Silicon Valley's Talent Grab Spawns High-School Interns

Landing top talent is getting so tough in Silicon Valley that technology companies are trying anything for an edge -- including hiring interns out of high school and boosting new recruits’ perks.

Facebook said it just started wooing interns before their freshman year of college, while LinkedIn opened its summer program to high schoolers two years ago. Startups including Airbnb have also nabbed interns as young as 16 years old. For the companies, it’s all about keeping up with Silicon Valley’s youth-oriented culture, especially as the young and technically inclined are sometimes encouraged to create their own startups instead of joining large organizations. Early Facebook investor Peter Thiel pays people under 20 years old $100,000 to quit school to pursue their passions. Others aspire to follow the path of Summly Ltd. founder Nick D’Aloisio, who became a millionaire at 17 last year when Yahoo acquired his mobile application. The importance of young hires is recognized at the very top. On an earnings call in May, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner gave a shout-out to his 2014 intern class, saying “talent is our number one operating priority and our most important asset, and this incoming group will continue to add to our team.”