Editorial – The Dark Side of the Moon: Applicant Perspectives, Negative Psychological Effects (NPEs), and Candidate Decision Making in Selection

Abstract

One of the most curious and enduring features of personnel selection research was until recently the voluminous range of studies into recruiter decision making on one side and the near-absence of research into applicant reactions and decision making on the other. In the last few years, however, this balance of research attention by industrial, work, and organizational (IWO) psychologists active in employee selection has begun to shift. And to shift perceptibly and on the basis of simultaneously emergent, international research efforts. Applicant reactions and decision making studies in several countries have begun to shed light on hitherto shrouded features of the applicant’s ‘side’ of selection processes, hence my choice of the title of ‘The dark side of the moon’ for this introductory editorial to this double special issue of IJSA. Firstly, however, let me extend a sincere and warm welcome to all readers of this special issue dedicated entirely to applicant reactions and decision making research. If IJSA has just landed on your desk full of other workload and tasks to be cleared, I can only suggest that it willprovemorethanworthwhiletofirstscan-readallofthe contributions which go to comprise this double issue of the journal – they are exceptionally strong. Researchers and practitioners alike should find much of importance, relevance, and interest amongst the fifteen papers published in this special issue. Contributing authors originate from the USA, Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, andSingapore. They includesome of themost eminent scholars in employee selection globally. For the firsttimetomyknowledgeinthehistoryofIJSAthisissueis divided roughly equally between papers that present theoretical advances and reports on empirical studies. Two of the latter describe entirely new and innovative psychometrically-based measures of applicant reactions. Across the seven theoretical papers published here, authors describe and assert a truly ground-breaking range of perspectives and models for applicant reactions and decision making research. Hopefully, this short precis has bynowatleaststimulatedyourinterest:Iwouldsimplyand rather humbly suggest that the contributions in this special issue warrant careful reading, not merely scan-reading, by any researcher or practitioner with serious professional interests in employee selection. They all, without exception, represent novel and thought-provoking contributions to the newly emergent field of applicant perceptions research in personnel psychology. I would rather less humbly suggest that, combined, the fifteen papers comprising this issue represent a genuine ‘coming of age’ and landmark publication for applicant perspective research internationally. This is down to the insight, visionary perspectives, and unswerving professionalism of the 35 authors whose work is presented herein. In this introductory editorial I address three main points. First, I will attempt to provide an overview and context for the decision to embark upon this special issue into applicant perspectives in selection. I coin the term ‘negative psychological effects ’o rNPEs to encompass the range of situations where exposure to a selection process has demonstrably negative effects upon applicant psychological well-being or mental health. Second, I review and summarize the fifteen papers sub-divided into two sections (Theoretical Advances and Empirical Studies) accepted for publication in this special issue. Finally, I express my gratitude and make acknowledgements to a number of colleagueswithoutwhosekindsupportthisissuewouldnot have been possible.