While investing in quality research is crucial for associations, success depends on having a clear strategy for implementation and delivery. Rejuvenating your association's research requires careful consideration of how findings will be packaged, distributed, and leveraged across your organization to create maximum value for your member community. Creating a Robust Research Framework The research ecosystem encompasses every aspect of your research program, from initial planning through final implementation. By rejuvenating your association's research through a systematic approach, you can ensure your findings deliver actionable insights and tangible member value. Five Pillars of Research Excellence 1. Strategic Planning and Structure Most associations lack dedicated research staff, making partnerships with experienced research firms crucial for rejuvenating your association's research. Working closely with stakeholders and members helps identify critical knowledge gaps and research priorities that align with organizational goals. 2. Professional Implementation Independent third-party research partners bring credibility and expertise to sensitive data collection. This professional approach builds member confidence and ensures reliable results that can drive decision-making. 3. Effective Presentation and Packaging Transform raw data into accessible insights through strategic presentation choices. Whether through interactive visualizations, narrative context, or detailed analysis, packaging should align with member preferences and consumption habits. 4. Strategic Distribution Rejuvenating your association's research requires thoughtful promotion and distribution. Consider multiple channels including: Targeted breakout sessions Engaging webinar presentations Interactive digital reports Member-exclusive content offerings 5. Continuous Evaluation Regular assessment of research effectiveness ensures continuous improvement. Cross-departmental feedback helps shape future initiatives and maximize resource utilization for strategic goals. Leveraging Research Across Your Organization Successful research programs extend beyond data collection to influence multiple organizational functions. Consider how departments from education to development can both inform and benefit from research findings. This integrated approach ensures maximum return on your research investment. Monetization and Member Value When rejuvenating your association's research, consider opportunities for both member benefit and revenue generation. Well-packaged research can serve as: An exclusive member benefit A powerful recruitment tool A premium content offering A demonstration of industry leadership Moving Forward with Research Excellence Rejuvenating your association's research requires careful planning, professional implementation, and strategic delivery. By building a comprehensive research ecosystem, associations can create sustainable programs that deliver ongoing value to their communities. Ready to transform your association's research program? Expert guidance can help you develop a research ecosystem that drives meaningful results for your members. Contact us today.

In today's data-driven environment, successful associations rely heavily on strategic insights derived from comprehensive trend analysis. While primary market research provides valuable data points, association trend analysis transforms this information into actionable intelligence that drives informed decision-making. The Power of Sector-Specific Analysis Association trend analysis becomes most valuable when tailored to your organization's unique context. While broad market data provides useful context, sector-specific trend analysis delivers deeper insights into: Membership engagement patterns Program performance metrics Financial benchmarks Regional market dynamics Strategic Benefits of Targeted Analysis When properly implemented, association trend analysis helps organizations: Evaluate membership fee structures against sector benchmarks Compare program performance with similar associations Assess financial health relative to peer organizations Identify seasonal patterns in member engagement Optimize resource allocation based on historical data Membership and Donor Pattern Analysis For associations relying on dues and contributions, detailed trend analysis of membership and donor behavior proves invaluable. This focused analysis helps organizations: Enhance Strategic Planning Through association trend analysis, organizations can: Define clear, data-driven objectives Identify growth opportunities Optimize member segmentation strategies Improve engagement programs Strengthen Financial Performance Careful analysis of historical patterns reveals: Revenue trends across different member segments Program sustainability metrics Opportunity areas for growth Resource allocation effectiveness Leveraging Qualitative Insights Effective association trend analysis combines quantitative data with qualitative feedback. Organizations should: Conduct regular member surveys Analyze feedback patterns Track satisfaction metrics Monitor program engagement These insights help associations understand not just what is happening, but why members make certain choices. Building Sustainable Growth Through Data Long-term success requires associations to: Establish consistent data collection methods Implement robust analysis frameworks Regular review and adjustment of strategies Maintain focus on member value By incorporating comprehensive trend analysis into strategic planning, associations can better position themselves for sustainable growth and increased member value. Transform Your Association's Decision-Making Association trend analysis represents more than just data collection – it's a strategic tool for organizational transformation. Whether you're seeking to improve member engagement, optimize programs, or strengthen financial performance, proper trend analysis provides the insights needed for confident decision-making. Ready to unlock the power of your association’s data? Contact Vault today  for professional guidance in building a robust analysis framework that drives meaningful results for your organization.

