Nearly 40% of workers like their jobs enough to turn down a promotion, a new report says

• Climbing the corporate ladder doesn't have the appeal it used to for many people, a new report says.
• Talent firm Randstad's study of 27,000 people found 39% don't want promotions – they're happy in their jobs.

Why climb the corporate ladder if you're perfectly happy where you are? Many employees would rather opt for the status quo in their current roles than move up, according to a new study from the world's largest staffing agency.

Amsterdam-based Randstad's annual Workmonitor report, released Wednesday for 2024, found that 39% of workers don't want to be promoted because they like their current jobs. And about the same number – 34% – never want to become managers.

"This means people's motivation at work is not necessarily just driven by promotions," Randstad CEO Sander van 't Noordende told Business Insider. "Talent is rethinking what ambition means, putting work-life balance, flexibility, equity, and skilling at the heart of career decisions."

The study included 27,000 people in 34 markets across Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Americas. The respondents, ages 18 to 67, were employed for at least 24 hours a week, independent contractors, or unemployed but considering job-searching in the future.

The findings are in line with career trends in recent years like "quiet quitting," "lazy girl jobs," and "Bare Minimum Mondays" that encourage people to let work take more of a back seat to their lives. Some younger workers, including Gen Z and millennials, are hesitant to take jobs with managerial responsibilities because of a lack of trust in senior leadership, a greater interest in work-life balance, or a belief that the extra money isn't worth the extra work and pressure.

For employers looking to retain and develop talent, the takeaway is clear.

"Employers need to look at progression beyond the traditional career ladder, taking into account the personal ambitions of each individual," van 't Noordende said. "They must also realize that career progression and maintaining a healthy personal life are intertwined and need to be balanced."