Work-life balance, flexibility, equity and skilling are now at the heart of career decisions while career progression is taking a backseat, according to the latest Randstad Workmonitor.

The research, which surveyed 27,000 workers in 34 markets across Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, shows that while over half (56%) of workers consider themselves to be ambitious, rising to 69% for Gen Z, this does not correlate to the traditional understanding of career aspirations. Half of workers (47%) are not focused on progression at all, and the same proportion are willing to stay in a role that they like, even if there’s no room to progress or develop. Meanwhile, a third (34%) of workers never want to take on any managerial roles.

Talent are also more likely to consider work-life balance (93%), flexibility of working hours (81%) and mental health support (83%) as important, more so than career ambition (70%). 

However, Randstad’s research indicates that not wanting career progression does not mean employees have no interest in self-improvement, with 72% ranking training and development opportunities as important. Meanwhile, 29% would quit a job if they were not offered learning and development opportunities to future-proof their skills, such as training on AI.

Meanwhile, workers are continually demanding more equitable workplaces where they feel they belong, and expect employers to take action on that.

The data shows that 52% of workers think that the onus for improving equity lies with their employer, as opposed to themselves (18%). At the same time, 45% said that employers are liable for enhancing workplace culture, with only 17% taking personal responsibility for it.

Talent also want to work for businesses which mirror their own views and values, with 38% saying they wouldn’t accept a job if they didn’t agree with the viewpoints of the leadership. 

Randstad’s research also showed that 37% of global talent also say that they would not accept a job if an organisation wasn’t making a proactive effort to improve its diversity and equity. In instances where their employer didn’t take action on an issue which was important to them, 21% have quit their job, with the number rising to 30% among Gen Z. 

In terms of returning to the office, 37% of workers have made arrangements in their lives, such as moving house or getting a pet based on the assumption that working from home is here to stay. The same amount (37%) would consider quitting their job if their employer asked them to spend more time in the office, and 39% say that working from home is non-negotiable to them.

Despite this, 35% have been requested to come into the office more now than they were six months ago, showing that there is a mismatch between what talent want and what they are receiving.

When it comes to equity in the workplace, 55% of the workforce feel that they have to hide aspects of themselves at work, and a quarter (26%) would feel uncomfortable sharing their personal viewpoints due to fear of judgment or discrimination. One fifth (21%) report that their personality is different at work than it is outside of it. 

Nearly a third (29%) of all workers feel like their generation is not understood, and this rises to 40% for Gen Z. 

The research also indicates that talent don’t feel their employer is speaking to them regularly enough about their career progression. A third (33%) of respondents say their employer never speaks to them about career progression, despite 40% of employees wanting to have these conversations at least once a quarter.

In 2023, over half (54%) of talent said that they would quit a job if they felt they didn’t belong there, but this proportion dropped to just over a third (37%) for this year. This may be driven by the fact that talent are more worried about losing their job this year, than they were in 2023 (45% vs 37%).

Randstad CEO Sander van ‘t Noordende said, “A new talent ABC is emerging and employers should adopt it if they want to attract and retain their best talent. Ambition, Balance and Connection are key to driving the agenda in a talent scarce world of work.”

“There’s no one-size-fits all approach, as workers’ ambitions, motivations and priorities are becoming more fragmented and personalised,” van ‘t Noordende added. “It’s crucial that employers communicate regularly with talent about their wants and needs - whether that be flexible work, career aspirations or learning and development opportunities. Embodying a talent first mindset and truly understanding their personal motivations and priorities, will help set businesses apart.”