The State of Work & Career Success 2023
The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, Career Cushioning…There’s been a shift in our relationship with work over the last few years and many are trying to find the right fit between what they do professionally and what they want personally.
The goal with our research is to provide insight into how U.S. workers are feeling about work and life right now, track how they are progressing over time, and offer context for why they feel this way.
Where are we now?
Some progress has been made.
U.S. workers are doing better this year, particularly when it comes to how satisfied they are with their career progress, but there is still a lot of room for growth.
WORKER SATISFACTION WITH…
Progress leads to success
Greater satisfaction with career progress is translating into a greater percentage of workers feeling highly successful with 34% of the workforce moderately to highly successful, up from 29% a year ago.
What makes the difference for successful workers?
We can see that, overall, people are focusing more on particular career development activities that have a positive relationship with success: setting specific career goals with a plan to achieve them, using their formal education, getting a variety of job assignments, gaining leadership experience, and achieving work life balance.
And while these activities are important and seem to be moving the needle in a positive direction, activities related to career planning still have the strongest relationship to success — and most people aren’t doing things like talking to a mentor because they don’t have an opportunity to do so.
Work needs to fit into our lives vs. fitting our lives around work
75%
of workers report that ‘it is important to have boundaries with work so it doesn’t interfere with my personal life’
66%
think ‘my work should accommodate the way I want to live my life.’
Worker attitudes about careers continue to reflect a desire for flexibility, individuality, work-life integration, and ongoing development:
The Expectations Gap
The majority of U.S. workers want the same things from the organizations they work within. Unfortunately, organizations lack what workers want across the board.
So while we do see marginal improvements for workers as a result of the activities they’re doing to drive success, it appears to be in spite of the gap between what they want and expect from their employers and the support their organizations offer. In particular, we still don’t see the majority of people regularly participating in the activities that have the strongest positive relationship with career success (e.g. career planning, mentorship), likely a direct result of most organizations not making career development opportunities available to people. There is only so much individuals can do without institutional support.
THE EXPECTATIONS
Aligning personal values with an organization’s values is important to most U.S. workers (65%)
64% say ‘I work best when I can work anywhere I want’
62% say ‘I work best when I can work when I want.’
70% agree that ‘a sense of connection and community with others is important at work’
52% believe that ‘my employer should prepare me for the future of work,’ up from 46% last year, and about 60% of Gen-Z and Millennials feel this way.
THE REALITY
17% indicate that their workplace currently aligns with their values, and that is consistent across all age demographics.
39% report working in a ‘flexible environment,’ and that’s the most common positive workplace characteristic
25% report having a ‘supportive work culture’
18% report their organization has ‘clear career development plans/programs’
12% report their organization offers a ‘formal and active mentorship program’ — but talking to a mentor regularly is the single most impactful activity someone can do to drive career success
20% report their organization has ‘supportive management focused on staff’s career goals’
The State of Work & Career Success 2023
Why should we care about career success?
Individuals who feel they are making progress in their career are consistently making progress in their life. This is true when it comes to the goals they have, the activities they engage with, and their overall sentiments around success. So if we want people to feel more successful, happier, and more fulfilled, we have to help them feel more successful in their careers too.
How successful workers feel also translates into positive organizational outcomes, such as greater retention, commitment, and word-of-mouth.
Leaders and employees need to become partners invested in mutual success — because when people feel more successful, organizational outcomes also improve.
But the onus is on organizational leaders to communicate this partnership. Most workers already view work and life as integrated, so setting up your employees for success requires recognizing the broader levers that influence their performance and engagement. There are various factors that drive your customers’ actions, motivations, and behaviors — and your workforce is no different.
It is imperative that leaders listen to the Voice of the Workforce if they want to nurture career success, employee engagement, and fulfillment.
What is a “worker?” For our study, we define a worker as a person currently working in the United States: full-time, part-time, freelance, or as the owner of a business. With the hybrid workforce composition of the new world of work, how individuals personally define success and what they specifically need isn’t going to be tied to one job or who they work for anymore. So we want to offer a more inclusive and human-centered view of what the workforce wants.
By answering 20 short questions, you’ll get a sense for how you’re faring in what our research shows are the 6 most important dimensions for building a successful career. You’ll also receive personalized recommendations of tangible actions you can take to improve your career trajectory.
How Successful Are You? Take the Work & Career Success Assessment.
If you’re a human-centered leader — or you want to be — I’d love to talk with you more about the research and what it means for your organization. If you have any questions, click the button below to schedule a 30-minute call.