Organizational Psychologist | Stuck in a Job | Human Capital
Merel Feenstra-Verschure focuses as an organizational psychologist and founder of The People Society on labor mobility and leadership development from both employer and employee perspectives. She addresses current labor market issues through TIAS Business School and The People Society.
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Merel T. Feenstra-Verschure is an organizational psychologist, entrepreneur, and PhD researcher specializing in labor mobility, sustainable employability, and the phenomenon of ‘Locked at the Job’. Through her company The People Society, she supports organizations and employees in promoting effective internal mobility, job satisfaction, and leadership development. Additionally, she is connected as Academic Director to TIAS School for Business and Society, where she also serves as Assistant Professor.
In 2022, Merel obtained her PhD from Tilburg University as the first in the Netherlands on the phenomenon of ‘Locked at the Job’, or the experience of being stuck in a job. Her groundbreaking research systematically mapped out how this situation arises, which psychological and organizational factors contribute to it, and what impact it has on employees, employers, and the broader labor market. Thanks to her multidisciplinary approach, she provides in-depth insights and practical solutions to prevent stagnation in roles and to promote sustainable employability at the individual level, as well as developing strategic policies focused on placing human capital at the center of organizations.
Her extensive experience with leading organizations such as ING, ABN Amro, Conquaestor, Caceis, and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences enables her to effectively approach complex organizational issues from multiple perspectives.
Merel always places the human factor at the center of her advice and interventions. She focuses on strengthening leadership, enhancing job satisfaction, and optimizing internal collaboration. With concrete practical examples and evidence-based strategies, she inspires managers and employees to realize their full potential and break through stagnation in the workplace.
As a speaker, Merel Feenstra is known for her inspiring presentation style and in-depth subject matter knowledge. She knows how to activate her audience and prompt reflection and action, making her a sought-after guest speaker at conferences, seminars, and workshops focused on leadership, HR strategy, and organizational development.
The subject on which Merel earned her PhD in 2022. She fully immersed herself in this phenomenon and studied all its ins and outs. She examined the emergence of a trapped situation, studied the feelings and thoughts people experience, and also looked at the consequences for both employee and employer.
With immense passion and enthusiasm, Merel talks about this subject, which, as her research shows, is surrounded by a significant taboo. More attention to this phenomenon in the workplace can help break this taboo. If you truly want to make a change within your organisation and give a positive twist to the large group of trapped employees within your organisation, it starts with a lecture on this phenomenon.
You know them well, employees within your organisation who do not move sufficiently. But how do you ensure that this theme is truly put on the map within your organisation? That your employees start looking at their own careers in a more autonomous way and take control themselves, while you provide the right tools from the sidelines.
A well-oiled organisation starts with engaged and satisfied employees. To keep this group engaged and satisfied, attention is needed – everything that receives attention grows.
Good leadership, with an important human component, is therefore essential within every organisation. Many managers have ended up in their roles through a promotion. But are they sufficiently capable of providing your people with the necessary appreciation and recognition for the work they deliver in the right way?
Merel speaks about current and future developments in the labour market, such as labour market tightness, mismatches between supply and demand, the rise of AI, mobility, and sustainable employability. From her experience as an organisational psychologist, entrepreneur, and as an affiliated expert at TIAS Business School, she connects scientific insights with practical solutions. She offers organisations strategic guidance in responding to labour market changes and in strengthening employees’ career self-management.
Your employees are the most important asset of your organisation. Nothing should be more important than their satisfaction. When people are more passionate about their work, they will also want to do more for the organisation. Promoting employee satisfaction should therefore be in the top 5 of to-dos within every organisation.
Due to an ever-increasing shift of labour forces and the tightness in the current labour market, it is crucial to keep the current group of employees enthusiastic and motivated for their jobs. Optimally utilising their labour potential goes beyond merely hiring people; that’s when the work begins. Ensuring that you continue to bind and captivate people to your organisation is therefore essential for every organisation in these times.
In addition to people who are ‘trapped in their job’, we now also know the Quiet Quitters – a situation where mainly Millennials and Gen-Z’ers only do what is contractually required of them, or people with a bore-out – who experience extreme levels of boredom and are insufficiently stimulated in their work. Who are these people, and how do you prevent this from arising within your organisation?
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