Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T08:08:44.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The recruitment of early retirees: a vignette study of the factors that affect managers' decisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2010

KASIA KARPINSKA ,
KÈNE HENKENS  and
JOOP SCHIPPERS
KASIA KARPINSKA*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute(NIDI), The Hague, The Netherlands.
KÈNE HENKENS
Affiliation:
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute(NIDI), The Hague, The Netherlands. Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
JOOP SCHIPPERS
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
*
Address for correspondence: Kasia Karpinska, Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, Janskerkhof 12, 3512 BL, Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Retirement is characterised as a dynamic process that has several different outcomes, from early retirement to re-entry to the labour force. Recent studies of the Dutch population show that a substantial number of early retirees re-enter the workforce after early retirement, but others do not succeed even though they want to return to paid work. An often-named reason for their failures is bias in the selection process. This raises the questions as to what restrictions do early retirees face in the labour market and what are the characteristics that enhance or limit their hiring chances? The aim of this study was to identify the individual and organisational characteristics that influence managers' hiring decisions, and for the purpose a vignette study among Dutch managers and business students was conducted. Profiles of hypothetical early retirees were presented to the respondents who were then asked to make decisions whether of not to employ the individual. The results show that hiring early retirees is of low priority to both managers and students, and depends to a large extent on organisational factors (such as personnel shortages) and the age of the retiree. The findings suggest that despite equal opportunities policies, age discrimination is still present on the Dutch labour market and that managers generally hinder the re-employment of workers approaching the retirement age.

Keywords

early retireesrecruitmentvignette study
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 31 , Issue 4 , May 2011 , pp. 570 - 589
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Avolio, B. J. and Barret, V. G. 1987. Effect of age stereotyping in a simulated interview. Psychology and Aging, 2, 1, 56–63.Google Scholar
Beaulieu, M.-D., Hudon, E., Roberge, D., Pineault, R., Forté, D and Légaré, J. 1999. Practice guidelines for clinical prevention: do patients, physicians and experts share common ground? Canadian Medical Association, 161, 5, 519–23.Google Scholar
Becker, G. 1975. Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education. National Bureau of Economic Research, New York.Google Scholar
Berger, E. D. 2009. Managing age discrimination: an examination of the techniques used when seeking employment. The Gerontologist, 49, 3, 317–32.Google Scholar
Blanchard, O. J. and Summers, L. H. 1986. Hysteresis and the European unemployment problem. In Fischer, S. (ed.), NBER Macroeconomics Annual. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 15–78.Google Scholar
Bruce, D., Holtz-Eakin, D. and Quinn, J. 2000. Self-employment and Labor Market Transitions at Older Ages. Working Paper 2000-13, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts. Available online at http://escholarship.bc.edu/retirement papers/33 [Accessed 29 March 2010].Google Scholar
Chiu, W. C., Chan, A. W., Snape, E. and Redman, T. 2001. Age stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes towards older workers: an East–West comparison, Human Relations, 54, 5, 629–61.Google Scholar
Conen, W., Henkens, K. and Schippers, J. J. 2011. Are employers changing their behavior toward older workers? An analysis of employers' surveys 2000–2009. Journal of Aging and Social Policy (in press).Google Scholar
Daniel, K. and Haywood, J. S. 2007. The determinants of hiring older workers: UK evidence. Labour Economics, 14, 1, 35–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiNatale, M. 2001. Characteristics of and preference for alternative work arrangements, 1999. Monthly Labor Review 124, 3, 28–49.Google Scholar
