Moving beyond job search quantity

Abstract

Job seeking is an important aspect throughout people's careers. Extant theory and research has focused on one particular dimension of job search, that is, intensity/effort (i.e., job search quantity), posing that intensity/effort importantly affects employment success. The present conceptual paper extends job search theory by arguing for the importance of job search quality in explaining job search and employment success. We conceptualize job search quality as consisting of process quality and product/behavior quality, and propose that high-quality job search products/behaviors are more likely with a high-quality job search process. A four-phased cyclical self-regulatory model is presented, specifying the components of job search process quality. We build theory regarding the interrelations between quality components, the antecedents and outcomes of job search quality, and the moderators of these relations. This theory offers new and more detailed explanations for previous findings, directions for future research, and practical guidelines regarding (re)employment success and services.

Self-regulation during job search: The opposing effects of employment self-efficacy and job search behavior self-efficacy.

“…Recent research suggests that providing role models and teaching job seekers specific job search skills, such as résumé preparation and interview skills, are effective ways to enhance job search behavior self-efficacy (Liu, Huang, & Wang, 2014). Another way to enhance/protect job search behavior self-efficacy is through intervening on the attribution processes (van Hooft et al, 2013). For example, attribution training for job seekers could help them see job search setbacks/ failures as temporary and externally driven.…”

“…In contrast, withinperson studies can partial out the influence of important confounding variables (e.g., personality and past experience) and help establish temporal precedence between variables, both of which are essential to research on dynamic self-regulation (Sitzmann & Yeo, 2013). Although recent studies (e.g., Wanberg, Zhu, & van Hooft, 2010) have started to examine withinperson process during job search, our understanding of its underlying goal structure, self-efficacy components, and corresponding outcomes is still limited (van Hooft, Wanberg, & van Hoye, 2013).…”

Effectiveness of job search interventions: A meta-analytic review.

“…Third, although in the general job search literature, mechanisms that lead to finding employment are well developed and tested (e.g., Saks, 2005;Van Hooft, Wanberg, & Van Hoye, 2013), we still have limited understanding on how several job search/reemployment predictors can be changed, what their effects are, and to what extent an intervention needs to focus on one predictor at a time or on multiple predictors simultaneously. It is important to note that, in addition to obtaining employment, previous job search intervention studies have included other outcomes that theoretically and/or empirically explain the effect of the intervention on obtaining employment (e.g., Koen, Klehe, & Van Vianen, 2013;Noordzij, Van Hooft, Van Miedo, Van Dam, & Bom, 2013;Vinokur & Schul, 1997).…”

“…Drawing on recent work conceptualizing job search as a type of self-regulation (e.g., Kanfer, Wanberg, & Kantrowitz, 2001;Saks, 2005;Van Hooft et al, 2013), we integrate previous theoretical perspectives and propose a taxonomy of critical components of job search interventions. First, we provide a critical review of the major theoretical perspectives used in job search intervention research.…”

Personal characteristics of effective managers in organizational cultures of different types

“…If the conditions for achieving high work results are analyzed, it is clear that such aspects of a hierarchical pattern as the exact following of a system of goals are connected with achieving high results and are of great significance (Van Hooft, Wanberg & Hoye, 2013). With that in mind, it can be said that, based on the obtained empirical data, the characteristics of the psychological qualities of the managers from the enterprises with the market-hierarchical OC most nearly fulfill the requirement of achieving high-quality work results.…”