LAUSR

PurposeEmployees need a sustainable career to prolong their working lives. The ability, motivation and opportunity to work form an important basis for sustainable careers across the lifespan. However, over the lifespan of their careers employees are likely to experience several career shocks (e.g. becoming chronically ill or being fired) which might result in unsustainable trajectories. This study aims to contribute to the literature on sustainable careers by unraveling the process through which careers shocks relate to career (un)sustainability and what role perceptions of human resource practices play in the process.Design/methodology/approachThirty-three in-depth retrospective interviews with participants of 50 years and older were conducted and analyzed using a template analysis.FindingsResults showed that career shocks influence career sustainability through a process of changes in demands or changes in resources, which in turn, relate to changes in person–job fit. When person-job–fit diminished, the ability, motivation and opportunity to continue working decreased, whereas when person–job fit improved, the ability, motivation and opportunity to continue working improved as well. Organizations appear to be able to diminish the negative consequences of career shocks by offering job resources such as HR practices in response to career shocks.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this study is the retrospective nature of the interviews, which could have resulted in recollection bias.Practical implicationsThis study gives HRM practitioners insight into the HR practices that are effective in overcoming career shocks.Originality/valueThis study extends existing literature by including career shocks as possible predictors of sustainable careers.