Networks and labor market entry – a historical perspective

Håkansson, Peter; Tovatt, Caroline

doi:10.1080/0023656x.2017.1250204

Cited by 7 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…We interpret the results from the leavers' survey as a change among the young according to the hypothesis discussed previously. This is also in line with Håkansson and Tovatt's (2017) findings. In Sweden, from the beginning of the 1990s, it became more common for a person's first job, which is often a low-skilled job, to be mediated through friends and family (Håkansson & Tovatt, 2017).…”

Section: Search Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Two recent studies have a temporal dimension, though. In a study based on interviews and work life narratives, Håkansson and Tovatt (2017) describe how changes in recruitment practises have connected to institutional and structural change over the last century. The study also shows that in periods of high unemployment, personal networks (social capital) become more important when competition for a declining number of jobs becomes high.…”

Section: Previous Research On Recruitment In Swedenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Personal networks are easily kept and maintained with the help of social media and the Internet, according to Hasselberg. If we use this perspective on recruitment practicesand if we recall Holzer's and other search theorists' findings about efficiency in the search channelswe may conclude that in the long run, technical change and innovation have improved the efficiency in using networks, i.e. with ICT it is easier and cheaper to uphold a network (see Håkansson & Tovatt, 2017). However, the question remains if this could be estimated also in the short run, i.e.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…However, there is fairly little research to describe if and why recruitment practices can vary over time. In Håkansson and Tovatt (2017), this question is analysed from a long-term perspective, using qualitative methods in the form of working-life narratives. The results from that study indicate that changes occur in response to structural changes in the economy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Getting a job when times are bad: recruitment practices in Sweden before, during and after the Great Recession

Håkansson

Nilsson

2018

Scandinavian Economic History Review

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Research on recruitment shows that networks matter and are effective as search channels. The aim of this article is to analyse how recruitment practices varies over time, and specifically, how it has varied before, during, and after the Great Recession 2008-2009. The findings are that recruitment practices change both in the short term, in relation to labour supply, which we can call a cyclical effect, but also in accordance to a long-term, structural effects. Informal recruitment practices, such as recruitment through 'friends and acquaintances' and 'employer made contact', seem to increase during bad times. In the long run, the recruitment practices 'direct application', 'friends and acquaintances' and 'formal private' increase in relation to recruitment through the Swedish Public Employment Agency (SPEA). A reason for this may be that the labour market in the new knowledge economy demands a heterogenic workforce with high demands on non-cognitive skills and customisation. Here the new network recruitment practices seem to fit in.

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Section: Search Methodssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Previous Research On Recruitment In Swedenmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Getting a job when times are bad: recruitment practices in Sweden before, during and after the Great Recession

Håkansson

Nilsson

2018

Scandinavian Economic History Review

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“…Numerous studies have investigated network recruitment and recognised the importance of networks in getting a job (e.g. Battu, Seaman, & Zenou, 2011;Bentolila, Michelacci, & Suarez, 2010;Bramoull e & Saint-Paul, 2010;Calv o-Armengol & Zenou, 2005;Håkansson, 2011;Håkansson & Tovatt, 2017;H€ allsten, Edling, & Rydgren, 2017;Tovatt, 2013). Although consideration of networks has for a long time been a crucial part of recruitment practices in countries outside Sweden (e.g.…”

Section: Previous Research and Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Whom do you know? Recruiters’ motives for assessing jobseekers’ online networks

Hedenus

Backman

Håkansson

2019

The International Journal of Human Resource Management

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Network recruitment has become an essential part of the modern labour market. However, there are significant research gaps: 1) the development of social media has been crucial to the growth of social networks, yet we know little about its influence on network recruitment; 2) studies on network recruitment generally focus on employees' rather than employers' perspectives; 3) the context of most research is the US labour market, which then identifies a need for contributions relating to other countries. The aim of this study is to analyse and discuss recruiters' use of SNS to evaluate the networks of potential candidates. To understand how and why recruiters assess online networks, we used qualitative data from a Swedish study. Our analysis showed that recruiters search the internet either to find information that helps them ascertain the candidate as trustworthy, or to evaluate the candidate's social capital through the size and composition of their networks. For certain job positions especially, active management of one's online networks thus becomes crucial. Finally, this study illustrates how network connections may undermine rather than build trust, and thereby challenges a belief in the positive impact of networks. ARTICLE HISTORY

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