RISMEDIA, Dec. 27, 2007-In its ongoing quest to know the executive job market inside-out, TheLadders.com, an online marketplace for $100k+ jobs, has been surveying its members since its launch in 2004. Over that time, TheLadders.com has covered everything from the frequency of office romances to the value of advanced degrees.

Now, TheLadders.com releases its “greatest hits” compilation, offering a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the executive job market.

Separated into three basic categories – Money & Getting Ahead; Work/Lifestyle; and Office Politics – TheLadders.com survey data is sampled from registered $100k+ wage earners who were active in the job market between 2004 and 2007. Following is a summary of the insights gleaned over the past four years:

MONEY & GETTING AHEAD:

Does an MBA matter in the real business world?

57% of executives said the advanced degree is nice, but not necessary.

What’s the most useful second language for today’s business people?

61% of executives said it was Spanish, followed by 16% who chose Chinese.

Body of evidence: can physical fitness help your career?

75% of executives surveyed said physical fitness is critical for career success at the executive level.

WORK/LIFESTYLE:
Can Cupid strike the cubicle?
68% of executives said they’ve harbored secret crushes on their co-workers; 17% confess to having inter-office affairs.

Do people in power prefer khakis?
79.1% of executives said they prefer to wear either business casual or outright casual attire for work and another 62% said that business casual is now standard office dress code.

Fewer Blackberries on vacation this year?
79% of executives planned to take a vacation in 2007 and few of them planned to stay connected to the office. 51% said they’d check in once or twice and 34.5% said they wouldn’t check once.

OFFICE POLITICS:
Does the glass ceiling still exist?
72% of executives said men get paid more than women for the same work, and 66.3% said women do not have as many opportunities as men to become company CEOs.

Is “ageism” keeping older workers out of the top income workforce?
69% of executives said they’ve fallen victim to age discrimination, yet 51% said they plan to continue working after “retirement.”

Does religion have a home in the workplace?
It depends on where you live: 44% of executives from “Red States” said religion does belong in the workplace, while just 24% of their “Blue State” counterparts agreed.

Corporate social responsibility: lip service or critical to business success?
89.2% of executives said it is a company’s duty to be socially responsible, and 87.3% said they would not work for a company that had a reputation for negative social responsibility.

For more information, visit www.theladders.com ^[1].