The Great Resignation has hit companies of all types and sizes. According to the Society for Human Resource Management , a record-breaking average of more than 3.95 million workers quit their jobs each month in 2021. There’s considerable speculation about why workers are leaving, but little consensus around which steps employers should take to stem this turnover. Many companies are thinking creatively about how they invest in employee engagement to mitigate potential turnover. For many organizations, this means rethinking their operational approach. By outsourcing certain specialty needs, companies are finding they may be better equipped to reinvest in their employees and create a workplace that reflects new expectations.  How Outsourcing Accounting Can Prevent Turnover Accounting is a highly specialized need that doesn’t always require a large staff. For many organizations, it’s a department that requires a diverse range of experience—from big picture forecasting to day-to-day accounts payable processing—that one person may not be able or willing to provide. Moreover, it’s an area where small improvements can have a major impact on the rest of the organization. In fact, we see five key areas where outsourcing accounting can potentially help mitigate employee turnover.  1. Outsourced accounting can realize cost savings to reinvest in employees Investing in an outsourced accounting firm can potentially save your organization money that can be reinvested in employee pay increases. Some of these savings come from having an outside expert bring a fresh efficiency to old processes. An outsourced accounting firm is also better able to dedicate the appropriate amount of time and knowhow needed to this work at an appropriate cost. Rightsizing this work provides an additional opportunity for cost savings. These savings can also be realized by not having to provide additional in-house employees with benefits, insurance, bonuses, and regular pay increases. Moreover, an outsourced firm’s costs generally stay consistent year to year, providing financial stability. That sort of predictability provides a reliable place from which to budget for raises or one-time investments such as new equipment or perks.   2. More reliable data gives employees confidence in decisions Organizations are tasking managers with responsibility for making faster decisions than ever. Yet, team members working with out-of-date accounting information may find that it’s difficult to confidently move forward. With an outsourced accounting firm, many organizations gain process improvements that lead to more reliable, up-to-date reporting. Getting critical financial information in real time helps employees know if they can afford to move forward with new solutions or otherwise take action on process improvements without feeling anxious about what tomorrow might hold. When your employees can rely on the accuracy of their financial data, they feel empowered to make good decisions. Not only does this benefit your organization, but it creates a baseline for stronger employee engagement . 3. Process training helps upskill employees Outsourced accounting firms often bring with them more efficient practices, as well as training that brings your team up to speed on expectations. For some employees, this may be the first time they’ve had training on budget management or other fiduciary responsibilities. This presents an opportunity for employees to gain skills that can help them make better financial decisions—and entice them to stay with your company. Upskilling is often cited as a key strategy for retaining employees tempted by the Great Resignation. In fact, research from LinkedIn found that 94% of employees surveyed would remain at a company if it was invested in helping them learn. So, ask your accounting firm to walk employees through budget requirements or financial statements. Encourage them to provide employees with insight into the why behind best practices, how to identify areas of potential concern, and how to leverage new technology solutions. This training benefits your company, and may also better engage your employees. 4. Maxed-out managers get cost-effective support More reliable information can be critical in helping overburdened executives make faster decisions. However, for accounting managers or CFOs who can’t find time in their schedule to take on more than day-to-day activities, outsourcing accounting can also allow executives to focus on more impactful higher-level tasks. An outsourced accounting firm can offload many routine tasks and provide CFOs with peace of mind and reliable data that allows them to more effectively manage staff or enable innovation .  5. Efficiency can strengthen customer and vendor relationships An outsourced accounting firm may not interact with your clients or vendors directly, but they can take steps to strengthen your relationship with these partners. For example, many organizations find that their accounting firm provides technology solutions, such as online bill pay or remote invoicing, that make it easier to interact with your company. Many small and mid-size organizations hold off on making this leap on their own due to cost and the time needed to implement a new process, but an accounting firm may bring this suite of services into your office seamlessly.  It’s Time to Make a Change Change can be difficult, but the Great Resignation is a reminder that it can also be costly to stay with the same processes when it’s clear something isn’t working. Organizations that are ready to reinvent their approach to employee engagement will need to creatively rethink their operational approach.  For more information and insight into how an outsourced accounting firm can better support your organization, contact Vault Consulting .

