Gedrag & Organisatie - Volume 39, Issue 1, 2026

Myths, prejudices, and facts: Thematic issue ‘Age at work’ (part 1)

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 older workers. 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.

Counteracting ageism: How professionals can make a difference

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 of labour 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.

The role of recommendations and stereotypes in age discrimination among female job applicants during LinkedIn screening

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.

Zelfgerapporteerde burn-outklachten blijken vooral onder jongere werknemers toegenomen. Om aanknopingspunten te vinden voor de aanpak hiervan is meer inzicht nodig in de heterogeniteit binnen deze groep met betrekking tot deze klachten. Dit onderzoek richt zich op verschillen in burn-outklachten onder jonge werknemers, en op factoren die daarbij een rol spelen. Met de Nationale Enquête Arbeidsomstandigheden van TNO/CBS hebben we onderzocht (1) hoe burn-outklachten zich sinds 2014 bij jonge werknemers hebben ontwikkeld, opgesplitst naar opleidingsniveau, en (2) welke verbanden er zijn tussen enerzijds verschillende achtergrond- en werkkenmerken en anderzijds burn-outklachten bij jonge werknemers in het algemeen, alsook (3) binnen subgroepen op basis van opleidingsniveau. Resultaten laten een stijgende trend in burn-outklachten voor alle opleidingsniveaus zien. Ook blijkt dat er binnen de groep jonge werknemers risicogroepen zijn, onder andere op basis van geslacht, leeftijd en opleidingsniveau. Maar vooral werkkenmerken zoals ervaren baanonzekerheid, hoge taakeisen en weinig autonomie blijken een belangrijke rol te spelen bij het verklaren van verschillen in burn-outklachten. Ook zien wij dat hogere taakeisen een sterkere samenhang met burn-outklachten hebben bij middelbaar opgeleiden dan bij hoger opgeleiden. Psychosociale werkkenmerken vormen daarom belangrijke aanknopingspunten voor interventies gericht op het voorkomen dan wel verminderen van burn-outklachten onder jongere werknemers.

Be loyal to your future self: Which interventions strengthen sustainable employability?

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, work ability, 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?