It's an interesting question because it asks us to separate work from income.
When we recently asked our network this, more than half of respondents chose learning and growing. The result made us pause. If financial security is already taken care of, then perhaps learning isn't primarily about career advancement at all. Perhaps it's something deeper.
The desire to keep growing
When we think about growth at work, it's easy to associate it with promotions, pay rises or career progression. But if compensation is no longer the driver, then learning and growing may have less to do with climbing a ladder and more to do with something fundamentally human. We are naturally curious. We explore, experiment, learn and adapt throughout our lives. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from understanding something new, mastering a skill, or overcoming a challenge.
Growth, in this sense, is not simply about getting somewhere. It is about becoming more capable, knowledgeable and fulfilled. Work happens to be one of the places where this growth can take place.
More connected than they first appear
Alongside learning and growing, professionals chose:
Making a difference
Connecting with people
Achieving personal goals
These can be viewed as separate motivations, but they may be more connected than they seem. Learning helps us contribute more meaningfully. It often enables achievement. It can even strengthen our connections with others as we exchange ideas and gain new perspectives.
Rather than four distinct motivations, the results may reflect different expressions of the same underlying desire: to keep evolving, contributing and finding meaning in what we do.
Growth as a form of fulfilment
The pace of change across industries continues to accelerate. New technologies emerge, skills evolve and expectations shift. Learning helps people stay adaptable and relevant.
If financial needs are removed from the equation and learning still comes out on top, perhaps growth itself is fulfilling. Many people genuinely enjoy being challenged. They enjoy tackling unfamiliar problems, gaining new perspectives and discovering capabilities they did not know they possessed. The strongest motivation may not always be the pursuit of more. Sometimes, it is the pursuit of becoming.
What this means for employers
For organisations, this distinction matters.
When professionals say they value learning and growing, they may not necessarily be asking for more training courses, workshops or online modules. Formal learning has an important place. However, some of the most meaningful growth comes through experience.
It comes from being trusted with something new. It comes from solving problems, taking ownership, navigating uncertainty and stretching beyond familiar boundaries. This creates an opportunity for employers and managers to think more broadly about development.
1. Create opportunities for challenge
Growth rarely happens through comfort alone.
Stretch assignments, cross-functional projects and new responsibilities often create learning experiences that no classroom can replicate.
2. Build a culture of trust
People grow when they are trusted to contribute.
Giving individuals the freedom to make decisions, take ownership and learn from experience can be just as valuable as any formal development programme.
3. Encourage managers to support growth
Managers play a significant role in development.
The best managers do more than monitor performance. They create space for learning, encourage curiosity and help people reflect on new experiences.
4. Recognise that growth is personal
Growth does not look the same for everyone.
For one person, it may mean developing deep expertise. For another, it may mean broadening experiences, mentoring others or contributing to a meaningful goal.
The key is not to assume that development follows a single path.
A different way of thinking about motivation
Compensation remains important. It provides the security that allows people to focus on other aspects of their lives. Yet when that need is met, many professionals still want to learn, improve, contribute and connect.
That desire appears to run deeper than career progression alone. It reflects a human instinct to keep growing, not necessarily to become more successful, but to become more capable, fulfilled and effective in the ways that matter to us.