Human Resources Management and Sustainable Careers

1. Human Resources Management and Sustainable Careers International Conference Sustainable Employability: Challenges for HRM Innovation November 12, 2013 Judith Semeijn, Tinka van Vuuren & Monique Veld School of Management Open University in the Netherlands (OUNL)

2. Contents • Context • Concept of Sustainable Careers • HRM focus on sustainable outcomes? • Vitalizing HRM and Sustainable Careers • Recommendations for research • Considerations/questions for practice HRM & Substainable Careers

3. Context • Aging workforce • Reduction of ‘senior’ arrangements in Collective Labour Agreements (CAO’s) • Low mobility of older employees • (less) younger workers, with different needs • In a continuous changing world of work (24/7), in search for a more sustainable future… HRM & Substainable Careers

4. Who has a sustainable career? HRM & Substainable Careers

5. Sustainable labor participation: degree to which employees are willing and able to carry out their current and future work (Van Vuuren, 2012) Vitality Work ability Employability

6. Sustainable Careers • Career is the pattern of an individual’s work-related experiences acquired during the course of one’s professional life (Greenhaus, Callahan & Godshalk, 2010; Hall, 2002) • Sustainable Career is the pattern of an individual’s work-related experiences while remaining healthy, vital and employable during the course of one’s professional life • Sustainable Career refers to a sustainable labor market participation of an individual throughout his or her working life. HRM & Substainable Careers

7. Does HRM foster sustainable outcomes/sustainable careers? • HRM focus on organizationalinterest (profit by performance) • Research supports HRM influences performance (see research of e.g. Guest & Conway, 2011; Huselid, 1995, Boselie, Dietz, & Boon, 2005) • HRM also focus on people’s interest and societal interests (people, planet) • see e.g. Ehnert & Wes (2012), Paauwe (2009) but findings show this is not always the case (e.g., Kroon,Van der Voorde & Van Veldhoven, 2009) HRM & Substainable Careers

8. Focus: Vitalizing HRM (individual level) • Not only focus on action/measures aimed at preventing wear and tear, dysfunction and absenteeism (Van Vuuren, 2012). • But also focus on action/measures aimed at strengthening psychological well being (Ouweneel, Schaufeli & Le Blanc, 2009), and analogous on strengtening work ability, vitality and employability of employees (Van Vuuren, 2012). HRM & Substainable Careers

9. Opportunity Ability • Job/work security • Participation • Learning climate Selection Training Remuneration Annual appraisals Motivation • Internal promotion • Coaching • Performance rewards Vitalizing HR activities based on AMO model (Appelbaum et al, 2000) HRM & Substainable Careers

10. A few known studies... on relation perceived vitalizing HR and sustainable outcomes (individual level) • Dorenbosch, L. (2009): Management by Vitality; examining the ‘active’ well-being and performance outcomes of HPWS at the Work Unit Level. • Kooij, D. (2010): Motivating older workers; a life span perspective on the role of perceived HR practices • Caniëls, Semeijn & Van Vuuren (2011), Van Vuuren, Van der Meeren & Semeijn (2013), Veld, Semeijn & Van Vuuren (2013): aimed at the relation between perceived HRM and sustainable employability. HRM & Substainable Careers

11. Summary of Findings (1) • Especially flexible internal personnel solutions, training and development, and horizontal & vertical mobility activities are beneficial (Dorenbosch, 2009) • Especially HR bundles aimed at learning and development of employees are profitable for workers’ motivation of all ages to have longer working lives (Kooij, 2010) HRM & Substainable Careers

12. Summary of Findings (2) • Especially older workers can profit from HR practices aimed at LLL, for their employability and workability (Caniëls, Van Vuuren & Semeijn, 2011) • HR activities aimed at training and development are profitable for employability of different types of higher educated employees (Van Vuuren, Van der Meeren & Semeijn, 2013) • ....and seem to be a shared responsibility of both employer and employee (Veld, Semeijn & Van Vuuren, 2013) HRM & Substainable Careers

13. Conclusions • HRM can affect and contribute to sustainable outcomes for individuals and their careers • Findings indicate that employees who are supplied with and perceive vitalizing HR activities have better chances for more sustainable outcomes. • Possible dilemma or paradox for HRM; do we have to choose between performance or sustainable employability? HRM & Substainable Careers

14. HRM dilemma? HRM & Substainable Careers

15. Recommendations for research • More research needed on (the combination of) performance outcomes and sustainable outcomes • Methodological issues for research development; a.o. multi-perspective, multi-level research, longitudinal designs both within- and cross-sectoral research, can add to further insights. • Findings for relation HR and sustainable careers still scarce (refer to longer term outcomes) HRM & Substainable Careers

16. Considerations/questions for practice • Reflection on priorities; what role do vitalizing HR practices play within the HR policy of organizations? • Research shows not all HR practices are vitalizing; some of these are more vitalizing than others. Do organizations take these into account? • Explicit HR attention for older workers is valuable, but is this already common sense in organizations? HRM & Substainable Careers

17. Further steps… HRM & Substainable Careers

18. Thank you!Questions?Remarks? Judith Semeijn jsm@ou.nl Tinka van Vuuren tvv@ou.nl Monique Veld med@ou.nl HRM & Substainable Careers