Profiles of mature job seekers: Connecting needs and desires to work characteristics

The number of mature job seekers actively pursuing employment is increasing, and it is critical to recognize the variety of needs and desires they want from employment. We hypothesized that mature job seekers would be grouped into meaningful clusters based on their desires for work and that these groups would differ regarding the work features they were looking for in a new job. Using survey data from a sample of 173 mature job seekers over age forty, we identified three clusters: Those who work primarily for monetary and family reasons (which we labeled satisficers), those who seek personal satisfaction and learning opportunities from employment (free agents), and those who seek employment for a broad variety of reasons (maximizers). These three groups differed in their preferences for work schedule, availability of benefits, and developmental opportunities. We conclude by discussing potential individual-level interventions and organizational recruitment and staffing strategies for different groups of mature job seekers. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.