From the Unfolding Process to Self-Regulation in Job Search: Integrating Between- and Within-Person Approaches

Abstract

Searching for a job is an important process that influences short-and long-term career outcomes as well as well-being and psychological health. As such, job search research has grown tremendously over the last two decades. In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of prior research, discuss important trends in current research, and suggest areas for future research. The authors conceptualize the job search as an unfolding process (i.e., a process through which job seekers navigate through stages to achieve their goal of finding and accepting a job) in which job seekers engage in self-regulation behaviors. The authors contrast research that has taken a between-person, static approach with research that has taken a within-person, dynamic approach and highlight the importance of combining between-and within-person designs in order to have a more holistic understanding of the job search process. Finally, authors provide some recommendations for future research. Much remains to be learned about what influences job search self-regulation, and how job self-regulation influences job search and employment outcomes depending on individual, contextual, and environmental factors.

The influence of COVID-induced job search anxiety and conspiracy beliefs on job search effort: A within-person investigation.

“…Results indicated a positive relationship between dream job search effort and interviews (r = .22, p = .005); focused (r = .23, p = .002) and exploratory (r = .30, p < .001) job search effort also exhibited positive relationships, and there was no relationship between haphazard job search effort and interviews (r = −.10, p = .200). Although these forms of effort did not directly correlate with job offers during the study (r dream = .02, p = .854; r focused = −.12, p = .131; r exploratory = .13, p = .105; r haphazard = .12, p = .145), there was a positive relationship between interviews and job offers (r = .25, p = .001), aligning with tenets of the unfolding model of job search (da Motta Veiga et al, 2018;Turban et al, 2009). Thus, pursuing one's dreams can also be adaptive in terms of finding a job.…”

“…view as fulfilling or gratifying, in that the job meets their image of an ideal post-graduation position. Of course, in constrained labor markets, dream job search effort could be problematic, as job seekers may need to focus efforts more broadly to ensure that they meet their minimum goal of being employed (da Motta Veiga et al, 2018). As such, drawing from Crossley and Highhouse (2005) we consider how COVID-induced job search anxiety may contribute to efforts focused on the careful screening of jobs (focused job search effort), investigating a larger pool of potential job options (exploratory job search effort), or searching for jobs using a hit-or-miss approach (haphazard job search effort).…”

How and when perceived job search incivility leads to reduced job search behavior

“…Job search intensity denotes the frequency of job search-related activities undertaken by job seekers. It has been established in previous studies that job search intensity is essential for both job search outcomes and success (see, da Motta Veiga et al. , 2018; Kanfer et al.…”

“…, 2019), the potential role of mindfulness has yet to be examined within the context of the job search process. In doing so, we respond to recent calls by researchers (da Motta Veiga et al. , 2018; van Hooft, 2018) for studies that examine the role of mindfulness in coping with the stressful experiences encountered by job seekers.…”

“…Although, previous studies have underscored the role of mindfulness in mitigating the deleterious effect of negative experience and stressful situations (Brown and Ryan, 2003;H€ ulsheger et al, 2013;Tarraf et al, 2019), the potential role of mindfulness has yet to be examined within the context of the job search process. In doing so, we respond to recent calls by researchers (da Motta Veiga et al, 2018;van Hooft, 2018) for studies that examine the role of mindfulness in coping with the stressful experiences encountered by job seekers.…”