A growing number of employees place significant importance on maintaining a healthy balance between their professional and private lives
Younger generations are particularly sensitive regarding the need for greater harmony between their professional and personal lives.
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Financial compensation has long been perceived as the main driver of motivation at work. However, although salary remains a crucial element, it is no longer enough to fully engage employees. Today, it's the work-life balance that makes all the difference.
The Covid-19 pandemic reinforced certain trends that were already brewing in the world of work. One of the rising trends is that a growing number of employees place significant importance on maintaining a healthy balance between their professional and private lives. Eighty-three percent of the 26,000 employees questioned as part of the “Workmonitor 2025: A new workplace baseline" survey consider this aspect to be essential when choosing a job or deciding to stay in one.
In fact this aspect is on a par with job security and slightly ahead of salary, cited by 82% of respondents. “For the first time in Workmonitor's 22-year history, work-life balance surpasses pay as the leading motivator. Compensation is still important, but talent today have multifaceted expectations,” says Sander van 't Noordende, CEO of Randstad.
Younger generations are particularly sensitive to the need for greater harmony between their professional and personal lives. For Gen Z workers, this balance even takes precedence over compensation: 74% consider it a priority, compared with 68% for pay. Conversely, Baby Boomers attach greater importance to income, probably because they are approaching retirement.
This shift in priorities is reflected in global trends. Nearly 79% of employees worldwide consider their work-life balance to be satisfactory, a figure up on the previous year (78%). What's more, 68% feel that their salary allows them to live as they wish. But beyond these two aspects, other expectations emerge strongly, notably sufficient annual leave (77%), adequate health insurance (74%) and the need to make a personal impact through their work (69%).