Today's employees aren't as interested in climbing the corporate ladder as they once were, according to the results of a new survey. Instead, Americans are more focused on factors like purpose and satisfaction when it comes to career—which can lead to lots of movement, not just from job to job but also from career to career. In other words, long gone are the days when a guy or gal would stay with single career or company until he or she retired—today's workers are moving on and over, not necessarily up.

The "Career Trends Report: Employee Pursuit of Purpose" survey, released by Cornerstone OnDemand Wednesday, asked 2,000 working Americans and 546 human resources managers to respond to questions about their career goals. It found that more than half of American employees—55 percent—expect to change careers in their lifetimes. That number is even higher for millennials, 76 percent of whom plan to swap fields at some point.

In fact, the survey found, 42 percent of respondents expect to have three or more careers—not just jobs—in their lifetimes. And about 67 percent of those who will move on from their current careers anticipate making their move within the next four years.

"The survey findings suggest that today's American employees make impactful career decisions based on the perceived level of happiness they will gain," a press release states. "They are motivated by professional growth opportunities—including lateral career moves—that promise purpose and fulfillment, not necessarily a promotion or bigger paycheck."

Almost all of the survey respondents—89 percent—said they would consider making a lateral move within their company, accepting a similar title or pay grade as long as the shift was into a different department or field. And 57 percent of those who'd make a lateral move say they'd do so to gain greater personal satisfaction.

Younger workers are flooding the labor force, and as more baby boomers retire, the career preferences and experiences of millennials will replace the old work models. Who knows how they—and Gen Z—will change the workplace next. But if it helps more Americans find purpose and satisfaction in their careers, we're all for it.