Active Retirement: A career transition from retirement to work

Abstract

Retirement is a major stage in an individual’s life. It is considered termination of work life or the last stage of an individual’s career development cycle. However, research indicates that many people tend to work after the retirement due to various socio-economic needs. The issues and challenges faced by the group of individuals seeking employment after retirement is a less explored area, therefore, there was a need to address the challenges of the growing number of retirees re-entering the labour force. It is an exploratory qualitative study. Fifteen in depth interviews were conducted with individuals seeking post retirement employment, collected through purposive-snowball sampling. The interviews were being recorded, transcribed, and coded simultaneously for thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged with multiple subthemes and supporting codes that include (i) prevalent practices, (ii) labour market challenged and (iii) adjustment strategies. The research suggests a framework of career guidance for postretirement employment. The framework may be used by career guidance experts and the HR departments to make the career transition smooth for the individuals seeking active retirement.