COVID-19 may be largely in the rearview mirror for most Americans, but we’re still living with its aftereffects. Consider the U.S. workforce: Following a spike in unemployment during the early months of the pandemic, the economy has produced more jobs. But the workforce hasn’t quite caught up: According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, there are currently 8.1 million job openings, but only 6.6 million unemployed people actively seeking work. One reason for that gap is a decline in the workforce participation rate, currently at 62.7 percent—nearly a 5-point drop from 2001.

This isn’t an abstract issue for associations: To thrive, associations need to be strong advocates for their industries and make it easy for people to engage in it. It’s important enough that ASAE has identified workforce development as an essential knowledge area—an area “of great need and/or change”—in the coming year. 

Understanding where your association is in terms of workforce development shouldn’t be a matter of guesswork. It begins with meaningful benchmarking of where your industry is at, and what your members’ (and potential members’) needs are. Attendees at next month’s ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo will have plenty of opportunities to explore benchmarking as a topic—a list of relevant sessions is at the end of this column. But I wanted to spotlight one benchmarking report in particular as useful in how it can show where your members are at, and what’s needed to better support them in the workforce.

MCI’s report found that there’s significant room for improvement in member engagement strategies.

MCI’s Association Engagement Index 2024 is the latest in a series of reports by the global association consultancy on what members are looking for from their associations. The index, based on surveys of members from 58 participating associations, measures members’ assessments of their associations and boils it down to a single figure. In this year’s survey, that number is 88, suggesting that engagement is only moderately strong—and hasn’t improved since the 2022 iteration of the survey. As the report puts it, “there’s significant room for improvement in engagement strategies and understanding the key drivers to better connect with members.”

How does that connection happen? The MCI report says it happens on three fronts. One is choice—giving members the opportunity to engage with their associations in different ways, from committee work, special interest groups, and more. Another is diversity in channels—members expect to be able to engage with their association both in-person and virtually. And third is customization, ensuring that products and services are targeted to them in ways that are meaningful and increase engagement. As the report puts it: “The easier and faster members can access content, products, and programs that are relevant to them, the more likely they are to make purchases, advocate for the brand, and increase their engagement with the association.”

How associations will address matters of choice, channel, and customization will vary. But the MCI report shows that not only is it critical to address it, but that it’s critical to measure it. Leaders can start the process of improving the workforce of their association’s industry by developing services that meet them where they are, open the door to new members, and track what’s working and keeping them engaged. It’s a tall order, but essential for the future of health of your association, and associations in general. 

Benchmarking-Themed Sessions at the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo

Below are just a few of the sessions designed to help association professionals develop metrics around their membership and industry.

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[iStock/Nadezhda Kurbatova]