Job-Search Behavior as a Multidimensional Construct: A Review of Different Job-Search Behaviors and Sources

Abstract

Both theoretical models of job search and empirical research findings suggest that job-search behavior is not a unidimensional construct. This chapter addresses the multidimensionality of job-search behavior and provides a systematic review of the different job-search behaviors and sources studied in the job-search literature and their relationships with antecedent variables and employment outcomes. Organized within three major dimensions (effort/intensity, content/direction, and temporal/persistence), job-search effort and intensity, job-search strategies, preparatory and active job-search behaviors, formal and informal job sources, specific job-search behaviors, job-search quality, job-search dynamics, and job-search persistence are discussed. This review strongly suggests that it is essential to consider all the dimensions of job-search behavior for understanding job-search success in both practice and research. This study points to a number of key implications for job seekers and employment counselors as well as crucial directions for future research.