At Harbert: Research
Jaclyn Koopmann Associate Professor Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
Post-Pandemic Barriers Hamper Job Seekers T he COVID-19 pandemic had a noticeable impact on job loss as well as the difficulties people
The research examined specific obstacles brought on by the pandemic, including increased childcare and community responsibilities, that could significantly hinder the job search process. The team found a notable trend: Despite new obstacles, job seekers who felt less at risk of getting sick from COVID adapted and improved their searches to land a better job. Conversely, job seekers who felt they were more likely to contract COVID did not fare as well when faced with typical obstacles. Koopmann said this group of job seekers tended to lose hope and weren’t able to improve their job-search strategies when they encountered obstacles. “Thus, this group is particularly at risk of not having a successful search
and feeling distressed,” she said, noting that these risks were present even before the pandemic, when in some cases these individuals could seek help with the difficulties of a general job search. For this group of job seekers, these barriers will continue well after the pandemic unless action is taken. Koopmann and other researchers are encouraging employers, policymakers and employment centers to intervene to help these individuals overcome pandemic-related job difficulties. That intervention could include an improved recruitment process that more carefully follows health guidelines, as well as small actions such as presenting virtual recruitment options.
face when seeking new jobs. Jaclyn Koopmann , associate professor in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, led research on this topic that was recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology . Koopmann and her team came away with insights on how the struggles of people seeking jobs can be addressed by key decision-makers, who can intervene to help. “Job seekers these days are likely facing multiple layers of barriers to their key job search activities, including barriers that they may have faced before the pandemic,” Koopmann said. With a focus on barriers specific to the pandemic, the researchers were able to unearth findings about general, pre- existing barriers.
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