Yahoo Finance Less Than 40 Percent Say Salary Is Their Top Career Priority: Why Experts Say That Is/Isn’t a Mistake
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.
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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.
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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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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Less Than 40 Percent Say Salary Is Their Top Career Priority: Why Experts Say That Is/Isn’t a Mistake
