Self-reported burnout complaints have been increasing among young workers. In order to identify starting points for addressing this issue, greater insight is required into the heterogeneity within this group regarding these complaints. This research focuses on burnout complaints among young employees and on relevant factors. Using the National Survey on Working Conditions by TNO/ CBS, we examined (1) how burnout complaints among young employees have developed since 2014, broken down by educational level, and (2) what associations exist between various background and work characteristics and burnout complaints among young employees in general, as well as (3) within subgroups based on educational level. Results show an increase in burnout complaints for all educational levels. Risk groups are identified based on gender, age, and educational level. However, work characteristics such as perceived job insecurity, high job demands, and low autonomy in particular appear to play an important role in explaining differences in burnout complaints. We also observe that higher job demands have a stronger correlation with burnout complaints among young workers with intermediate education, compared with youngworkers higher education. Psychosocial work characteristics therefore provide important starting points for interventions aimed at preventing or reducing burnout complaints among younger employees.
In recent years, the proportion of employed individuals aged 55 and over has continued to rise, and labour experts are increasingly working with older clients. Ageism (stereotyping, prejudices, and discrimination based on age) deprives individuals of opportunities and possibilities. Ageism may also play a role in the services oflabour experts. This study comprises a literature review, an interactive questionnaire among labour experts, and focus groups with these professionals. The findings reveal that labour experts hold biases and stereotypes about older individuals. Furthermore, labour experts aged 50 or younger and those who wish to retire earlier tend to stereotype older individuals more. The questionnaire remains open as a tool for learning and reflection. A reframing approach was developed in co-creation with the labour experts to address and counteract ageism in their professional practice.
This is the editorial for the first part of the special issue 'Age at work'. Four articles are featured in this first part. The first two articles address the differences in work performance across age groups, the myths surrounding this, and the facts. The third article in this issue focuses on the actual differences in mental health within one age group: younger workers. The first two articles of this special issue also discuss how to combat prejudices and stereotypes about olderworkers. The fourth article focuses on the causes of sustainable employability and interventions to enhance sustainable employability. Older workers who are sustainably employable demonstrate that the prejudices against older workers are unfounded. Together, the articles in this special issue show that the aging workforce compels us to reconsider our perspectives on age, employability, and careers.
Social media platforms are increasingly used to screen job applicants for talent, with LinkedIn being the most widely used professional social media site. However, despite the aging workforce and labor market shortages, research on age discrimination during LinkedIn screening remains limited. Based on impression formation theories and the stereotype content model, this study examined age discrimination among female applicants during LinkedIn screening, as well as the role of recommendations and age-related stereotypes among recruiters. Through an experimental within-subjects study with 239 recruiters, we found that older applicants received lower job suitability ratings than equally qualified younger applicants. Having a recommendation that emphasizes warmth or competence benefits both older and younger applicants, but younger applicants benefit more when both warmth and competence are highlighted in recommendations than older applicants. Positive age-related stereotypes regarding warmth and competence do not affect age discrimination. These findings provide valuable insights into the use of LinkedIn screening for both organizations and job seekers.
The population in the Netherlands and Belgium has been aging in recent decades. It is therefore important that employers and workers pay more attention to sustainable employability so that workers can continue working longer. Sustainable employability requires that you are loyal to your future self. To achieve this, workers must deal sustainably with their vitality, workability, and employability. In this abbreviated version of my farewell speech, I look back on 40 years of research into sustainable employability. How has my research contributed to insights into what constitute the most important building blocks for sustainable employability? And which interventions help to strengthen sustainable employability?
While working conditions have improved over the centuries, with more autonomy and flexibility, workload and burnout have paradoxically increased. In this abbreviated version of my inaugural lecture, I propose that the pursuit of meaning, and freedom can lead to self-exploitation, exhaustion, and a weakened sense of community. I argue that neoliberal ideals, emphasizing individual freedom over social connections, are central to current workplace issues. Specifically, society's focus on freedom has driven individuals to structure their lives around economic efficiency, effectively becoming "entrepreneurs of the self". This shift forces people to prioritize productivity over social bonds, which may lead to burnout. I advocate for a rethinking of autonomy, which balances individual and social needs. In my future work, I aim to develop a new concept of autonomy that acknowledges both social and individual aspects of human nature. I also challenge the current view of leisure as merely serving work and call for a broader understanding of work and productivity. My vision for a post-work society views individuals as holistic beings, with lives outside of their paid jobs that are equally valuable and deserving of attention. This shift would promote sustainable work practices and a more balanced, fulfilling life for everyone.
