Ambition is more than climbing the career ladder, and talent’s motivation is not necessarily driven by promotions. For nearly two-thirds of respondents (60%), their personal lives are more important than their work lives. Work-life balance now ranks as highly as pay on workers’ lists of priorities (93%) — more than any other considerations. When looking at their next career move, work-life balance is even more important (57%) than higher pay (55%). Over a third don’t want career progression because they are happy in their role (39%), and the long-term ambition for most respondents is a stable in-house role. But that does not stop them from wanting to future-proof their skills through training (72%), especially in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and IT, which are reshaping job roles. Employers' talent strategies will need to acknowledge these changing priorities and offer more creative paths to progression that align with the different ambitions of their talent.