered tools, including the company’s upcoming World AI collaboration. Those upgrades have helped contribute to Tinder’s recent Q1 turnaround.