A sustainable career for everyone: Fiction or fact? Sustainable careers enable individuals to preserve and renew their personal resources, allowing them to achieve a good balance between happiness, health, and productivity across the lifespan. This article discusses the existing research in this area and an agenda for future research. First, the article offers a brief historical overview of career research. Then, it explains the emergence of sustainable career research, its central premises, and the available insights on career sustainability. Subsequently, the article discusses existing and future research on sustainable careers following two central themes: what sustainable careers are (not) and how malleable and controllable sustainable careers are.
Quality of work deserves more attention nowadays, and should be viewed in the light of the present time. Technologies have changed the world of work and organization significantly, with huge consequences for the well-being of employees. As a consequence, we need to review our concept of 'quality of work', including the conditions under which employees have to work, and we need to focus on 'decent work'. In addition, W&O psychologists should focus more on societal issues, like the fact that a substantial group of people has difficulties in participating in society because these individuals do not have paid work. Job (re)design can be a tool to create more differentiation in the labour market, and give more perspective for people with limited capacity to work.
Organizations and the way work is organized are changing. Employees have different demands, and these demands also change over the course of their careers. The psychological contract is the core of the relationship between employer and employee. This article describes the basic processes of the dynamic interaction between employer and employee over time. Exchange is the basic principle of the psychological contract. Agreement on mutual obligations and the balance in the obligations determine the effects on employee behavior. Because there are different phases in the relationship between employer and employee, it is important to look at how changes in the psychological contract can occur in conjunction with these different phases. The article introduces a model in which these changes and possible reactions of employees are described. The article concludes with questions for future research.
Workload can be understood as a work characteristic, defined by having much to do in little time. However, workload is subjective: what feels like a high workload to one person may not feel the same to another. This article differentiates between the perception ofworkload itself and its appraisal as (too) high, just right, or (too) low. To explore this distinction, a diverse data-set (N = 10,740) was analyzed that includes measures ofworkload (appraisal) and negative (e.g., burnout) and positive aspects (e.g., work engagement) of employee well-being. The findings show that: (1) Perceived workload only partially aligns with its appraisal. For instance, 20% of employees report a high workload but consider it 'just right'; (2) Appraisal of workload has a greater impact on health and well-being than the perceived workload level itself; (3) The combination of a high workload with a negative appraisal is particularly associated with poor health and well-being. These results suggest that distinguishing between workload and its appraisal is beneficial. Practically, this means both aspects should be assessed independently to identify and support the group that is most at-risk-those with a high, problematic workload-through preventive measures.
The battle forIT Talent: Crafting an attractive and unique employer brand In today's competitive IT job market, employer branding is essential for both attracting and retaining top IT talent. This study introduces the Instrumental-Symbolic Framework to explore the interplay of characteristics, attractiveness, and uniqueness among IT employers, addressing both potential applicants and current employees. Surveys were administered to IT students (N = 94) and IT professionals (N = 126) to investigate the attractiveness of two IT companies. The study shows the importance of instrumental characteristics, such as management quality, location, and career opportunities, as well as symbolic characteristics like prestige and innovation in assessing employer attractiveness. Furthermore, the study underscores the pivotal role of symbolic characteristics for employees, which notably influence attractiveness and explain more variance of employer attractiveness among employees compared to potential applicants. Beyond merely assessing employer attractiveness, this study explores how an IT organization differs from its direct rival for both applicants and employees. By identifying both attractive and distinctive characteristics, an organization can take targeted actions tailored to the target audience and compete for talent in the IT sector. Concludingly, this research highlights what makes IT organizations appealing to diverse audiences and provides practical guidelines for competing effectively.
Many Dutch people exercise too little. All the while, more exercise seems to be healthy for everyone, and good for the well-being and productivity of employees. Tools such as pedometers and apps appear to be able to support employees who want to exercise more to achieve their wish. In this article, based on a longitudinal study among 126 employees in primary education, we examine the role of a smartphone application that uses activity trackers to improve exercise, well-being and functioning. This vitality app rewards participants financially if they exercise more. The results show that using the app over the course of one year is associated with an improvement in participants' lifestyle. They exercise more intensively and moderately intensively, and sit slightly less in their free time. The use of the app also seems to contribute indirectly to the work ability of the participants, especially among employees who have become more active during the study period and were previously less active. Longer-term effects are still unclear.
This is the second part of the special issue 'Reflection and practical perspectives on burnout'. The issue consists of four articles covering the themes of 'Prevalence', 'Reintegration' and 'Burnout as narrative'. The first article shows that burnout complaints in the Netherlands increased over the period 2007-2023 and that there are certain risk groups where the increase was greater. The second article shows that the number of absenteeism days is related to the occupational physician's diagnosis and the severity ofburnout symptoms. However, the relationship with burnout symptoms was too small to be clinically relevant. The third article presents an e-tool that provides insight into the quality of reintegration after burnout and can predict future burnout symptoms. The fourth and final article shows that a burnout history can lead to stigmatization and have negative career consequences. All-in all, the contributions in this theme issue show that burnout symptoms can have major consequences for individuals and society. In addition, both theme issues show that while we increasingly understand burnout, there are still important unanswered questions. Hence, there is a high need for further research in the field of burnout.
