In a world where we’re bombarded daily with research studies, opinions and news about employee dissatisfaction, it’s easy to internalize a bleak picture of workforce sentiment: stress, burnout, mental health challenges, absenteeism, disengagement, attrition. And while very real for many employees (and employers), it’s not the complete picture.

Earlier this year, Randstad released its annual workmonitor 2024 report, including a happier and more hopeful statistic than we’ve come to expect: 39% of workers don’t want to be promoted because they like their current jobs.

A significant yet frequently silent number of employees actually like what they’re currently doing. In fact, they like it so much that they’re not interested in pursuing the traditional definition of career success: That upward trajectory, always moving toward the next level.

Given the pressures of the past few years, the break-neck pace of change, challenges with retention and more, it’s understandable that organizations and leaders have been forced to focus on gaps, problems and what’s not working. But this research shines a bright light on a new and necessary area of focus — addressing, mining and amplifying what is working for many.

People are looking for something more — or perhaps something less. Today’s workforce is looking for a new and different relationship with work. The old employment contract — where the organization gave us a job and we gave everything we had in exchange — has given way to a more balanced and personalized quid pro quo. Employee contentment is at the core of the new equation. My own research has shown that interest in contentment has steadily grown since the beginning of the pandemic. For many employees, contentment eclipses the desire to climb up the corporate ladder.

Is Contentment Becoming the New Promotion?

These shifting aspirations challenge organizations and leaders to adjust mindsets and practices — and figure out how to facilitate an employee experience that’s tailored to the unique needs and wants of the individual. Rather than focusing on new roles, leaders may be better served to promote the experience of achievement, autonomy, enjoyment and growth required to fuel engagement and future-proof careers. In lieu of a new title, employees may be looking for more meaning, purpose, positive relationships at work or the balance to also enjoy positive relationships outside of work. Promoting the ability to use one’s creativity, strengths and talents represents a more attractive value proposition to a large portion of the population than arriving at the next rung of the corporate ladder.

Because of the limited number of promotions and the way organizations dispense them, leaders frequently felt they lacked what was necessary for career growth and satisfaction.

But this is no longer the case. Leaders have everything they need to promote contentment. The ability to deliver a deeply satisfying and engaging employee experience is completely within an individual leader’s sphere of influence … but only if they’re ready to:

• • Release old models and assumptions about what employees are looking for. One size no longer fits all. Acknowledging this and approaching each employee with fresh eyes and an open mind allows leaders to meet people where they are.
  • Engage in a new, different conversation. Embracing the possibilities associated with elevating contentment demands a deeper understanding of the employee than ever before. Moving beyond the surface-level discussions of where someone sees themselves in five years requires trust, rapport and an ongoing thread of meaningful dialogue.

Just like so much else in business, the idea of career advancement is in transition. Promotions may no longer be the universal hallmark of success. The “peak” for many employees is migrating from the top of the pyramid to a more personal sense of contentment with one’s work. And that’s something everyone can be happy about.