British workers are more interested in job satisfaction than money, new figures suggest.

Despite the global downturn, almost nine out of 10 people (87 per cent) told researchers that job satisfaction is important to them when selecting a career. This compares to 84 per cent who rated money as important.

The findings come from a survey by the Financial Adviser School, the UK’s first school dedicated to creating the next generation of financial advisers. Some 83 per cent of those surveyed said work/life balance was important factor in selecting career.

Lisa Winnard, Director of the Financial Adviser School, said: “While salary is clearly important to the majority of people when making a decision about their working life, job satisfaction is deemed to be even more influential when deciding upon a career. The fact that the public focuses more on being content in their job is especially poignant at the moment – with the UK still in recession.

“Employers ought to take note of these findings and realise that creating a positive workplace and imposing achievable targets may be of greater value than a larger pay packet for some employees. With 85 per cent of women highlighting the importance of a good work/life balance when selecting a career, employers also need to provide opportunities for their staff to be flexible in their working life.

“We have seen this sentiment echoed at the Financial Adviser School with many of our students choosing to train to be advisers due to the freedom that this gives them in how to practice and to have control over their own work/life balance.”