Reducing the Age Gap in Job Search: A Brief Self-Affirmation Intervention Boosts the Success of Older Job Seekers

Negative stereotypes of older employees as being less competent and less motivated are a critical challenge that older individuals face in the job market. These negative expectations lower the confidence of older job seekers and reduce their chances of finding reemployment. To tackle the effects of age-based stereotype-threat, we examined whether a brief online self-affirmation intervention would increase older job seekers’ job search success. Furthermore, we predicted a stronger intervention effect for older compared to younger and middle-aged job seekers. In two field experiments among younger, middle-aged, and older job seekers, we found that older individuals in the intervention group received significantly more job offers and found more often reemployment than older individuals in the control group. The intervention was also effective for younger job seekers, who also face negative expectations, but not for middle-aged job seekers. These findings suggest that brief online self-affirmation interventions can counteract the harmful effects of age-based stereotype threat in the job market and eliminate the age gap in job search success.

https://eur-nl.zoom.us/j/95675506199

Meeting ID: 956 7550 6199