How is the Great Resignation Affecting the Sports Industry?

Right now the economy is in the midst of the Great Resignation, a trend that has seen employees leave their jobs to find new jobs, or just to leave their jobs in general. While a career in sports can seem like a dream job, the trend has even extended to the sports industry in recent years.

To better understand how the Great Resignation is affecting sports, WorkInSports organized and conducted a survey. The survey had 512 job seekers and 81 employers respond to the survey between May and June 2022.

Who is WorkInSports?

WorkInSports has over 8,000 employers who regularly post job openings on their job boards. WorkInSports is a part of the iHire family, which has 57 industry-focused networks.

What did WorkInSports Find?

WorkInSports reached several significant conclusions from the survey for their 2022 State of Sports Hiring Report. The conclusions were the following:

• The sports industry is feeling the effects of the Great Resignation.
• Job seekers are not receiving responses from employers after applying for jobs.
• Candidates are struggling to meet job requirements.
• Many job seekers joining the sports job search are in the midst of a career change.
• New career paths in sports are starting up.
• Job boards are the first place job seekers look.
• Both employers and job seekers expect that economic uncertainty will affect being hired.

To get more information on the specific data points, see the full 2022 State of Sports Hiring report linked here.

What Does This Mean for Future Sports Employees and Employers?

The data collected represents the opinions of employers. Based on the conclusions, here are actionable steps that applicants and employees can take to combat the affects of the Great Resignation in the sports industry:

• For candidates struggling to meet the job requirements, they can look to gain valuable experience in the industry or at lateral opportunities.
• For new career paths, applicants should keep an open mind for jobs in nontraditional fields. Examples of this would be sports betting, data analytics and NIL.
• Sign-up for job board reminders to be sent to your inbox. The wider the net the applicant casts, the greater chance of finding and ultimately getting a job.

The Business of College Sports has an opportunity this fall for interns to learn more about college sports. To learn more, apply at the link here.

While the Great Resignation can be stressful for all involved, this information and its reflections provide insights and strategies for both applicants and employers.