The results of the Anphabe Company's 2025 Best Place to Work survey show that while many organizations are focusing on macro trends such as AI, digital transformation or flexible organizational models, the fundamental needs for stability, finance and quality of life are still the core priorities of workers.
Accordingly, the 3 top career goals of Vietnamese workers include:
Balance between work and personal life – 63%: This factor is currently the number 1 priority for Vietnamese workers. At the top of the ranking, this is no longer an "added benefit" or an "attractive benefit" but has become a basic expectation standard.
Affordable living income and ability to save – 62%: The shift from "sufficient living" to "comfortable and accumulated" reflects economic pressure and long-term financial safety desires. In the context of rapidly increasing living costs in major cities, workers not only want competitive wages but also expect long-term financial accumulation.
Stable, secure job – 61%: In a volatile market, feeling secure about the job position is the top priority.
The priority for mental health, time for family and the ability to control personal rhythm of life is a direct consequence after employees face the pressure of streamlining the apparatus and increasing workload. When the organization operates more streamlined, the boundary between work and personal life is easily blurred. Therefore, the requirement for work-life balance is the employee's self-protection mechanism to maintain sustainable performance.
In parallel with the above-mentioned core "three-legged tripod", income and job stability still play a key role. However, what is noteworthy is that "career development" is becoming the next layer of demand.
Development-related goals include: Training and development foundation – 46%; career advancement – 44%; applying knowledge to create value – 43%.
This reflects a clear shift: workers not only want to "keep the job", but also want to "develop in the job". According to Anphabe Company, in 2026, as AI continues to replace repetitive tasks, workers realize that continuous skill improvement is the only way to maintain competitiveness.
