young professionals

Read more about the article The Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

The Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we wrap up our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, for a final conversation connecting the lessons from our association leader interviews with Highland's broader research into what younger professionals really need. David shares why associations must move beyond simply distributing benefits and resources to become trusted career partners – and how creating more intentional experiences at critical career moments can strengthen engagement and retention.

Continue ReadingThe Career Partnership Advantage: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement
Read more about the article Belonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection

Belonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Ryan Vanderbilt, Vice President of Membership, Marketing & Communications at the American Psychiatric Association (APA), to explore what it really means for members to feel they belong—and how associations can foster meaningful connections throughout their careers. From APA's new strategic plan to research-driven experiments with mentorship, micro-volunteering and member communities, Ryan shares how APA is moving beyond traditional benefits to become a more relevant and supportive professional home.

Continue ReadingBelonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection
Read more about the article Small Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement

Small Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Laura Burch, Vice President of Product Evolution, and Kelsey King, Director of Product Development and Management, at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) to explore how small, intentional experiments can help associations tackle big questions around member engagement, career support and retention. From testing an AI-powered career tool to rethinking how existing resources reach members, Laura and Kelsey share what worked, what didn’t—and why an experiment that doesn’t produce the expected result can still create tremendous value.

Continue ReadingSmall Experiments, Big Lessons: Rethinking Member Engagement
Read more about the article Career Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul

Career Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we continue our special fall series with Highland exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with Sid Bhatnagar, CEO of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), to explore how associations can become career-long resources for their members. If your association is rethinking how it supports members throughout their careers, this conversation is for you.

Continue ReadingCareer Pathways That Keep Members Engaged for the Long Haul
Read more about the article From Joining to Staying: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

From Joining to Staying: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, we kick off our September series focused on how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals—powered by our partners at Highland. Our guest is Jon Berbaum, President of Highland, who joins host Colleen Gallagher to explore why younger professional engagement has become an association-wide strategic issue—and why getting someone to join is only the beginning. If your association is working hard to attract younger professionals but struggling to keep them, this conversation is for you.

Continue ReadingFrom Joining to Staying: Rethinking Younger Professional Engagement
Read more about the article From Joining to Staying: Rethinking How Associations Engage Gen Z

From Joining to Staying: Rethinking How Associations Engage Gen Z

In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, we kick off our May spotlight series on Gen Z and younger professionals in the association space—powered by our partners at Highland. Our guest is David Whited, Principal of Design Research & Strategy at Highland, an innovation consultancy helping mission-driven organizations uncover member needs and build digital solutions that meet them. David shares eye-opening insights from Highland’s Young Professional Membership Index (YPMI)—an annual national survey and benchmarking tool that’s helping associations uncover the real barriers to Gen Z and young professional engagement. 🎧 If you’ve been wondering why younger members aren’t joining—or why they don’t stay—this conversation is for you.

Continue ReadingFrom Joining to Staying: Rethinking How Associations Engage Gen Z