NEW YORK: For a significant number of employees, "work/life balance" is the main career aspiration while workplace success amounts to "happiness", says a global survey that covered respondents from various countries, including India and the U.S.

Around 45 per cent of the respondents rank work/life balance as their number one career aspiration, and the top definition of workplace success is enjoyment/happiness, the survey by Right Management, the global career experts within ManpowerGroup, said.

Interestingly, only 10 per cent of the employees covered by the survey defined career success as high performance and productivity.

"As employers struggle to find skilled and motivated individuals to meet performance goals, these findings indicate an ongoing disconnect between employee aspirations and the performance demands of employers worldwide," the survey said.

Mara Swan, global leader of Right Management and executive vice president of ManpowerGroup, said high performers have a disproportionate impact on business results.

"Talent shortages for in-demand skills persist and have caused HR departments worldwide to rethink how they develop and motivate individuals to meet performance goals.

"To attract and retain top talent, organisations must make development a priority and enable their leaders to mentor employees to expand their skills, capabilities and experience," Swan noted.

The Global Career Aspiration Survey was commissioned by Right Management and covered 1,225 respondents in Canada, U.S.A, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Australia, India and Singapore.

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