Stakeholder engagement in inclusive employability management for employees whose health at work is impaired: Empirical evidence from a French public organisation

Purpose. This paper identifies the stakeholders engaged in inclusive employability management for employees whose health at work is impaired and examines how different mechanisms can be used to engage these stakeholders. The paper aims to explore the link between stakeholder engagement and inclusive employability management. Design/methodology/approach. The empirical study uses a qualitative approach to mobilise a case study in a French public organisation. Data collection combines four sources: 50 individual interviews, informal dialogues, 39 days of observations and 43 documents. Findings. The findings provide insights into the management of inclusive employability for vulnerable employees and reveal the multiplicity of stakeholders involved. Institutional, organisational and individual mechanisms are used to engage stakeholders in employability management for vulnerable employees. Furthermore, the implementation of inclusive structural and operational mechanisms promotes a policy that favours employability management. However, stakeholders are also faced with institutional, organisational and individual difficulties that limit their engagement. Originality. The research fills an important gap in the human resources management (HRM) literature on managing employability for vulnerable employees. In doing so, the study makes a specific contribution to the literature on organisational inclusion with employability management. Our research contributes to extant knowledge of stakeholder engagement by including a bottom-up dimension to facilitate stakeholder engagement. Practical implications. The findings have the potential to inform organisational stakeholders – HRM and managerial stakeholders in particular – of the support needed for employability management. The findings emphasise the value of ensuring that employability management policies and practices promote the full integration of vulnerable employees.