Every nonprofit organization needs internal controls to safeguard the appropriate use of financial assets. However, organizations all too easily view this need as a box that gets checked rather than a cultural priority. Organizations focused on their mission do not always recognize that up-to-date accounting internal controls are a critical way of protecting the mission. If something happens to the funds you collect, you have put your donors and their trust in your organization at risk. In other words, your internal controls function as a safety device for your financials. In that regard, your internal control questionnaires serve as the pre-flight checklist that ensures all safety devices are working as expected for your nonprofit. An internal control questionnaire is a simple audit tool that you can use to assess your organization’s framework. This checklist of internal controls is a starting point from which a nonprofit can ensure that policies are being followed and protections are sufficiently up-to-date. While an organization can develop such a questionnaire based on their existing controls, having a third-party perspective can offer an added layer of protection. Why Use Internal Control Questionnaires for Nonprofits Most organizations think of internal controls simply as a protection against fraud, but these controls also protect against more common risks that your financial systems face. Internal controls can protect against: External breaches. Fraud doesn’t just happen internally. Phishing schemes and scams often target smaller organizations that are more likely to have poor internal controls. Unintentional errors. Without appropriate controls, you run the risk of having inaccurate financial statements, which can devalue your organization and lead to a loss of trust among stakeholders. Loss of data. Accounting and IT are becoming more closely tied than ever. Having one individual store all financial statements on their hard drive, for example, creates a high risk of loss of data. Storing information on the cloud not only makes it easier to share with the entire organization but provides a reliable backup. A simple assessment checklist can help gauge an organization’s protection against the risks noted above. Any time you have a change in personnel or policy, an internal control questionnaire is a good starting point for determining if changes need to be made. And such a questionnaire can help new organizations establish controls. Policies to Shape Your Internal Controls Practices Besides using an internal controls questionnaire to review best practices, nonprofits can benefit from the following tips: Make it a top-down priority. Establishing excellent policies is easy. Following those policies can be harder. The most effective organizations set the tone from the top. It’s up to your C-suite to explain to staff and members why controls are in place and why they should be taken seriously. Review regularly. If you can’t recall the last time your organization assessed its accounting processes, then it’s time to revisit your internal controls questionnaire. Regularly reviewing your internal controls is good policy. The review can be as simple as sending documents out annually for evaluation and signature or discussing policies and changes at annual meetings. Look beyond your auditors. Auditors may offer suggestions for improvement if they see controls clearly lacking, but they can’t dig deeply into every single transaction or procedure to ensure policies are followed appropriately. Rather, it must be the duty of your organization to develop, design, and test these internal controls. Your questionnaire may provide critical direction for ensuring that the system is working. Expand your team by outsourcing. Organizations with a small staff may feel limited in what accounting practices they truly control. It may feel difficult to have a balance of individuals reviewing the CEO’s or board’s expenses, reconciling bank transactions, and other activities. This is where outsourcing accounting functions can help. When you outsource these accounting functions, nonprofits get the power of a team that can share these duties–without paying for several accounting positions. Work with a Partner You Can Trust It’s easy for nonprofits to let their internal controls policies become lax with the reasoning that there’s simply not enough staff or time to commit to procedures that don’t contribute directly to the mission. The truth is, however, that these financial controls are central to the mission of protecting donors, members, and other stakeholders’ contributions and trust. Fraud, error, and financial loss can hit organizations of all sizes at any time, so it’s important to prepare today. By outsourcing accounting with Vault , nonprofits gain the perspective of a firm that has seen what happens when internal controls aren’t in place. They gain expertise in developing controls that best protect their processes and insight into solutions they may not have considered. They gain the knowledge of a full accounting team without the cost. Not ready to outsource your accounting? Then consider an internal controls assessment that digs into your policies and ensures you have adequate protection. To get started, contact Vault today.

