Career development: STLE’s greatest member value
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report September 2021
A recent study points to the challenges and opportunities facing all professional societies.
Wiley (
www.wiley.com), the international technical and scientific publishing giant, recently released results from the seventh edition of its Society Member Survey. The research is based on data gathered from individuals in 113 different countries who belong to a professional society like STLE. Respondents were from a variety of disciplines, including engineering, accounting, finance, business and social sciences.
While there’s diversity in the fields covered, the group’s attitude toward society membership seems consistent—and that’s not a good thing. According to Dr. Jonathan Roscoe of Wiley, the survey report shows: “Society membership is continuing to fall. 58% say they are currently members of a society, and we haven’t seen the percentage this low since 2016.” The study also found that the number of respondents who have never been a society member is growing.
STLE has countered this trend to some degree. During the most recent fiscal year, which ended June 30, the total number of individual members increased by 2%. Certainly not a huge gain, but notable for a year when the global pandemic disrupted the normal course of business at companies and organizations.
What can societies do to reverse declining membership trends? Every organization, STLE included, has unique and targeted membership retention and recruiting plans. But the Wiley report data also serves as a reminder that simple solutions are often the most effective.
What can members do to reverse declining membership trends? Recruit your colleagues—members are the most effective recruiters. While you grow your organization, the value of your membership increases with each new connection. The study found that 42% of individuals that have never been a society member haven’t joined because they haven’t been asked. Similarly, 23% of non-joiners say they don’t know what membership benefits are available.
One other finding in the Wiley study merits attention. It notes that members view career support from an organization to be of primary importance. The emphasis on support seems to stem from a recognition that the pandemic has had a negative effect on careers, especially among younger members. Losing collaboration and networking opportunities because of the pandemic adds to this anxiety.
“Early career researchers are feeling the loss of the collaboration and networking opportunities at in-person conferences the hardest,” according to the study. “Researchers told us that with so many ‘must-attend’ events during 2020 being canceled, department heads and principal investigators are questioning the time and money associated with events.”
For STLE, this points toward an emphasis on ways the organization can foster connections in the community. Some of the ways are traditional, such as the STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition, May 15-19, 2022, at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla. Smaller events, with a specific technical focus, also will play a part in fulfilling the connect portion of our Connect-Learn-Achieve motto. A highlight will be the Tribology and Lubrication for E-Mobility Conference and Training Course, Nov. 3-5, at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. These events provide learning and networking opportunities that foster career development.
As the Wiley report concludes: “This could be a big driver of member growth this year, especially among the next generation of members.” Check out details on both events at
www.stle.org.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.