U.S. workers still want to be successful, and some even want to be the boss one day. What they overwhelmingly don't want to be are corporate executives. In a survey of more than 1,000 people, Intelligent Office found that not a single respondent aspired to be a "corporate executive." In fact, not even the people who are already in middle management said they want to be there.
So what do they want? Nearly 65 percent of respondents to the first "Work IQ" survey said they aspire to be an entrepreneur or independent worker. Why was "corporate executive" such an undesirable role? Freedom is a big part of it, with 61 percent of people in search of more flexible work hours than the traditional 9-to-5.
Why it matters to your business: Small businesses have long had trouble competing for employees with bigger companies, offering better perks and higher salaries. This survey suggests that if you can offer employees what they want -- work-life balance, flexibility and mobility, and the tools to help them work from home or on the go (tablets, laptops and smartphones), you've got a good chance of winning the best and the brightest away from the corporate giants.