Professional and trade associations can benefit a great deal from conducting primary market research (PMR). Director of Research at Vault Consulting, Laura Clark , helps professional and trade associations accomplish their research goals every day. Her day-to-day consists of helping Vault clients develop research plans that will tackle business goals and then synthesizing the results of those research initiatives to create actionable briefs. Clark claims that primary market research doesn’t just act as a revenue generator but rather, “ a valuable tool for any association to understand their membership, concerning what they want, need, and why or why not they choose to become members.” According to Clark, along with direct revenue, membership associations can benefit from primary market research studies through indirect revenue, membership engagement, and association growth. There are two categories of data that associations can aim to collect, which are qualitative and quantitative. For either method of data collection, Clark thinks it’s best to start by working backwards or employing a reverse engineering strategy, “ we encourage our clients to think about where they want to end up and to think about the actions and decisions they want to make out of the research .” While some clients conduct primary market research studies to create a source of non-dues revenue, Clark also recommends research for the sake of strategic decision-making. The Director of Research adds that there are several ways to gather data that appeal to different demographics among one membership including bulletin board focus groups, traditional focus groups, or even phone surveys. In a recent experience, Clark found that younger professionals prefer the flexibility of bulletin board focus groups because participants are given a time duration to log into a platform and participate in an online chat community. She also finds that an online option of a traditional focus group, which can be taken at a prescribed time on an online ‘Brady Bunch’ video conference tool, is a popular choice among participants for its accessibility. But however associations decide to collect data from their membership, Clark states that it’s important to present the data in an efficient and succinct manner, which will make it easier for board members or staff to extract vital information that will inform future strategy. Once the results have been synthesized, she advocates for simplified and summarized results to put out to the decision-makers, “ people want easily digestible snippets of information or infographics. ” Whether your association is looking to generate revenue, expand membership, or engage and retain current membership, Vault’s research team is ready to help you throughout the entirety of the process: from developing a research goal to planning and executing a study. Want to learn more? Contact Laura Clark at lclark@vaultconsulting.com to learn more about your market research options with Vault Consulting.

Understand Your Nonprofit’s Recruitment Strategy Recruitment is more than finding someone with the right skills and experience for a job. It’s also about developing a relationship with the candidate and learning about their skills, knowledge, and goals. It helps you to make a more informed decision about whether or not the candidate is a good fit for your organization. A well-crafted recruitment strategy can help your organization to save time and money, improve its employee retention rate, and boost its overall productivity. There are many strategies that employers can use to recruit talent in a tight labor market. Some of these include: Build relationships . Artificial intelligence will not replace human resources as it is a face-to-face function. It is also a function that requires respect and transparency, which are variables built under Vault’s recruitment strategy. Focus on skillsets and adaptability rather than perfection.  When looking at a prospective candidate, analyze their skillset and adaptability, not whether they’re perfect. People who aren’t fit for one role may flourish in another. Fill resource gaps.  Rather than finding the perfect candidate, focus on filling resource gaps. Understand the business units and their needs. Maintain relationships.  Rejecting good candidates doesn’t mean the relationship ends there. Reach out to previous applicants when new roles emerge. It might not be the right timing even when you’ve found a great candidate. It’s all about timing.  When roles open, fill them. Encourage management to allot a certain amount of time to fill the position; otherwise, take dated posts down to avoid companies seeming like unresponsive employers. Here are some additional tips for recruitment strategies to consider: Be prepared to move quickly.  Once you find a candidate you’re interested in, be prepared to make moves. The best candidates may have multiple offers, so you must act quickly to secure their services. Be flexible with your hiring process.  In a tight labor market, you may need to be flexible with your hiring process. It could mean waiving specific requirements, such as a college degree, or offering a shorter interview process. Following these recruitment strategies can increase your chances of finding and hiring the talent you need to grow your organization. For more information and insight, feel free to contact Vault Consulting .

