Insights professionals share key elements that lead to career satisfaction 

Editor’s note: Ed Keller is executive director of the Market Research Institute International (MRII). 

As we navigate the ever-changing world of work, one component remains stable – investing in people is core and crucial. Great organizations shape the lives of the people who work for them and lead the market by example. 

During this time of tremendous change in the research industry, this is particularly true. With the rapid rise of research technology comes great opportunity. It also brings with it the need to train professionals at all levels on the fundamentals of research excellence. It is a key priority for employees and should also be a key to management. How do we know? We did research!

Market Research Institute International (MRII) and our educational partner University of Georgia recently conducted “For the Love of Learning: Career Development in a Changing Market Research Industry,” a global survey of market research and insights practitioners. The study, executed by QuestionPro, provides a deeper understanding of the state of our profession and reveals a blueprint for areas that research professionals believe need to be a focus for the future. 

Nearly two thirds (62%) of market research professionals surveyed say they are “very” or “completely” satisfied with their job. These findings are favorable for our industry when looked at in comparison with a recent study by Pew Research that found only half (51%) of Americans in general are highly satisfied with their jobs. 

The study also found that career satisfaction in the market research industry is over 50% across subgroups. However, it is higher among males (with 67% saying they are highly satisfied) versus females (59%); and also varies by tenure in the industry, with 67% of those who have been in the industry for 20+ years saying they are very satisfied with their jobs, versus 57% of the least tenured (less than 10 years) and 53% of those who are in mid-career (10-20 years). There are no meaningful differences by business types (64% of those who work at market research agencies and consultants are highly satisfied as are 60% of corporate researchers) and job roles (64% of those who manage others and 61% who do not are each highly satisfied).

When it comes to job satisfaction, training is a key differentiator

Looking at differences between the highly satisfied group versus those who are less than fully satisfied (of whom 28% are moderately satisfied, 6% only slightly satisfied and 3% who are not at all satisfied), the biggest gaps in terms of specific areas of satisfaction are with regard to opportunities to learn and grow. Seventy-nine percent of the highly satisfied are satisfied with respect to this aspect of their job, versus only 33% of the rest, for a gap of 46 points. 

Other areas where there is a large gap include satisfaction with the company’s executive management (a 50-point gap between the highly satisfied group and the rest), the expectations set for their work (48 points), opportunities for advancement (47 points) and the level of communication from executive management (46 points).

In addition, the research shows:

  • The top techniques where market research professionals feel they and their organizations would benefit most from more training and development are data visualization (56%), AI/machine learning (51%), advanced analytics (51%), text analytics/NLP (45%) and generative AI (45%). 
    • In two of these areas, respondents say there is high current usage as well as a high degree of future interest – data visualization and advance analytics.
    • Skill areas with low current usage but high future interest are text analytics/NLP and AI/machine learning including generative AI (more specifically). Research automation fits into this category as well, at a slightly lower level.

  • Less than 1 in 5 (17%) market research professionals planned on this career before entering the industry. The largest percentage (39%) took a position in market research as their first job and have remained in the field. And 1 in 5 entered the industry via a mid-career pivot, either transferring from another role in their company (13%) or taking on a market research role when it was introduced into their company (6%).
  • The most satisfying aspects of practitioners’ jobs are their relationship with coworkers (73%); the freedom they have to innovate (63%) and the opportunities they have to learn and grow (60%).
  • What practitioners found least satisfying are the opportunities for advancement available (33%), the level of communication received from executive management (41%) and their company’s executive management in general (45%).
  • The top three sources for skills development reported are employer provided in-house training (64%), reading on one’s own (54%) and third-party training courses (48%).
  • Forty-two percent of respondents say they develop new skills by using a new methodology, 41% by conducting research in a market new to them and 40% by using a technology that was new to them.
  • Two thirds of respondents are likely to recommend market research/insights as a career, including 26% saying they would be completely likely and 39% who say they would be very likely.

Training and development should be seen not as a cost, but as an investment that pays off. McKinsey recently demonstrated this in its 2023 report, “Performance Through People: Transforming Human Capital into Competitive Advantage.” This study found that companies that excel not only in financial performance but also put a premium on talent (a group McKinsey calls People + Performance Winners) outperformed all other segments studied, including top-tier financial performance (the so-called performance-driven companies). The recent “Love of Learning” report reinforces this premise, clearly illustrating that making investments in employees and talent can help move the market research industry into the future. 


Methodology note

The study was conducted among 500 market researchers from around the world, spanning a diverse range of ages, career levels, backgrounds and job roles. The respondents were: 30% corporate researchers/research buyers and 50% research vendors/suppliers; 43% men and 54% women; 46% from Gen X, 29% from Millennials, 24% Boomers and less than 1% each from the Silent Generation and Gen Z.