The reemployment process of older managers after a plant closing. Towards a career transition framework

Abstract

Purpose. To inquire into a reemployment process of older managers in a setting of organizational restructuring, a context in which the dominant answer of organizations consists of stimulating early retirement. Methodology. Fourteen reemployed older managers, and the HR manager in a career counseling role, were interviewed to learn about the quality of the reemployment process during a plant closing. Barriers and facilitators of reemployment, counseling behaviors of HR and significant contextual factors were identified. Data were analyzed using a combination of theory- and data-driven methodology. A theoretical framework was extended to offer more insight into reemployment processes. Findings. Experiences of job content continuity and relational continuity facilitated the reemployment process. The embeddedness in an organizational culture and the experience of dualities strongly influenced how the reemployment process was experienced. Practical implications. Counseling efforts should focus on finding job content continuity and relational continuity to smooth the reemployment process. HR/career counselors have to guard against the development of too strong and inflexible social identities during careers that hinder career transitions. Diverse forms of job mobility can be stimulated during the whole career. HR/career practitioners should develop the capacity to identify tensions between different ‘logics’ and handle these tensions constructively by setting up sound dialogues between the parties involved in a reemployment process. Originality/value. Little research has been conducted on reemployment processes of older managers during restructuring. The research offers new insights into the dynamics of reemployment processes, and offers research and practice implications for researchers and practitioners.