To remain relevant in the face of today’s demand for rapid, customizable, and personalized information, associations are finding they must adapt. Past association trends have outlived their usefulness in today’s digital environment. While associations may no longer collect survey responses by fax or distribute survey results by mailing out floppy disks, many still use manual or Excel-based data collection strategies to drive their research. Helping your members make timely, more informed decisions begins with your association’s ability to provide better, faster data. For many associations, this may require a program to drive data modernization. Elements of a Data Modernization Program A data modernization program isn’t just about moving surveys and other solutions online. This association trend is all about utilizing today’s technology solutions to drive results that better serve your members and staff. As a result, it’s important to develop your data approach with a focus on the end results. A data modernization program should target the following goals: Speed: The end goal of every research project is to provide members with timely data to help guide decision-making. Reducing the burden on participants to provide information is likely to improve response times and increase participation. To this end, associations should be selective regarding how many data points they request. They should also look for ways to add automation that makes the process faster and easier. Options include the use of an application programming interface (API) solution that fully automates everything, tools to pre-populate survey forms with results from past periods, and an increased focus on short pulse-style surveys that take only minutes for participants to complete. Accuracy: Accuracy is essential for ensuring trust in your research, and this is another key area where automation can help. Automating data collection and reporting steps can reduce the risk of human error and ensure higher rates of accuracy in your results. Security: Proving your commitment to security is critical for securing sensitive data from members. Associations will need to have a clear policy around security practices and attempted breach protocols in place. A cybersecurity firm can support associations with insight into best practices or security audits that ensure your data is protected. Members will also want to see that your association is meeting their requirements for documentation security, such as compliance with the American Institute of CPAs’ Service Organization Control (SOC) reporting standard, for example. Ease of internal use: A modern data program should provide benefits for your staff as well. Any updates should ensure that data is more easily accessible to all board members and staff, with the ability to hide certain data elements behind passwords as needed. Support for online offerings: Any solution that supports fast, secure, accurate data collection can provide a strong foundation for all of your online offerings. It’s essential to ensure that your platform can integrate seamlessly with any other solutions that you may use to deliver interactive reporting, virtual events, member communities, and other online programs—while offering the same level of security and ease of use for staff and members. Solutions that Can Help Achieve Your Goals It is easy to be overwhelmed by the multitude of options available to help modernize data collection and reporting. The good news is that associations do not need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to data modernization. This is one area where association trends are making it easier to stand apart, as existing apps and plugins can generally support this data shift. What might have been a costly six-month build can now be done at a lower cost with a much quicker turnaround by using modern infrastructure solutions already in place. By vetting potential vendors, associations can provide the tools their members want. Another key area to consider is moving from on-premise servers to cloud-based solutions. This step can reduce the risk of data loss due to disaster or other destruction of files, and ensure continued access to files in the event of a board member or staff turnover. Moving to a cloud-based server also means turning security over to a dedicated expert, rather than relying on association staff to maintain up-to-date security procedures and invest in security software solutions. Making the move to a new system can bring tremendous efficiency, but it’s important that associations continue to review their data collection policies and solutions regularly for additional opportunities to improve. Any new solutions implemented should provide associations with the flexibility to adapt and change in the face of future needs. To get the support you need in modernizing your data programs, contact Vault today.

Fueled by rapid changes in workforce, industry, and consumer behavior, your members rely more than ever on access to the latest data for fast, sound decision-making. This is where pulse surveys are proving to be an invaluable association trend. These brief surveys capture the “pulse of an industry” within a few questions. Their strength is in their brevity, as they can be used to provide regular insight on critical business needs as factors evolve in real-time. What is a pulse survey? In general, a pulse survey asks only a few multiple-choice questions. They may be sent out weekly, biweekly, or monthly, and generally take less than five minutes to complete. Their strength is in their narrow focus. Pulse surveys typically come in one of two forms: Opinion-based: These surveys aim to capture association members’ sentiments on key issues. An opinion-based pulse survey might ask for opinions on labor challenges or advocacy issues, for example. Data-based: These surveys capture member-submitted sales or other benchmarking data. A data-based pulse survey might ask how sales have been impacted by a specific event or for details about work backlog. Despite their brevity, pulse surveys provide your members with valuable, up-to-date information on the issues that matter most to their industry, peers, or customers. They provide timely insight into how companies compare against the industry at large. These brief surveys also provide a sounding board in between more in-depth association reporting that often drives decision-making. Who to Survey to Get the Pulse of Your Industry Because pulse surveys should take only a few minutes to complete, associations may find they get responses from a wider than typical range of their association members . This proves valuable in providing a strong data set to track over time. However, it also helps to build up engagement that can translate into greater member participation in future events and research opportunities and dictate future association trends. Given their brevity, pulse surveys also open up the possibility of seeking input from a diverse group of individuals, capturing a broader perspective of industry issues. In fact, these surveys are an excellent opportunity to reach out to stakeholders who may be adjacent to your typical audience. This might include different people within the organizations you already work with, as you look beyond engagement with senior leadership to include sales reps, marketing, and mid-level positions. This may also involve distributors, supply chain partners, and even customers. A tracking study among consumers, with monthly or quarterly information, can identify purchasing and other trends that can inform association members’ decisions.  The Value of the Pulse of the Industry Although brief, pulse surveys pack a powerful punch. These short, quick-hitting surveys can also promote the issues essential to the success of your industry over time. In fact, pulse surveys’ value tends to increase over time due to the ongoing accumulation of historic data that identifies trends in data points. The historic data contained in these surveys can provide members with insight that can help them plan how best to weather industry challenges . This supplemental data can also help guide members’ decisions in between your association’s larger-scale surveys. For associations, pulse surveys offer a more regular opportunity to engage with members than annual research projects . The narrow focus of pulse surveys also tends to prove attractive to members of the media . These surveys are shaped around telling a very specific story, and many associations find they can build a brief narrative around their surveys to provide context to historic association trends. The Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), for example, has built a robust story around its monthly survey on product delivery lead times. The ECIA narrative connects this single data point across several product lines to the challenges that impact elements of the supply chain. With this information, ECIA issues regular press releases that are carried out by several industry publications , while also tying the quick poll to a more complete members-only sales report. ECIA demonstrates how, with only a few targeted questions, associations can extend their reach and drive greater value for their industry. Ready to take the pulse of your industry? Vault Consulting can help craft and send your survey in support of a robust research program. To learn more, contact Vault today.

