We’re Not Short of Future Researchers. They Just Don’t Know It Yet.

As thousands of students head back to university this month, the insight profession has a talent challenge – and it starts much earlier than recruitment.

How many students are studying Market Research as a degree? Very few. But perhaps that isn’t the problem.

Our future researchers are studying Psychology, Marketing, Sociology, Economics, Business, Statistics, Data Science, Anthropology and many other subjects. They are learning how people think, how businesses work, how data tells stories and how behaviour changes.

In other words, they are developing exactly the skills our industry needs. They just don’t necessarily know there is a career waiting for them in research. Ask a student what they want to become and you’ll hear lawyer, psychologist, consultant, marketer, journalist or data scientist.

You rarely hear: “Market Analyst, Market Researcher or Insight Professional.”

Why?

Because as an industry, we haven’t always been very good at selling ourselves. And that’s a problem.

Today’s insight industry is a long way from the traditional perception of questionnaires, focus groups and PowerPoint presentations.

Research now sits at the intersection of consumer behaviour, data, technology, AI, behavioural science, innovation and commercial strategy.

Researchers are helping businesses answer some of the most fascinating questions there are:

• Why do people behave the way they do?
• Why do consumers choose one brand over another?
• What will people want next?
• How can AI help us understand millions of consumer conversations?
• How do you turn all that insight into better commercial decisions?

That sounds like a pretty good and fulfilling career to me. So what should the industry do?

We need to stop waiting for entry level candidates to find us

We should be going into universities, colleges and schools, talking to Psychology, Marketing, Economics, Sociology and Data Science students and showing them what a career in insight actually looks like.

We need more paid internships, placements, apprenticeships, graduate schemes and live industry projects. And we need to become better at recruiting for potential rather than simply experience.

The next great qualitative researcher might be a Psychology graduate. The next great quant researcher might be a mathematician. The next strategic thinker might have studied Philosophy.

We don’t need more Market Research degrees. We need more graduates to understand that their degree could lead them into research.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: We’re not short of future researchers. We’re short of people who know that research is a career.

And if we want a vibrant, relevant and talented research industry in another 25 years, perhaps we need to start telling them now.

The MRS is currently looking for more in the profession to take part in their road shows to promote careers in Insight and Research.

Contact damon@elizabethnorman.com for more information.