MR Job Satisfaction High, Suggests Study

Nearly two thirds (63%) of MR professionals say they are 'very' or 'completely' satisfied with their job, in a survey by non-profit consortium MRII and the University of Georgia. The survey looked in detail at learning and growth opportunities and researchers' satisfaction with them.

The study, conducted by MRII (Market Research Institute International) and the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education, is entitled 'For the Love of Learning: Career Development in a Changing Market Research Industry'. Results are based on responses from nearly 500 market researchers worldwide and indicate that career satisfaction in the MR industry is more than 50% across subgroups, but higher among men - with 67% saying they are highly satisfied versus 59% of women.

The 'top techniques' where market research professionals feel they and their organizations would benefit most from more training and development are data visualization (56%), AI/machine learning (51%), advanced analytics (51%), text analytics/NLP (45%) and generative AI (45%). Other areas where there is a large gap include satisfaction with a company's executive management (a 50-point gap between the highly satisfied group and the rest), the expectations set for their work (48 points), opportunities for advancement (47 points), and the level of communication from executive management (46 points).

Over two thirds (67%) of those who have been in the industry for more than twenty years say they are very satisfied with their jobs, compared with 57% who have been in the sector for less than ten years, and 53% who are mid-career. Ed Keller (pictured), Executive Director of MRII, comments: 'Throughout the study, we see the importance that researchers place on opportunities to learn, which is very heartening to me given MRII's commitment to education and career enhancement. With the demands being placed upon market research and insights development, and the rapid change underway in the field, that bodes well for the industry as motivated practitioners will be up to the challenge of learning and mastering the skills that will be needed'.

To download a full copy of the report, visit https://bit.ly/loveoflearning2023 .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.