While online communities, events, and training have been mainstream for many years, many people still believed that business connections were best formed in person. Then the 2020 pandemic dramatically changed how we all communicated and built relationships. Associations had no choice but to shift to virtual content offerings due to global shutdowns. Since then, virtual solutions have proven to be more than an association trend—they have staying power. Yet the question remains of how to deliver value to association members through a blend of virtual and in-person events, education, and communities. This value varies and depends on the industry sector and the specific offering, which are both in turn shaped by what members consider of value. For this reason, a strong feedback loop between associations and members will steer the future direction of virtual content. Exploring Virtual Content Opportunities The shift to online offerings is happening in a number of areas for associations. Having had to move annual meetings online, many associations are continuing to explore the possibilities of what a virtual annual meeting can look like. Associations have also found that online communities can be a strong driver of member engagement. “ Branded communities are considered safer spaces than public social networks. People feel more comfortable showing vulnerability by asking questions ,” according to engagement platform provider Higher Logic’s 2020 Engagement Trends Report notes. These online communities allow members to discuss specific topics and elicit relevant insights from the field’s thought leaders. Better still, topics from these forums can shape association trends and find support from content built around those trends. In addition, online education offerings—from webinars to certification training—have grown significantly. In 2020, demand for online learning opportunities rose by as much as 400% , according to Global Market Insights . As associations navigate these virtual offerings, many are recognizing the push from outside industries. For those groups ready to reinvent their member benefits, this can be a tremendous source of inspiration, as one medical association discovered. Having always relied heavily on in-person training, the association suddenly found itself competing with platforms like YouTube, challenging leadership’s expectations around how its community wanted to learn. In its goal to become a go-to digital learning platform, the association soon began evaluating technical training solutions from outside the surgical space. This included finding out what other technical skills were being trained virtually and how that could crossover to their space. Gauging Value for Virtual Content Before choosing from a variety of virtual content options, associations need to take a step back and ensure that the value of a virtual offering outweighs its challenges. Is the ability to reach a broader audience worth the cost and time to navigate new technologies? Will a shift to virtual content alienate existing members who rely on in-person events? It’s important to also determine if there is value in delivering a virtual solution alongside an in-person option. This might look like a flagship in-person event with some combination of an in-person conference with virtual webinars or online training tailored around more specific association trends. Making decisions around the value propositions for virtual and in-person content will also require data from your members and other stakeholders. It’s important to determine what is motivating your members . Is your association’s vision of a virtual solution truly what your members need? To make virtual solutions effective, it’s important to uncover the motivators behind people’s participation in virtual versus in-person communities, training, and events. Your members aren’t the only stakeholders of your virtual content: exhibitors, sponsors, advertisers, and other partners have a stake in its success. For this reason, it is crucial to consider how any virtual content will benefit all stakeholders before it is developed. This is an area where technology can help. Some associations are using mobile platforms to drive engagement for sponsors and exhibitors while providing an easy-to-navigate experience for members. So how do you secure this information? One strategy is to expand current surveys to incorporate qualitative research. Post-event surveys don’t always provide enough detail and context to guide decision-making. Conversations with event attendees, online community members, and members who opt out of these offerings can offer insights and a more balanced perspective on what’s working and what could work even better. Another strategy is to turn to a trusted partner who can help shape this virtual content. If you’re ready to start crafting a virtual content strategy to support your members, contact Vault today.

