Less Than 40 Percent Say Salary Is Their Top Career Priority: Why Experts Say That Is/Isn’t a Mistake
Written by
Adam Palasciano
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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Finding the right balance between work hours and free time can often be challenging. Everyone has obligations outside of their jobs and making enough time for non-work related activities is important.
However, there’s a divide over what’s more important for your career: work-life balance or pay.
Almost Two-Thirds of People Choose Work-Life Balance Over Pay
According to a recent GOBankingRates survey, about 61.59% of respondents said that work-life balance was more important to them in a job or career versus just 38.41% who chose salary.
Further, maintaining a work-life balance was most important to respondents ages 25 to 34 (66%) and 35 to 44 (61%). On the other hand, salary mattered most to those ages 18 to 24 (46%). Male respondents also skewed more heavily toward prioritizing salary over work-life balance.
However, experts have varying opinions about whether a focus on work-life balance is the right move or not.
Expert: Work-Life Balance Matters
One expert suggested that work-life balance has become a greater focus in recent years.
Dr. Melissa Carr — director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at Henley Business School’s World of Work Institute — explained to People Management that a focus on work-life balance is a sort of “aftershock of the pandemic.” She went on to say that the pandemic left people feeling “fatigued,” wanting to “take stock and re-evaluate” their lives.
Carr added that organizations should view the data as a “call to action” to create cultures that enable and “value work-life balance and provide greater flexibility.”
Second Expert: You Shouldn’t Focus On Work-Life Balance
Another expert suggested that prioritizing work-life balance over your salary is a mistake.
James M. Kerr, an award-winning management consulting and work coach, explained in a Psychology Today piece that not only is work-life balance the wrong goal, but that the pursuit itself can cause disappointment.
He cited points such as potential career limitations and experiencing a feeling of stress and guilt about not focusing enough on work as reasons to avoid the pursuit of work-life balance. For him, the term work-life balance suggests a complete separation between the two, which is to be avoided.
Instead, he suggested focusing on work-life integration, which involves finding ways to harmonize and blend your work responsibilities with your personal life in a way that supports your overall well-being and satisfaction. Here are some steps you can take to promote work-life integration:
- Always be present and mindful.
- Figure out what’s important to you.
- Engage in activities that promote your wellness.
- Set clear boundaries for working time and personal time.
- Delegate responsibility and outsource work where possible.
- Always seek flexibility in both work and personal time.
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