Member Loyalty Study: Members value job opportunities.

Member retention and engagement are always top of mind for association professionals. However, many find it difficult to be proactive at identifying and developing a plan to address member satisfaction before it’s too late.

There are many reasons why members join a professional organization. But, according to Community Brands’ recent Member Loyalty Study, there are specific benefits that keep them coming back for more.

Unsurprisingly, job opportunities rank as one of the top benefits an association can offer its members, specifically Millennials. However, this is not always a key area of focus for many organizations. As we shared in last year’s Member Engagement Study, there’s a divergence between what these early career members want and what associations prioritize.

For example, associations tend to prioritize conferences, networking and advocacy over job opportunities, even though those opportunities are highly valued by early careerists. Ultimately, this misalignment may lead to member attrition.

As the fastest-growing segment in the workforce, focusing on Millennials and ensuring their engagement from day one creates greater opportunity for sustained growth and a brighter future for your association. Remember, 62 percent of members join within the first five years of their careers. This means the stakes are both high and urgent.

So, it’s important to ask yourself if your areas of focus are in line with current trends. Are you looking at early careerists as a unique segment? Do you know what benefits and programs they find most engaging? And, most importantly, are you growing your population of younger members?

Job board software is fundamental in recruiting and retaining Millennials. A career center with job alerts, personalized searches and recommendations, plus the ability for members to import their resumes from LinkedIn, and log in through existing social accounts, such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, goes a long way to boost engagement and member satisfaction among this segment.

Of course, additional benefits are your association will become more competitive and members will spend more time interacting on your site. This translates into increased event participation, networking and renewals.

While association membership continues to advance in innovative ways, the core of a professional organization continues to be its relationship with its members. Learn more about keeping members of all segments (Millennials, Gen Xers, Boomers and Matures) loyal to your organization, and much more, by downloading the complete Member Loyalty Study.