Duncan, C. and Loretto, W. 2004. Never the right age? Gender and age-based discrimination in employment. Gender, Work and Organization, 11, 1, 95–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Euwals, R., De Mooij, R. and Van Vuuren, D. 2009. Rethinking Retirement. Special Publication 80, Centraal Planbureau, Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, The Hague. Available online at http://ideas.repec.org/d/cpbgvnl.html [Accessed 7 October 2010].Google Scholar
Finkelstein, L. M. and Burke, M. 1998. Age stereotyping at work: the role of rater and contextual factors on evaluation of job applicants. Journal of General Psychology, 125, 317–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkelstein, L. M., Burke, M. J. and Raju, N. S. 1995. Age discrimination in simulated employment contexts: an integrative analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 6, 652–63.Google Scholar
Fugate, M., Kinicki, A. J. and Ashforth, B. E. 2004. Employability: a psycho-social construct, its dimensions, and applications. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65, 1, 14–38.Google Scholar
Ganong, L. H. and Coleman, M. 2006. Multiple segment factorial vignette designs. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 68, 2, 455–68.Google Scholar
Gellatly, I. R. 1995. Individual and group determinants of employee absenteeism: a test of a causal model. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16, 5, 469–85.Google Scholar
Gould, W. 2002. Chow Test. Stata, College Station, Texas. Available online at http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/stat/chow3.html [Accessed 27 October 2009].Google Scholar
Hardy, M. A. 2002. The transformation of retirement in twentieth-century America: from discontent to satisfaction. Generations, 26, 2, 9–16.Google Scholar
Hassell, B. and Perrewe, P. L. 1995. An examination of beliefs about older workers: do stereotypes still exist? Journal of Organizational Behaviour, 16, 5, 457–68.Google Scholar
Henkens, K. 2005. Stereotyping older workers and retirement: the managers' point of view. Canadian Journal on Aging, 24, 4, 353–66.Google Scholar
Henkens, K., van Dalen, H. P. and van Solinge, H. 2009. De vervagende grens tussen werk en pensioen; over doorwerkers, doorstarters en herintreders [The Blurring Borders Between Work and Retirement]. Report 78, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, KNAW Press, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Henkens, K., van Solinge, H. and Cozijnsen, R. 2009. Let go or retain? A comparative study of the attitudes of business students and managers about the retirement of older workers. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 39, 7, 1562–88.Google Scholar
Jorgensen, B. and Taylor, P. 2008. Older workers, government and business: implications for ageing populations of a globalizing economy. Economic Affairs, 28, 1, 17–22.Google Scholar
Kalleberg, A. L., Knoke, D., Marsden, P. V. and Spaeth, J. L. 1996. Organizations in America: Analyzing Their Structures and Human Resource Practices. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.Google Scholar
Kim, S. and Feldman, D. C. 2000. Working in retirement: the antecedents of bridge employment and its consequences for quality of life in retirement. Academy of Management Journal, 43, 6, 1195–210.Google Scholar
Koppes, L. L. J., De Vroome, E. M. M., Mol, M. E. M., Janssen, B. J. M. and van den Bossche, S. N. J. 2009. Nationale Enquête Arbeidsomstandigheden 2008 [National Labour Force Survey 2008]. Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO), Delft, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Lee, J. and Clemons, C. 1985. Factors affecting employment decisions about older workers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 4, 785–88.Google Scholar
Loretto, W., Duncan, C. and White, P. 2000. Ageism and employment: controversies, ambiguities and younger people's perceptions. Ageing & Society, 20, 3, 279–302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loretto, W. and White, P. 2006. Employers' attitudes, practices and policies towards older workers. Human Resource Management Journal, 16, 3, 313–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCann, R. , R. and Giles, H. 2002. Ageism and the workplace: a communication perspective. In Nelson, T. D. (ed.), Ageism, Stereotyping and Prejudice Against Older Person. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 163–99.Google Scholar
McGregor, J. and Gray, L. 2002. Stereotyping older workers: New Zealand experience. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 18, 163–77.Google Scholar
