The massive work disruptions ushered in by the pandemic and resulting shift to remote work and other changes have meant that career support for professionals is as important as ever, especially with the widespread adoption of remote work. But where do they turn for that?
The answer is crystal-clear: your association or society.
The 8th Wiley Society Member Survey has shed new light on professionals’ views over the past year, offering crucial insights into their careers, goals, and values. Let’s examine why career support for professionals is so important right now – and how a full-service career center is the key to offering them the support they need.
Why career support is key
Wiley’s latest annual membership survey revealed some interesting insights into just how important career support and development are for professionals – and the vital role that associations and societies play in providing them.
According to the data, career-related activities were a key driver of membership engagement. 37% attended an educational program, while 24% acquired or maintained certification. 20% also attended a career networking event.
Lack of career support can clearly cost membership. 12% of those who left an association over the past 12 months did so due to lack of career advancement support. An additional 10% left because of a lack of educational support. That means over 20% of members who didn't renew left because they aren't getting enough help with training and career advancement!
On the flip side, while lack of career support drove members away, quality career support and development can attract non-members. 76% of non-members said they would join an association that offered greater support for career advancement – a notable 6% increase from last year – while 76% also said they would join an association or society for helpful career resources, a 5% increase from 2021. Similarly, 26% of respondents renewed their membership specifically due to their association’s reputation for supporting career development.
What’s more, 68% said that it was important for associations to provide career support services to their members, indicating the value in providing these resources.
So, what does this all mean for associations and societies like yours? Without a doubt, career support for your members is crucial for attracting and retaining members, boosting your revenue in the process. Next, let’s take a look at how a full-service career center can be a part of improving your career support and development services.
How a career center can help
Upgrading to a full-service career center can be a great way to better support your members – not to mention boost your revenue and your membership and retention rates in the process. How so? Let’s examine how a career center can help your members and, in turn, your association.
With a market-leading career center, your members (and your audience, in general) will have a vital tool at their disposal that includes numerous resources all under one roof. Jobseekers can access relevant job postings in your industry while professionals can find engaging, useful content in the form of articles, videos, and infographics to help them develop their careers. In addition, career centers can provide learning and development tools, skill assessments, networking opportunities, industry news and information, and updates about your association’s events, conferences, and webinars.
All of this, ultimately, creates value for your members. Value boosts membership engagement, satisfaction, and retention for your association and builds your audience, creating a virtuous cycle of attracting and retaining members. Career centers also offer revenue-generating tools, such as display advertising technology, that can help boost your non-dues revenue very efficiently. Finally, career centers are a great way to gather data and insights about your audience in a non-intrusive way, giving you the information you need to better serve your members consistently.
By investing in your career center, you’re investing in your members. In doing so, you can increase your association’s value for them immensely, leading to financial benefits over the long term.
Support your members with a career center
As we can see from taking just a quick look at some of the survey’s data and insights, career support for association members has never been more important. The best way to deliver that is with a market-leading career center.
Madgex offers the most advanced career center technology available, making it easy to provide your audience with the useful tools they need to grow their careers successfully. This way, your association can easily boost its revenue, increase membership, and drive membership engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
Contact us today to learn more about our unmatched experience and cutting-edge career center technology.