Remarkably little research has been conducted on absenteeism due to burnout and related diagnoses. We therefore proposed the following research questions: 1) What is the sickness absence in relation to these diagnoses? By whom are these employees treated? (3) Is the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) a good predictor of sickness absence duration? Data with two-year follow-up were collected among 3,462 employees who were absent in 2020 due to stress complaints (n = 691), overstrain (n = 2,254) or burnout (n 517), through registered data and employee questionnaires including BAT and the Four Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ). Results show that two-thirds of those with stress complaints, half of those with overstrain and one third of those with burnout returned to work within half a year. At the beginning of the absence, almost half was already under treatment, with the mental health assistant of the general practitioner and psychologists being most common, and more often with burnout. The BAT explained only 0.8% ofvariance in absence duration, as well as the 4DSQ. To conclude: differences in absence duration between the three diagnoses aligned with guidelines. Particularly those with burnout have additional treatment already early during absence. The BAT and 4DSQ are significant but not clinically relevant predictors of sickness absence duration.
This article summarizes a dissertation that investigated the impact of a history ofburnout on career prospects. Using five vignette experiments (N = 199-582), we examined the role ofburnout in various personnel decisions: (1) job preferences, (2) hiring at the applicant's previous level of employment, (3) promotion, (4) dismissal, and (5) hiring for a position of underemployment. We find that a history of clinical burnout is associated with distinct patterns in job preferences. Furthermore, burnout as a reason for absenteeism appears to be a source of stigmata among employers, potentially reducing individuals' opportunities in the labor market. Employers have various negative perceptions of individuals with a history ofburnout, including the expectation that they are not sufficiently stress-tolerant, will be absent in the future, and have less leadership skills. Finally, we also discuss recommendations for future research and practice.
Various dimensions of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are identified in the literature, which can be either internally or externally focused depending on the intended stakeholders. Nevertheless, limited research has been conducted on the specific relations between these dimensions and the attitudes and behaviors of employees, and the underlying mechanisms involved. Existing empirical studies have primarily examined CSR as a holistic concept. This study aligns with research that examines the relationships between various dimensions of CSR and employee attitudes and behaviors. It acknowledges diverse associations between different CSR dimensions and employee attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, it examined how different CSR dimensions (employee-oriented CSR, community-oriented CSR, and environmentally-oriented CSR) are related to employees' turnover intentions. Based on self-determination theory, a negative relationship was expected between the different CSR dimensions and employees' turnover intentions, with job self-esteem and social impact potential playing a mediating role. The results of this study, based on data collected from 483 employees of Flemish retail chains, confirmed our conceptual model. This research has both theoretical and practical implications.
An evolutionarily minded industrial and organizational psychologist examines potential mismatches between how people work now and how our distant ancestors worked. The stronger this mismatch, the greater the likelihood of organizational bottlenecks. In this article, I discuss the core theories and principles from evolutionary psychology, and how they can be applied in industrial and organizational psychological research and consultancy. I focus on fundamental questions such as why people work, how cooperation is achieved, and what the primary functions of leadership are. An evolutionary psychological perspective can both deepen and broaden research in industrial and organizational psychology, and it allows for many new research questions, hypotheses, and methods. Additionally, this knowledge provides practical insights into the psychology and behavior of people in organizations. The path to an evolutionary industrial and organizational psychology is open to anyone who wants to delve into it as a researcher or practitioner psychologist.
This paper provides an overview of the results of a doctoral thesis on the topic of employer branding. We propose that (1) holistic brand thinking is useful to enlarge the impact of employer branding and that (2) applying a contingency approach helps in understanding and predicting the value of employer branding. The results of three studies show that it is valuable to focus the employer brand towards individual preferences of the target group and/or the consumer brand, and to implement branding strategies to increase employer attractiveness and job pursuit intentions. In addition, the studies show that the added value of employer branding is dependent on individual (person-organization fit) and organizational contingencies (consumer brand, knowledge intensity, and capital intensity). The implications of these findings for future research are discussed and we provide several recommendations for
Using simple algorithms to combine information (mechanical prediction) results in more accurate decisions than combining such information 'in the head' (holistic prediction). Yet, many decision makers are still averse to using algorithms in hiring and admissions decisions. In this article, we give an overview of dissertation research on how to overcome algorithm aversion in hiring and admissions decisions. The findings show that retaining decision makers' autonomy in mechanical prediction encourages algorithm use, and often results in more accurate selection decisions than holistic prediction. Furthermore, training decision makers in mechanical prediction increased algorithm use. We discuss the practical implications of this dissertation and present steps that practitioners and academics can take to encourage algorithm use and improve decision-making.
