New research commissioned by international law firm Simmons & Simmons shows that contrary to popular belief, millennials in the legal sector are the most content of all their colleagues, with 81% reporting that they’re happy at work, compared to just 66% of those aged over 45. Similarly, 83% of millennials are happy with their work life balance compared to 66% of 45-54 year olds.
The data also shows that half (49%) of millennials surveyed intend to move firms within five years. These figures challenge the prevailing narrative that the younger generations are the least happy at work, while agreeing that they are the most likely to be open to new career opportunities.
The happiness in law survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Simmons, looked to capture employee attitudes towards the drivers of happiness in law firms. It shows that despite relatively high happiness across the sector, turnover trends look set to continue, with more than two fifths (42%) of partners planning to leave their current firms in the next five years. Similarly, those keen on a job for life were nearly non-existent, with just 2% of respondents hoping to stay with their current firm for more than 10 years.
The survey also revealed important values driving happiness across legal workforces, with more than three quarters (77%) saying it’s more important for them to work for a supportive and inclusive firm than one that pays very high salaries. This trend was less prevalent in US headquartered firms, where 68% responded that culture is more important than pay.
When looking at national trends revealed by the survey, the UK data shows that more than a third (37%) of respondents don’t believe their happiness is a primary concern of their firm, compared to 23% of international respondents. In France, 25% are unhappy at work, compared to Germany where the figure is just 1%, reflecting clear disparities across legal workforces around the world.
Commenting on the research, senior partner Julian Taylor said: “In undertaking this survey, we were keen to investigate the role of happiness in the debate about what a next generation law firm looks like for its employees and, in turn, its clients.
Julian continued: “What we’ve taken away from this research is that there is value in challenging misconceptions around age and attitudes to work. It also reinforces what we already know, in that as much as salary is important for attaining quality of life, it’s far from the only factor in achieving professional happiness. The last two years have changed the way people think about their careers and their lives. The workplaces of the future will recognise this and place importance on encouraging their people to do more than simply work to live.”