Workers Value Relationships More Than Their Career

What's love got to do with it? Plenty—at least when it comes to careers. Far from a "sweet old-fashioned notion," a serious relationship often takes priority over career considerations, according to a recent "WorkSphere" survey from Spherion. At least, that's how the vast majority of surveyed employees feel. Most of these workers said they are fine with allowing their careers to take a backseat to their relationships if that benefits their life partners, and very few would delay a wedding—or not have one at all—because of professional considerations. A motivating factor may be that the majority of employees believe having a spouse or partner actually helps their career. "Many workers are making their personal lives, their relationships and their families their top priorities—even ahead of their careers in many instances," says Sandy Mazur, a division president at Spherion. "For most employees, work-life balance is a top priority, and their job responsibilities must integrate into their personal lives for them to define their careers as successful." Nearly 2,050 professionals took part in the research, which was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Spherion.