Why do stakeholders engage in managing vulnerable workers’ employability? Empirical insights from a French cleaning company

Purpose This article aims to better understand the mechanisms explaining stakeholder engagement (SE) in managing vulnerable workers’ employability. The employability management is undoubtedly one of the keys to maintaining employment workers made vulnerable by working conditions and whose employability is weakened. Design/methodology/approach Our research takes a qualitative approach to studying a sensitive sector known for making workers vulnerable. Specifically, we mobilize a case study of a French cleaning company. Our data are based on three sources: 32 individual interviews, 3 days of observations and 25 documents. Findings We identify primary and secondary stakeholders, who are all engaged in employability management. We also highlight mechanisms explaining SE. First, at a macro level, we identify environmental mechanisms. Second, at a meso level, we show organizational mechanisms. Finally, at a micro level, we focus on individual mechanisms. Originality/value This research provides a deeper understanding of the scope of employability through the uncovering of mechanisms that explain SE, specifically a multi-SE with employability management of vulnerable workers. We identify a typology of stakeholders: primary stakeholders who have a contractual relationship with the organization and secondary stakeholders who, despite their influence, are not essential to the survival of the organization. This typology is particularly relevant because it takes into account all stakeholders and makes it possible to analyze the influence of these stakeholders in the approach. We also highlight mechanisms at the macro, meso and micro levels. We enrich the current human resources management literature by focusing on vulnerability at work through the activity sector, as reflected in characteristics such as difficult working conditions.