Today’s modern data programs give associations the power to personalize the output. This allows associations to provide members and other industry stakeholders with information in the ways that are most meaningful to them. Different audiences want information in various formats. Understanding how various data presentation strategies can support different audiences’ needs can help associations grow their audience and better support their members. Below, we highlight five ways data presentation can help you and your target audiences. 1. Save Your Members Time The ability to customize output within broader association trends offers tremendous value for your members and the participants of any benchmarking or data program. This audience will want the output that is most relevant to their needs. Interactive reports save members time by allowing them to drill down into the level of data that they need without sorting through pages of superfluous charts and tables. This precision is critical in supporting your members in making data-driven decisions at a moment’s notice. Associations can use sophisticated APIs to transform once-static hundred-plus-page reports into dynamic, customizable, easily searched dashboards that provide greater value to their members. This output might look like overlays of company and industry data. It can also include interactive reports, which provide a deep dive into data and market research program results without the overwhelm of traditional annual survey reports. 2. Grow Your Audience Modern data tools tailor information effortlessly. As interactive features make data more accessible, the data may appeal to partner organizations and the media. For example, a growing association trend uses infographics to present information in digestible snippets. Infographics can provide insights at a glance and have become popular tools among the media. 3. Drive Advocacy Another popular example of brevity is the one-pager for issue advocates. This brief document can summarize research results for advocates who want to advance an industry cause on the Hill. These documents work best when they are easy to distribute and provide clear eye-catching data points. This brief data presentation tool can be powerful in positioning your association and its members as thought leaders and go-to sources for data points and research topics. 4. Deliver Data to Get Data Another association trend is the use of report information to provide high-level overviews of white papers. These documents are often offered as an incentive to drive action, such as securing prospective members’ email addresses or securing participation in research in return for additional output. The key is to turn data into gated content that requires users to fill out an online form in exchange for access. This feat becomes much easier with a modern data program. 5. Generate New Revenue The ability to create tiered access also makes it easier than ever for associations to turn research into a revenue generator. This was the plan for one association when they pivoted from a traditional lengthy pdf report on industry financial compensation to completely online reports with an interactive dashboard. The association’s report summary featured a high-level infographic but gave readers access to the level of data they wanted. The association used this offering as an opportunity to overhaul its pricing structure. With the promise of increased customization and company-specific results, they were able to increase their pricing enough to offset their investment in an interactive dashboard. Broaden Your Audience There are likely countless other ways to use this research data, and that’s the beauty of a tiered offering like this. A modern data program can deliver value to a broader audience by tailoring results to each potential audience’s specific needs. With the right tools, associations can easily let their audiences’ needs guide their data presentation strategy. If you need help developing those tools, or your data presentation approach, contact Vault today.

When done correctly, advocacy efforts can positively influence the outcomes of those served by an organization. This is important to every association, regardless of the size or type. Unfortunately, many associations fall short when preparing their message. For messages to be effective, it’s crucial that associations take the time necessary to prepare properly. That’s where advocacy research can help.  In today’s modern world, it’s simply not enough to provide a convincing argument. Associations must present objective, factual messages if they wish to convince policymakers to change their policies or laws. To gain the public’s trust, an association must provide an undisputable argument backed by solid, evidence-based data.  What is Advocacy? Advocacy involves influencing decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. Common advocacy efforts include: Media campaigns Public speaking Commissioning/publishing research Filing an amicus brief Lobbying Preparing for Advocacy Research Proper preparation is key to advocacy research success. Once an association determines its objective, it must consider what information will help accomplish that goal. If this information is not readily available, the association must either aggregate the information they need from other existing data or collect it through their own primary market research efforts.  With so much data available, it can be difficult for associations to determine the best way to collect the information needed and how to use it to convince their intended audience.  Most people today get their information from nontraditional sources. Many of these people are driven by perception and pre-determined objectives. This creates challenges for associations wishing to present their audience with new information.  Associations must remove all emotion from the equation. They must present sound facts and data that suit their audience’s objective. This is the best way to ensure their audience hears their message. Influencing Government Officials When attempting to influence Government officials, it’s important to learn in advance the issues that matter most. Once the association has a clear understanding of these issues they can determine the type of data needed to influence their audience’s decision. This might involve displaying the prevalence of something within the population or measuring public opinion. The type of research conducted will depend on the final goal of the association. Influencing Public Opinions When influencing public opinion, it’s best to test multiple messages across several segments of the relevant population. To determine what works and what does not, the association must carefully monitor public reaction to each message provided.  Data Collection Methods The type of data collection method used depends on several factors. For example, online research is best when the association plans to use lots of words and/or pictures before asking for an opinion. Telephone research is ideal for associations collecting a representative sample from a small geography.  Trusted Research Partner Vault Consulting has years of experience providing the information needed for legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts. Through our experience, we’ve learned what works and what does not. We provide primary market research, qualitative research, quantitative research, surveys, and online polls. For more information and insight on advocacy research, feel free to contact Vault Consulting .

