March 01, 2013

Accenture Research Finds Most Professionals Believe They Can “Have It All”

Desire to balance a successful career with full life outside work influences job choice, tops money in defining success

NEW YORK; March 1, 2013 – New global research from Accenture, titled “Defining Success,” has found that more than two-thirds of female professionals around the world – and the same number of male respondents – say they can “have it all.” In fact, having both a successful career and a full life outside work is so important that many choose a job based on its potential impact on work-life balance.

Seventy percent of both women and men believe they can have a successful career as well as a full life outside work – however, 50 percent also said they cannot “have it all at the same time.” Further, more than half (52 percent) say they have turned down a job due to concerns about its impact on work-life balance. In fact, work-life balance tops respondents’ definitions of career success, ahead of money, recognition and autonomy (cited by 56 percent, 46 percent, 42 percent and 42 percent, respectively).

“Over the course of their careers, professionals will continue to define and re-define what success looks like,” said Adrian Lajtha, Accenture’s chief leadership officer. “For many, career goals and personal priorities will take precedence at different times. As today’s professionals strive to find the right balance, leading companies will find innovative ways to help them develop, grow and thrive.”

The research also found that technology plays a role in achieving work-life balance, although respondents express mixed feelings about its impact on their personal lives. More than three quarters (77 percent) agree technology enables them to be more flexible with their schedules, and 80 percent report that having flexibility in their work schedule is extremely or very important to work-life balance. Yet 70 percent say technology brings work into their personal lives.

“The fact that finding the right approach to integrating career and life demands continues to be critically important to employees is significant for employers,” said Nellie Borrero, managing director – global inclusion & diversity, Accenture. “Companies that can help their employees navigate both their professional and personal lives are likely to see strong employee engagement and enjoy an advantage as they recruit and retain high performers.”

The Accenture research also covers a wide range of work-related topics that help define success in the workplace, including:

Research methodology

In November 2012, Accenture conducted an online survey of 4,100 business executives from medium to large organizations in 33 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States. A minimum of 100 respondents from each country participated, with the exception of Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland, where the combined number of respondents totaled 200. Respondents were split evenly by gender and were balanced by age and level in their organizations. The margin of error for the total sample was approximately +/-2 percent. A full report on the research, “Defining Success,” containing info graphics, analysis of regional trends and other key highlights is available at www.accenture.com/IWD.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 259,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. Through its Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship focus, Accenture is committed to equipping 500,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012.

# # #

Contacts:

Caitlin Storhaug

Accenture

+ 415 537 5458

caitlin.storhaug@accenture.com

Sam Hyland

Accenture

+ 917 452 5184

samuel.hyland@accenture.com