Many associations may be struggling to meet member expectations, particularly those in the early and mid-stages of their careers.

That’s according to Forj’s 2023 State of Association Member Experience: Members as Disruptors report, which surveyed more than 1,000 association members from across the U.S.

“Member value proposition can be different based on the profile of the members,” said Forj CEO Kurt Heikkinen. “The attitudes, behaviors, and needs of someone entering their career are very different than someone in the mid or late stages of their career.”

Looking at career stages, the report found that early-career members were less likely to “definitely renew” their membership (42.7 percent) than midcareer (60.8 percent) or late-career members (68.6 percent).

However, there are ways that associations can prioritize the member experience to help increase these rates. Heikkinen shared how focusing on retention efforts, improving technology offerings, and creating community-driven learning can help.

Focus on Retention

The report found that midcareer members are the least satisfied with their associations compared to late-career and early-career members. To examine member loyalty, Forj assessed Net Promoter Score (NPS) satisfaction. By career stage, early-career members scored 10, midcareer members scored 7.4, and late-career members scored 26.3.

“Midcareer members are often at a crossroads where they might be considering an alternative career or thinking about how to break through to the next stage of their current career,” Heikkinen said. “This group is looking for opportunities for continuous learning and career advancement in the form of guided prescriptive pathways.”

He recommends that associations launch specific, tailored learning opportunities and content that’s easily accessible and can meet these members where they are.

“Mentorship programs can help,” Heikkinen said. “Late-career members can provide insight and guidance to help midcareer members take the next step or choose a different path. Personalizing the learning pathways is a great strategy to boost satisfaction and retain those members.”

Revamp Technology

Though the report found that midcareer members are the least satisfied of the three groups, early-career members are also at risk of not renewing membership because they make less money than their counterparts and are less stable in their careers.

Associations can encourage this group to stay by providing differentiated early-career membership rates; networking opportunities that connect this group to mid- and late-career members; targeted, personalized learning offerings; and resources to help them chart their career paths.

“Early-career members have grown up in a more digitally native environment with a higher set of experiential expectations,” Heikkinen said. “They’re used to having technology at their fingertips and have information that’s easy to use and personalized.”

When asked about primary tech frustrations, members expressed concern that technology seemed outdated (22 percent), was hard to navigate (22 percent), and that too many tech platforms created a siloed experience (21 percent).

The report argues that member frustration with outdated and hard-to-navigate platforms demonstrates that many associations are still on their first-generation community and learning platform. Focusing efforts and investment to create a simpler experience can help associations better meet member needs.

Offer Communal Learning

For the second year in a row, the report found that members’ top two reasons for joining associations are “to connect with other members/professionals like me” and “to learn and participate in training or education.”

“We know that the learning paradigm has shifted to one that’s self-led and often cohort-based or social in nature, even though there’s online offerings and asynchronous learning,” Heikkinen said. “It’s clear that people learn through shared experiences and problem solving together.”

Heikkinen recommends that associations continue to prioritize community driven-learning and offer mechanisms and experiences to allow individuals to get communal learning without going into a physical classroom.

“We know people are interested in micro-learning, where they aren’t sitting through conferences, but are more likely to participate in a one-hour webinar that’s also supported by an online discussion group or cohort,” he said. “We’re seeing broader adoption of online communities that provide the convenience of individuals accessing their peers in asynchronous discussions that don’t interrupt daily life.”

[AndreyPopov/ISTOCK]