Who Likes to Move It: Putting Employee Job Search in Context

Abstract

In the past decade, employees in the Netherlands have changed jobs more frequently. This trend poses a problem, as nearly all sectors already face staff shortages. Increased turnover not only raises the workload of remaining employees but also reduces productivity. Moreover, employees who are actively searching for new jobs are often less satisfied and engaged. This dissertation therefore focuses on identifying new strategies to better understand and reduce job search behavior, allowing organizations to address turnover intentions before employees actually leave. Previous research has primarily emphasized individual motives such as job dissatisfaction and self-regulation. Less attention has been paid to the role of the work environment, even though work inherently takes place in social contexts. This dissertation extends existing knowledge on this relationship at three levels. First, it examines whether labor market discrimination discourages migrants, older workers, and lower-educated employees from seeking new jobs. While no direct effect is found, these groups are more likely to tolerate dissatisfaction when their basic needs are met. Second, existing research often assumes uniform organizational effects on employees. This dissertation, however, shows that outcomes differ across groups: workplace cohesion is especially important in reducing job search behavior among migrant employees, more so than among non-migrants. Third, it investigates whether colleagues’ turnover behavior matters. This proves to be one of the strongest predictors: witnessing others leave, or even anticipating their departure, significantly increases the likelihood of searching. Finally, the dissertation demonstrates that collective job search behavior can erode the social fabric of organizations, as collaboration in teams with many searching employees deteriorates.