Sports Workers Are Staying in the Biz. Here’s How to Keep Them in Your Organization

The end of summer is a busy time in the sports industry as MLB playoff races are heating up, NFL training camps are getting started with the NHL and NBA seasons following closely behind, and fall sports are beginning on college campuses across the U.S. The upcoming spike in sporting events brings a full schedule of 60–70-hour workweeks, night and weekend hours, and months without a true “day off” in sight.

Retaining talent in the sports industry can be challenging with the workload each employee maintains during the peak of their season. With those conditions, it’s unsurprising that 38.4% of sports workers surveyed for our 5th Annual State of Online Recruiting Report indicated that they were employed and seeking a job.

When asked why sports employees were seeking greener pastures, the top responses were dissatisfaction with their pay (22.4%) and unhappiness in their current role (21.8%). Those responses were comparable to 2022’s State of Sports Hiring Report, when 26.6% of job seekers were unsatisfied in their roles and 21.5% wanted better pay.

However, one cause stood out in a good way for sports employers: Only 10.9% of sports job seekers were looking to leave the industry entirely, a stark drop from the 32.8% of candidates looking to leave the field in 2022, which was the biggest driver for wanting to find a new opportunity.

While the employees your organization counts on may be looking for a new job, working in the sports industry still appeals to the vast majority of them. With that in mind, here are a few strategies for keeping employees happy in sports.

Offer Some Flexibility

Jobs in sports operate beyond a typical 9-to-5 role, regardless of the work you do with your company. Time in the office is for planning the events on nights and weekends, where most of your employees may be closing up shop after midnight, long after fans, players, and coaches have gone home.

The long hours in the sports industry can pile up for even the most passionate workers. In our 2022 Talent Retention Report, 35.4% of employees surveyed stated poor work-life balance was why they voluntarily left their last job. While additional hours due to events are expected in sports, allowing flexible schedules gives employees more opportunity to recharge and shows that you trust them to complete tasks without overloading their office schedule. In the sports industry, that could look like:

•    Leaving the office early to prepare for an event that night
•    Starting the workday late following a game night
•    Taking a day off following an intense stretch of home contests
•    Working remotely outside of game days

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Embrace New Ideas

“We’ve always done it this way” is one of the most overused reasons a process exists. That phrase is meant to end a conversation, typically when someone suggests ways to work more efficiently. It also can start a rift between an employee and supervisor, which was the most common reason (43.7%) why employees left their posts in the 2022 Talent Retention Report.

While not every suggestion an employee gives is feasible, taking the time to listen when a worker shows initiative and takes an interest in the deeper functions of your organization is a great way to build trust, empower your workforce, and fast-track someone for a promotion. Speaking of which…

Give Promising Workers Larger Roles

Even in a supportive work environment, employees want to grow in their sports careers. Another cause of employees leaving is that their current spot offers few opportunities for advancement (28.3%). While WorkInSports Podcast host Brian Clapp mentions that it’s typical to move out to other organizations to move up the ladder in sports, empowering the quality workers that you have in tow shows you recognize their value (important as 29.7% of workers leave due to lack of recognition/appreciation) and see their potential to handle more important tasks.

A new season brings excitement, hope, and optimism to sports fans everywhere. If your organization incorporates flexible work arrangements, honestly listens to new ideas, and expands the responsibilities of your top workers, that energy will also translate behind the scenes to your workforce. For more tips on retaining talent in the sports industry, visit our employer resource center.