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Career experiences and_prospects_of_postdoctoral_researchers_a_dutch_case_study
- 1. Agenda • Introduc)on • Our studies among postdocs in the Netherlands • Preliminary empirical results • Conclusions RQ: How do postdocs experience their academic career and what are their prospects for the future? 1
- 5. Postdoc within the Academic Career Trajectory • A postdoc posi)on is no longer a short-term entrance trajectory into the academia but more likely a longer- las)ng experience (e.g. Fitzenberger & Schulze 2013; Stanford et al., 2009) • Pilling up postdocs posi)ons -> Mul)ple reloca)ons (McAlpine 2012) • A postdoc trajectory can be considered a preliminary requirement for obtaining a permanent posi)on • Longer dura)on of insecure career prospects (Van Engen, Bleijenbergh, & Vinkenburg, 2010) 5
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- 7. Postdocs in The Netherlands • How many? – In 2011: 3463 postdocs (Van Arensbergen et al 2013) • What do we know so far? – No separate staff category in the na)onal classifica)on system of func)ons within universi)es – Career perspec)ves insecure: 20% tenured positions (Goede, Belder, & De Jonge, 2013) – Immature career and talent policies for postdocs at university level (HRM) (Thunnissen & FruyFer 2014) – The career development of postdocs seems to occur rather coincidentally, as a sort of black box and without the influence of any systema)c career planning (Van Arensbergen, 2014) 7
- 8. Our studies among Postdocs in the Netherlands [2013-2015] • Web surveys: 300 postdocs from 3 Dutch universi)es Variables: e.g. postdoc trajectory; preliminary career features; career ambi)on/perspec)ves; career prepara)ons; sa)sfac)on • Semi qualita)ve interviews: 20 postdocs • 3 Focus group discussions: postdocs + HRM + research policymakers (Dutch research council NWO) RQ: How do postdocs experience their academic career and what are their prospects for the future? Mixed method; MulF Actor study 8
- 9. Summary Results Web Surveys • 34 years; 40% female, 35% Dutch na)onality; work 30 months as postdoc • Pursue academic career (85%) despite nega)ve vision on future prospects • Length of their postdoc employment nega)vely affects their career sa)sfac)on and prospects • The rela)vely weak career prospects in academia nega)vely impacts the struggle to find a work–life balance • Feel publica)on and grant pressure -> stress • Hardly akend training modules or courses to develop their personal and transferable skills • Feel resistance to talk with supervisor about non-academic career possibili)es • Sa)sfied with daily working environment [colleagues] • Would like to be treated by university as ‘serious group’ of employees • Not sa)sfied with career support offered by university 9
- 10. Preliminary Results: Postdocs with children Results from Web surveys: • 34 per cent of the respondents have kids • Work on average more months as postdoctoral researcher: 44 months vs. 24 months (p <0.001) • Have an even more nega)ve view (mean = 3.48 on a 7-point scale) of their possible academic future compared to their childless colleagues (mean = 4.24; p <0.001) 10
- 11. Preliminary Results: Postdocs with children Results from Interviews & focus group discussions: • The struggle for work–life balance becomes a even more pressing issue when postdocs have children • Different phase of life compared to colleagues • Less flexible regarding future academic career: house / school / childcare facili)es / social network. Aim: to keep the family together. • More cri)cal to the benefits in their contract • Considering to switch to non-academic jobs: Most postdocs state that their family is more important and they will have to start considering other employment op)ons if they cannot find an academic job in the Netherlands 11
- 12. Work Life Balance for postdocs with children: a con?nuous struggle • “I love doing research and, as a postdoc, I have quite a lot of Fme for that. However, now that my children are reaching school age, the uncertain career prospects are starFng to weigh heavily as a disadvantage, in parFcular because my husband is a postdoc to”. (female, 37 years old, two children) • “I will not sacrifice my children, so I will not take them to move from here to there and change things. That’s not an opFon, my children come first.” (female) • ‘It takes far too long to obtain a certain amount of certainty job-wise, especially for those with children. It is not nice to not know where you will have to live or sFll move to in the coming years whilst your children are going to school, starFng sports, etc. The lack of permanent jobs is one thing. But on top of that, the certainty of having to leave the place where you currently are aeer a postdoc is even worse! That makes it very hard to build a life and provide for stability for the family”. (female, 39 years old, two children) 12
- 13. Conclusions • It is urgent for universiFes to regard postdoctoral researchers much more seriously within their current labour organisa)on: development of postdoc talent management • Not only university policy makers but also top and middle management should be involved in this process • Postdocs rarely akempt to pursue alterna)ve career paths, e.g., by akending courses outside their research areas, and spend very likle )me pursuing their own personal development • The artudes of postdocs and their supervisors toward their professional and career development require change 13