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Discussions around professional association trends often revolve around established topics like in-person events, industry-specific insights, DEI initiatives, and attracting younger members. However, some other less-covered association trends could help yours become more competitive and lucrative. In this blog, we’ll delve into some less-charted territory, exploring professional organization trends that have been flying under the radar.
Professional Association Trends No One is Talking About
Enabled Hiring
Hiring is the number one challenge facing businesses across all industries today, and many are looking to associations for help. In fact, 55% of associations that offer some career or hiring services reported an increase in the use of those services in 2022.
One of the biggest hiring challenges facing businesses is the lack of great technology to help them. The PwC HR Tech Survey found that finding good recruiting tech was one of the top HR concerns facing businesses today, and 74% of organizations felt their recruiting strategies and tech underperformed in 2022.
Forward-thinking associations have an opportunity to increase the career and hiring services they offer their members, providing value and NDR by helping them solve one of their top business challenges. Something we can help with here at HiringThing is getting professional associations set up with their own white label applicant tracking system.
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is hiring software built to optimize, automate, and strengthen the hiring process which has been proven to make recruiting easier, faster, and improves the quality of hires.
With our white l and private label modalities, associations purchase our hiring software, outfit it with their branding and any necessary customizations, and then present it as a proprietary solution. Not only does it help associations support their members with their top challenge, but it also helps generate new NDR.
White labeling is when a company purchases a SaaS solution from another vendor and brands it as its own. Private labeling—a form of white labeling—takes things a step further and allows the purchasing partner to customize the prebuilt solution to fit their business goals.
We’ve created the report Private Label Applicant Tracking System: A Strategic Approach to Revenue Generation for Associations to help association professionals understand just what a powerful revenue-generating tool an ATS is.
Increased Digitization
Headlines keep decrying that “in-person events are back!” and while in-person events and traditional networking certainly have their value, savvy professional associations will continue to offer digitized events, as these are more accessible, efficient, and easier to attend for many of your members, not to mention that the increased digitization forced onto us by the pandemic showcased that there is definitely value in online events. In fact, the virtual events space is anticipated to grow 21.4% from 2022 to 2030.
It’s not just events either. To stay relevant, experts are saying that associations must reexamine the ways they cultivate a professional community, educate, and network, all through a digital lens. While in-person networking, events, and education are often second nature to association professionals, more and more members are looking to further digitize their professional lives. Virtual or hybrid events, online learning modules, both on-demand and in-person webinars, and community message boards, as well as leaning into gamification and personalization on all of these, are popular, and easy, ways associations can start leaning into digitization.
Retention Prioritized
While the trending topics are about attracting new association members, and going after younger members, member churn is a big challenge for many professional associations, and retention should be prioritized just as much—or even above—attracting new or younger members.
What should professional associations do? Ensure that customer service and member value are two of your top priorities! 32% of association members are less likely to continue their membership after just one bad experience and satisfied members are less likely to cancel their memberships.
Some other strategies to increase retention include:
- Collecting member feedback as often as possible.
- Consistently analyzing and auditing not only your current offerings but also your processes and communications.
- Study high-growth associations and see what they’re doing right.
Fostered Networking
Member networking helps with member acquisition, retention, and helps your members in their careers and businesses.
However, while many associations hold networking events geared towards helping members build networking opportunities, working to foster and strengthen that networking on a more granular level can help differentiate your associations from competitors and provide immense value to your members.
Some strategies for fostering—as opposed to just providing—networking opportunities include:
- Planning local meetups but with the addition of an association-approved facilitator.
- Hosting casual virtual events, again, with an association-approved facilitator who can personally introduce members they think can benefit from each others’ knowledge or acumen.
- Regularly posting prompts that facilitate conversation in member forums, social media, or newsletters.
- Encouraging specific collaboration between members.
- Holding town hall or panel-style discussions that are even more niche than your organization already is.
Association Resources
- Solving Association Challenges
- How Associations Can Attract Younger Members
- The Best Association Non-Dues Revenue Sources
About HiringThing
HiringThing is a modern recruiting platform as a service that creates seamless hiring experiences. Our private label applicant tracking system and open API enable technology and service providers to embed hiring capabilities from sourcing to onboarding. Approachable and adaptable, the platform empowers anyone, anywhere, to hire their dream team.
