Employers that want their troops to be both happy and productive should focus on the happy part first, and then wait for the productivity to materialize.

That, in a nutshell, is what a Manpower survey found when it sampled more than 1,000 workers worldwide to get insight into what they wanted from a job.

Nearly half (45 percent) listed good work-life balance as the chief career goal, and the No. 1 definition of workplace “success” was finding enjoyment and happiness on the job.

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Dan Cook

Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.