Making older workers happy to carry on: Importance of social skills and continuous learning

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the influences of the competencies, social skills and continuous learning ability on career success and career satisfaction among workers aged 50 and over.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach consisted of 920 surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews with working individuals aged 50 or above, registered at a job agency specialized in older employees in The Netherlands. Multiple regression and content analysis were used to analyze the findings.

Findings

The survey showed a positive relationship between the competencies and career success and career satisfaction. However, the interviews revealed that not all older workers perceived the need to continuously stay up-to-date as positive, pushing them into retirement.

Originality/value

The influence of competencies on career success and career satisfaction of older workers has received only little attention from researchers.

Citation

Beal, B. (2016), "Making older workers happy to carry on: Importance of social skills and continuous learning", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 22-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-12-2015-0098