These are the slides from a keynote talk that I did during the CityWork Amsterdam event on May 29th 2017 at the RAI convention center in Amsterdam.

1. MANAGING SUSTAINABLE CAREERS
OF YOUNG WORKERS
JOS AKKERMANS
CityWorks Amsterdam – May 29th 2017

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NICE TO MEET YOU!
Associate Professor of Sustainable Careers & Org. Behavior
Research
Sustainable careers, employability, young professionals, changing HRM
Associate editor Career Development International
Teaching
Program director Business Administration MSc, senior university teacher
Business
Consultant FrieslandCampina + TwynstraGudde, board member NFMD

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WWW.MENTI.COM

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WWW.MENTI.COM

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WWW.MENTI.COM

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CHANGING WORLD OF WORK

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WORK
• Flexible
• Bottom-up
• Proactive
• Lifelong learning
CAREER
• Horizontal &
vertical
• Unpredictable
• Subjective
• Agency
CHALLENGES
• Many changes in
short time
• Underemployment
• Education vs.
organization
• What is succes?

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Autonomy
Meaning
Work-Life
Dual
career
Soft skills
Equality

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ACHIEVING EARLY CAREER SUCCESS

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ACHIEVING EARLY CAREER SUCCESS

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Career
Competencies
Communicative
Competencies
Behavioral
Competencies
Refl. on Motivation
Refl. on Qualities
Networking
Self-Profiling
Work Exploration
Career Control
Reflective
Competencies
Source: Akkermans et al., 2013, 2015, 2017

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ACHIEVING EARLY CAREER SUCCESS
Career
Competencies
Work-Home
Interaction
Employability
Job
Crafting
Source: Akkermans & Tims, 2017

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ACHIEVING EARLY CAREER SUCCESS
CAREER
COMPETENCIES Employability
Work-life balance
Work engagement
Academic performance
Proactive personalilty & CSE
Job & life satisfaction
Source:Akkermansetal.,2013,2015,2017

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EMPLOYABILITY
MANAGEMENT PARADOX

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THE EMPLOYABILITY MANAGEMENT PARADOX
Investing in employees helps
them develop their
competencies: that’s great!
But won’t that make them less
attached to the organization
and potentially leave…?

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THE EMPLOYABILITY MANAGEMENT PARADOX
 SHOULD ORGANIZATIONS INVEST IN EMPLOYABILITY?
 Evidence thus far seems positive (e.g., Philippaers et al., 2016; Nelissen et al., 2017; AOM
conferences 2014, 2016)
 Potential advantages: increase in human capital, more competent employees
 Potential disadvantages: risk of diminished commitment and turnover…?
 Research thus far is incomplete
 DOES THE EMPLOYABILITY MANAGEMENT PARADOX EXIST?
 Are there potential trade-off effects of investing in employability of young
workers?

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CURRENT STUDY ON THE EPM

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#TAKEHOMEMESSAGES
Focus on young workers’ unique challanges and their
needs, e.g., meaning, development, balance
Develop their career competencies, e.g., through
interventions and HRM practices
Invest in their employability: it is a win-win situation

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WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
j.akkermans@vu.nl
www.josakkermans.com