How experienced autonomy can improve job seekers' motivation, job search, and chance of finding reemployment

Abstract

Job seekers can have different motivations to search for jobs. Some search to find a better job, others because reemployment guidance stimulates them to do so. Understanding how reemployment guidance impacts these different types of job search motivation, and how these types of motivation impact job search behavior, is important in fully comprehending the reemployment process. This study examined how experienced autonomy during reemployment guidance relates to job seekers' types of motivation, how these types of motivation relate to high-quality job search behavior and, in turn, how high-quality job search behavior predicts finding reemployment. In a three-wave field study (n T1 = 440; n T2,T3 = 172), we assessed unemployed people's need for autonomy, experienced autonomy, job search motivation, and job search behavior quantity and quality. Unemployed participants were surveyed at the start of reemployment guidance (T1) and six weeks thereafter (T2). Their reemployment status was assessed six months later (T3). Results showed that experiencing more autonomy was directly associated with autonomous job search motivation and indirectly associated with high-quality job search behaviors and a higher chance of finding reemployment, regardless of job seekers' individual need for autonomy. Additionally, experiencing less autonomy was directly associated with amotivation, and indirectly associated with low-quality job search behaviors and a lower chance of finding reemployment. The implications of our findings for the reemployment process and for reemployment guidance are discussed.

Searching hard versus searching smart: The role of search process quality in an internship context

“…For instance, Turban et al () argued for the importance of metacognitive activities during job search, operationalized as a broad unidimensional measure of the extent to which job seekers set goals, develop plans, and monitor progress toward goal accomplishment. Empirical findings show that engaging in such metacognitive activities relates positively to autonomous job search motivation, the number of submitted job applications and invitations for job interviews, and finding reemployment (da Motta Veiga & Gabriel, ; Koen, Van Vianen, Van Hooft, & Klehe, ; Turban et al, ). Metacognitive activities have similar theoretical underpinnings as Van Hooft et al’s () model of job search process quality, as they both include aspects of goal setting, planning, and monitoring goal progress.…”

The Impact of Career Adaptability to the Job Search Strategies of Graduate Students in NCR

“…However, this study focusses on exploratory strategy, focused strategy, and haphazard strategy (Koen et. al., 2010;Koen, et. al., 2016).…”

“…There are different job search strategies that have been identified in previous studies, the most common of which are exploratory, focused, and haphazard strategies (Koen et. al., 2010;Koen, Van Vianen, Van Hooft, Klehe, 2016) which have not received much attention from researchers in the Philippines. Given the different strategies, the study suggests that graduate students will use strategies when looking for a job, however, the degree to which an individual uses these strategies will depend on their career adaptability, which is the readiness to cope with and handle the changes at work and working conditions (Savickas & Portfeli, 2012).…”

Adaptação e propriedades psicométricas da escala de intenção de turnover e busca de emprego

“…No comportamento preparatório de busca de emprego, o empregado reúne fontes para obter informação sobre vagas de emprego e acompanha, ao longo do tempo, essas informações, dependendo do seu grau de autonomia (Blau, 1994;Koen, Van Vianen, Van Hooft, & Klehe, 2016). As fontes usadas incluem fontes informais, como amigos e conhecidos, e fontes formais, como anúncios de emprego impressos e digitais e serviços de recolocação de emprego (Koen et al, 2016). A fase preparatória de busca de emprego diz respeito, portanto, aos esforços que o indivíduo reúne para produzir informações sobre vagas de emprego.…”

“…A fase de busca ativa, por sua vez, começa quando o indivíduo dá início, concretamente, à sua busca por emprego, entrando em contato com outras organizações, procurando novas posições em consultorias e empresas especializadas e conversando com colegas e amigos que podem lhe ajudar a alcançar sua recolocação (Koen et al, 2016). A intensidade, por sua vez, diz respeito ao tempo dedicado à exploração de diferentes opções e a consideração de futuros possíveis (Koen et al, 2016). Por fim, a autoeficácia para a busca de emprego é a crença que o indivíduo tem de que pode realizar com sucesso comportamentos específicos de procura de emprego (Saks & Ashforth, 1999).…”