An interview: potential jobseekers are increasingly prioritising areas such as compensation, benefits and flexibility Photo Credit: Adobe stock/Jacob Lund
Employers within the incentives industry are facing new barriers when
it comes to recruiting the next generation of talent. Potential
jobseekers are increasingly prioritising areas such as compensation,
benefits and flexibility - features not typically associated with a
career in incentives, while low awareness of career progression routes
is also seen as a major barrier to attracting talent.
When employers are introducing the industry to potential hires, the
top ‘selling points’ are the opportunity to design creative incentives,
international travel and developing new skills.
These are some of the findings from the Incentive Research
Foundation’s (IRF) latest study, The Future Of The Incentives Industry
Workforce, which was based on results from two surveys. One was an
employer survey directed at professionals in MICE sector and those in
the Incentives, Rewards, and Recognition (IRR) industries, while the
second survey was based on responses drawn from employees and potential
job seekers in both industries.
The findings were explored further during a recent webinar, entitled
The Future of the Incentives Industry Workforce, featuring contributions
from Alexa LeClaire, director, national accounts at Access Destination
Services; Mike May, president, Brightspot Incentive & Events; Alan
Schweyer, chief academic adviser at the IRF; and Stephanie Harris, IRF
president.
“We’re experiencing a bright spot within the industry but the rebound
and growth in incentives and events has exceeded current staffing
levels, especially during the heavier, seasonal times, such as quarters
one and two,” said May. “We’re trying to find the right balance of staff
to keep up with demand.”
LeClaire highlighted that many people left the industry for other
sectors during and post-pandemic and said that filling senior positions,
or those which require solid experience, continues to be a challenge.
May added that his business is having to become more creative when
recruiting, such as looking at adjacent industries that might be a good
fit, whether it is hiring somebody from a marketing communications
background, from the agency side or from a hotel sales role.
Schweyer urged employers to overcome perceptions of career
progression barriers by raising awareness of the range and depth of
roles available within the incentives industry, which could span event
manager, travel advisor or tech/IT specialist. “There's an enormous
range of opportunities and career progression,” he said. “Most veterans
of the industry, people who have several years of experience tend to
stay in the industry, even though their skills are highly transferable.’
May reflected on how the role of those who deliver incentives has
changed, and how the definition of an incentive today has helped elevate
the concept within the industry.
“We’re looking at a different world than the one from 2019 - we’re
bringing out the importance of designing creative incentives, doing
creative work and creating experiences that inspire people,” he said.
“We're not just throwing parties, we're not just putting people on
planes or hosting dinners, we're doing things that hopefully inspire and
motivate people to increase loyalty and build retention within
organisations. It makes the job less ‘logistical’ and more professional
and consultative.”