We are delighted to share with you the first deliverable of the IN-FORMS project – European Research Report on Employment Challenges and Innovative Forms of Employment in Sport.
The report highlights the key sport employment challenges and potential solutions based on the results of over 18 months of research, including wide desk studies, a major survey of 2,264 sport organisations, and interviews with 60 sport employees and employers.
What challenges do sport employers report?
- Recruitment: 62.6% of recent recruiters faced difficulties.
- Retention: 39% of organisations reported difficulties.
- Under 30 retention: Of those with retention issues, over 72% say keeping staff under 30 is particularly hard.
Are the current employment practices working?
- 69% of survey respondents agreed that part-time and temporary jobs make it more difficult to retain skilled staff.
- 82% agreed that paid employment in sport is precarious and that this needs to be addressed if professionalisation of the workforce is to grow.
- There was evidence that good employment practices can help – for example, providing education and training opportunities, improving working conditions, or implementing work/life balance initiatives.
The research activities of the project had a particular focus on non-traditional forms of employment as a potential solution to existing challenges. We found that some of these forms were already finding their way into sport and were having a positive impact. The ones with the highest level of support from users were:
- Remote/hybrid working
- Employee sharing
- Platform work
- Job sharing
- Intermittent permanent employment
However, awareness of these innovations was mostly very low in the sport sector, and the report recommends wider dissemination of these new forms of employment at EU, national, and regional levels. It also highlights that sport employers and employees need practical guidance on how to select and use them effectively and with due regard to employment rights.
Recent partner meeting in France and next steps
Gathering in the charming French harbour town of La Rochelle in October 2025 as guests of the Fédération Nationale Profession Sport et Loisirs (FNPSL), project partners discussed the publication of the report.
In order to follow through on the report’s recommendations, the partners meeting in La Rochelle began to plan the remaining deliverables, due for publication in 2026:
- Policy papers aimed at decision-makers in sport and employment, outlining the challenges and potential solutions.
- Practical roadmaps and a digital tool to guide sport employers and employees in dealing with identified employment challenges, e.g. through using new forms of employment.
- Training a European network of sport employment specialists who can support sport organisations in addressing their recruitment and retention challenges.
Geoff Carroll, EOSE’s Director of Skills Development, was delighted with the meeting in La Rochelle:
The publication of this report is a major milestone in updating our understanding of the real employment challenges which the sport sector faces. It is an excellent complement to the statistical analysis which EOSE does every year for the paid workforce and helps to explain many of the anomalies we have seen since 2011.
The La Rochelle partner meeting was excellent in every way. FNPSL’s hosting was exceptional. The partners’ engagement with the topic and their determination to bring real, positive energy to workforce professionalisation is outstanding. The synergy between the different organisations is excellent. This consortium approaches every challenge in a constructive and creative spirit. Watch out! The next deliverables will raise the bar even further.
IN-FORMS Partnership
Contact
Mr Geoff Carroll – EOSE Director of Skills Development – Click here
Mr Wojciech Waśniewski – EOSE Projects & Research Coordinator – Click here
Mr Aurélien Favre – EOSE Executive Director – Click here
