After the key findings of our People Agenda 3rd Edition report, It is interesting to see that 1 in 3 sports industry professionals will switch employers within a year.
Now in its third year, the People Agenda was created to give a global, data-driven analysis of attitudes and behaviours across the sports industry employee market. It is the definitive annual temperature check to help those running sports businesses make better and more informed decisions around their HR strategy and how to attract and retain the best possible talent.
More people are on the move than ever
The backdrop to 2022 was the ‘great resignation’; wages rising at the fastest rate in 25 years and record numbers of vacancies across almost every industry saw employers enter a battle to hire job-seeking candidates as a skills shortage took hold.
This has resulted in unprecedented mobility in the sports industry employment market with one in three (34%) sports industry professionals accepting a new job in the last 12 months.
Sports science/health, leisure/fitness, and sports agencies were the sectors that experienced the greatest number of new starters.
As an agency, we have also noticed a significant change in the job market, characterised by a trend towards more frequent job changes among employees. While this evolution brings numerous challenges, we are eager to embrace this dynamic.
We want to support our new employees as best we can on their journey in sports business and develop their careers with initiatives such as in-depth onboarding sessions, further education or mentoring.Vivi Dimitriadou, Chief People Officer, SPORTFIVE
Outlook
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of those who started a new job in 2022 did so in a mid-level or senior position. This is partly due to a greater supply for these roles versus entry-level or junior positions but also reflected the sports industry’s continued professionalisation, which demands more experienced professionals with strong track records in their respective fields.
More than half (56%) of people are currently actively seeking new career opportunities. For European countries, this figure is 47%, which is far higher than the cross-industry average in the region of 21% (State of Hybrid Work 2022).
In sports, this emphasises Power with the People – and means if employers are to counterbalance employee churn and reduce job tenures, they must look more closely at where they can invest in their employees.
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