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been operating at the back end of countless online interactions for years. It’s guided retail interactions, marketing messaging, and corporate financial management. Yet it’s sometimes difficult to see AI’s role in the people-centric world of HR. The truth is that, when used appropriately, today’s AI tools can help HR professionals spend more time focused on quality interactions with people. AI tools are geared toward streamlining processes in order to save time. In HR, AI tools can lead to a more personalized employee experience. While these tools do require awareness and management of potential risks, there is a strong future for AI in HR. Below are four ways in which AI can support HR and employees. AI Can Speed Recruitment of Good Candidates AI has already demonstrated its value in the recruiting space. Applicant tracking systems are using AI to filter through hundreds of candidates and resumés, bringing the most qualified candidates to the top of the list. In some cases, AI can help navigate the risk of inherent biases by allowing HR managers to screen resumés without seeing the names of candidates, universities, or other key data. AI solutions also automate the process of scheduling interviews with those candidates. Recruiting is also a space where the drawbacks of AI have become visible. As with any AI tool, automated recruitment tools will reflect any biases built within the platform. For example, resumés are based on criteria entered by the HR manager. In rating an individual’s compatibility for a position, AI is drawing upon any biases input by the hiring manager. The future of AI in HR requires an awareness of this risk. The good news is that awareness makes it possible to develop strategies and put practices in place to counter this challenge. In the case of these resumés, for example, it’s important to have a human eye review candidates who were not selected to ensure potential conflicts in the AI aren’t ruling out qualified candidates. Create a More Welcoming Onboarding Process AI-supported tools can create a personalized onboarding experience even before day one. These solutions can provide insight into the company mission and culture to help new employees feel at ease. They can prompt employees to fill out required paperwork once employment has begun. AI-driven chat features can also help new and existing employees rapidly navigate company benefits and policies. In this way, the future of AI in HR depends upon moving HR out of the role of gatekeeper of employer policies by making this information instantly and easily accessible. The flip side, of course, is that these tools must be equipped to keep corporate data secure. It must also make clear if and when employee data is being collected. Employees concerned about privacy risks are less likely to find the answers they want if they feel their concerns are being shared with corporate leaders. Target Training and Development HR managers already know their team members learn in different ways. AI solutions can help make it easier to deliver up-to-date training across a range of learning platforms and pathways. For example, chatbots can be used to ask iterative questions, exploring a specific employment challenge through a range of lenses and scenarios. Organizations that have a clear sense of path progression can use automated solutions to help prompt employees to pursue training to enhance specific skill sets in order to move to new roles or responsibilities. AI can be used to target training opportunities that help employees grow in the way that best serves their career goals. In this way, AI can also remove some of the bias that comes with the promotion process, by ensuring career progression is based on skill and job fitness. To work, however, HR managers must take steps to ensure employees are not restricted in the types of training they are able to pursue. Improve Performance and Engagement AI solutions can survey employees about their experience in the workplace. The surveys offer employees certainty around anonymity to gather honest feedback. AI tools can be used to compile feedback and identify trends and guide action plans. When used in combination with AI-supported performance management tools, employers can gain insight into factors that may be contributing to turnover. AI solutions can also encourage the use of best practices with programmed nudges. These simple management notifications can provide managers with regular reminders to take some action with their team. This is one of the many ways in which the future of AI in HR can lead to more impactful employee interactions. Let AI Tools Make More Time for Human Connection Given the people-centric nature of HR, it can be difficult to see the potential for automating central tasks. Yet AI tools have the power to give HR managers time to take on more meaningful interactions with team members. It provides opportunities to make company information more accessible and, with careful intention, mitigate human bias. In all of these instances, it’s important to remember that AI provides a useful tool or starting point but its use requires oversight from a human employee. With awareness of these challenges, HR managers can put processes in place to account for risks while enjoying the rewards of AI solutions. Even better, you don’t have to navigate this process alone. If you’re ready to embrace HR best practices in the new era of AI, contact Vault today —we’re here to guide you every step of the way.