A major new study out this week indicates that the attitudes of men and women have changed – drastically! While this study, conducted by Match.com, looks at dating attitudes, human resource and business professionals should take note as it’s likely that these attitudinal shifts will also impact workplace attitudes and performance in the future.

The study indicates an overall shift in how men and women view relationships and their goals for relationships. The research findings demonstrate that men are more interested in love, commitment and children, (54% of men say personal space is very Important) while women are seeking more independence (77% say personal space is “very important”). In other words, men are now expressing some traditionally female attitudes and women are adopting more traditionally male attitudes.

So, what does this mean for you and your organization? While the study did not address career priorities, one can reasonably assume that this kind of shift in personal priorities will eventually lead to shifts in career priorities. In the future we could see male employees placing a higher priority on family obligations, while female employees may more aggressively seek career opportunities even if those opportunities require greater time investments, travel and relocation. Whatever the outcome, one thing is sure, business leaders need to constantly re-assess how they attract and retain top talent.