Doctoral Dissertation Research: Non-Searching for Jobs

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Sociological research has identified the importance of social networks and social capital in the allocation of labor market advantages. However, while much of the empirical and theoretical focus has been on the way that people access their jobs through their search activities, few have considered those who get their jobs without searching. These "non-searchers" receive job information and/or job offers while not actively searching for a job. Not only are these non-searchers surprisingly prevalent among current jobholders, they also receive better jobs than those who actively search for their jobs. In order to identify the characteristics of non-searchers and the nature of the employment advantages that they receive over active searchers, I will analyze survey data from two national datasets. Additionally, I will conduct qualitative interviews of newly hired employees at a multinational finance company to gain a better understanding of the processes by which people non-search and how these processes differ from the ways that people actively search for their jobs. I hypothesize that non-searchers receive some of the best jobs around because their extensive work contacts provide them with access to exclusive job information. Plus, contrary to social capital theory, non-searchers are able to procure this valuable job information without actively searching for their jobs. In this way, research on non-searchers has the potential for significantly advancing theories of social capital. Also, research on non-searchers can enhancing our understanding of social stratification more broadly, providing insights into race, gender, and class stratification, job allocation, and access to elite labor market positions.