McNair, S., Flynn, M. and Dutton, Y. 2007. Employer Responses to an Ageing Workforce: A Qualitative Study. Department for Work and Pensions, London. Available from http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2007-2008/rrep455.pdf [Accessed 23 March 2010].Google Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2006. Live Longer, Work Longer. OECD, Paris.Google Scholar
Phelps, E. S. 1972. The statistical theory of racism and sexism. American Economic Review, 62, 4, 659–61.Google Scholar
Remery, C., Henkens, K., Schippers, J. and Ekamper, P. 2003. Managing an aging workforce and a tight labor market: views held by Dutch employers. Population Research and Policy Review, 22, 1, 21–40.Google Scholar
Rossi, P. H. and Anderson, A. B. 1982. Measuring social judgments. The factorial survey approach: an introduction. In Rossi, P. H. and Nock, S. L. (eds), Measuring Social Judgments: The Factorial Survey Approach. Sage, Beverly Hills, California, 15–67.Google Scholar
Salganik, M. J. and Heckathorn, D. D. 2004. Sampling and estimation in hidden populations using respondent-driven sampling. Sociological Methodology, 34, 1, 193–239.Google Scholar
Sears, D. O. 1996. College sophomores in the laboratory: influences of a narrow data base on social psychology's view of human nature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 3, 515–30.Google Scholar
Smeaton, D., Vegeris, S. and Sahin-Dikmen, M. 2010. Older Workers: Employment Preferences, Barriers and Solutions. Research Report 43, Equality and Human Rights Commission, Manchester, UK. Available online at http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/older_workers_employment_preferences_barriers_and_solutions_v2.pdf [Accessed 23 March 2010].Google Scholar
Spence, M. 1973. Job market signalling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87, 3, 355–74.Google Scholar
Stata 2003. Stata Reference Manual. Volume 3, N-R Release 8, Stata Press, College Station, Texas.Google Scholar
Sterns, H. L. and Kaplan, J. 2003. Self-management of career and retirement. In Adams, G. A. and Beehr, T. A. (eds), Retirement, Reasons, Processes and Results. Springer Publishing Company, New York, 188–214.Google Scholar
Taylor, P. 2008. Are European older workers on the verge of a ‘golden age’ of employment opportunities? In Chiva, A. and Manthorpe, J. (eds), Older Workers in Europe. Open University Press, Maidenhead, UK, 38–52.Google Scholar
Taylor, P. and Walker, A. 1994. The aging workforce: employers' attitudes towards older people. Work, Employment and Society, 8, 4, 569–91.Google Scholar
Taylor, P. and Walker, A. 1998. Employers and older workers: attitudes and employment practices. Ageing & Society, 18, 6, 641–58.Google Scholar
Thurow, L. C. 1975. Generating Inequality: Mechanisms of Distribution in the U.S. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
van Dalen, H. P., Henkens, K., Lokhorst, B. and Schippers, J. 2009. Herintreding van vroeggepensioneerden. Onderzoeksrapport 9-9-2009 [Re-employment of Early Retirees]. Raad voor Werk en Inkomen, The Hague.Google Scholar
van Dalen, H. P., Henkens, K. and Schippers, J. 2010. Productivity of older workers: perceptions of employers and employees. Population and Development Review, 36, 2, 309–30.Google Scholar
van Eijs, P. and Heijke, H. 2000. Mismatch between occupation and education and the costs and benefits of job related training. In Heijke, H. and Muysken, J. (eds), Education and Training in a Knowledge-based Economy. Macmillan, London, 159–89.Google Scholar
van Solinge, H. and Henkens, K. 2007. Involuntary retirement: the role of restrictive circumstances, timing, and social embeddedness. Journals of Gerontology, 62B, 5, 295–303.Google Scholar
Vickerstaff, S., Loretto, W., Billings, J., Brown, P., Mitton, L., Parkin, T. and White, P. 2008. Encouraging Labour Market Activity Among 60–64 Year Olds. Research Report 531, Department for Work and Pensions, London. Available online at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp [Accessed 29 March 2010].Google Scholar
Wallander, L. 2009. 25 years of factorial surveys in sociology: a review. Social Science Research, 38, 3, 505–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, M., Zhan, Y., Liu, S. and Shultz, K. S. 2008. Antecedents of bridge employment: a longitudinal investigation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 4, 818–30.Google Scholar
Warr, P. and Pennington, J. 1993. Views about age discrimination and older workers. In Taylor, P. A., Walker, A., Casey, B., Metcalf, H., Lakey, J., Warr, P. and Pennington, J. (eds), Age and Employment: Policies, Attitudes, and Practice. Institute of Personnel Management, London, 75–106.Google Scholar