what kind of social connections matter (in the context of job seeking)? karon gush, james scott and...

What kind of social connections matter (in the context of job

seeking)?

Karon Gush, James Scott and Heather LaurieUniversity of Essex

The State of Social Capital in BritainFestival of Social Science, 11th November 2015

2

1973

Mar-May

1974

May-Ju

l 1975

Jul-Sep

1976

Sep-N

ov 1977

Nov-Jan

19791980

Mar-May

1981

May-Ju

l 1982

Jul-Sep

1983

Sep-N

ov 1984

Nov-Jan

19861987

Mar-May

1988

May-Ju

l 1989

Jul-Sep

1990

Sep-N

ov 1991

Nov-Jan

19931994

Mar-May

1995

May-Ju

l 1996

Jul-Sep

1997

Sep-N

ov 1998

Nov-Jan

20002001

Mar-May

2002

May-Ju

l 2003

Jul-Sep

2004

Sep-N

ov 2005

Nov-Jan

20072008

Mar-May

2009

May-Ju

l 2010

Jul-Sep

2011

Sep-N

ov 2012

Nov-Jan

20140%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

UK Unemployment rate (aged 16+), sea-sonally adjusted

Source: ONS, 2015

Social connections and jobseeking

3

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

/96

1997

/98

1999

/00

2001

/02

2003

/04

2005

/06

2007

/08

2009

/10

2011

/12

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

Growth in equivalised household dis-posable income (UK households)

Index: 1977=1

Source: ONS, 2013


4

Strong ties and weak ties


5



6



7



8

How does ‘who you know’ matter for job searching?

Methodology In-depth qualitative interviews Length = approx 30 mins – 1 hour 17 Couples (30 respondents)

interviewed individually (where possible) 11 separately, 2 together, 4 one partner only

Research question and data


9

Formal channels (4) Self-employment (3) Still looking (2) Acquaintances/industry contacts (5) Mix of formal channels and family support

(1)

Routes to finding a new job


10

Advent of the internet Strong ties can have access to information outside the

normal remit and prove crucial for successful job-matching

Labour market structure Networking in declining industries

Dormant connections Not always easy to measure but can be very important

UK tie strength in 21st century


11

We just talk about it in general. Would I fancy doing that? And if I

said no, that was the end of discussion. We'd move on to something

else. We'll look for something else in a different area. [My wife] must

have spent more time on the computer looking at different websites

than I did.

[Dave, 50s, Health Care Asst]

Hours online.


12

People who I had been working with are now out of work as well,

because they’re are out of work, they don’t have the sort of the

opportunities to offer ... I think networking, it’s great if everyone is

in work and everyone is working on things that are growing because

there obviously is a need for more people. But if you’re working on

areas that are sort of in decline, it’s not great.

[Ian, 40s, IT Specialist]

sdf

Declining industries and tie strength.


13

There’s not jobs in the paper or anything like that, and you look

online and it’s qualifications, of course age is another concern

because I’m 58 years old...I know there’s not supposed to be, no

discrimination for age but there is...I think people find more jobs by

word of mouth or whatever than anything that is advertised in the

paper because it’s who you know …

Well, the guy. I walk the dogs and we’d meet. I’ve known him for years, I went

to college with him years and years ago … he said, “If anything goes comes up,

do you want me to let you know?” And he did … and they gave me the job.

[Bill, 50s, Paint Engineer]

sdf

Dormant connections.


14

No agreed definition of what social capital is Strong ties, weak ties?

Social capital is not like other forms of capital Just because you cannot detect it does not mean it is not

there

Contextual dependency Situational factors largely determine the value/relevance

of social capital

Implications for measurement


An initiative by the Economic and Social Research Council, with scientific leadership by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, and survey delivery by NatCen Social Research and TNS BMRB

Understanding Society:

Social capital

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk

www.understandingsociety.ac.uk

19

My daughter's been through uni doing placements in hospitals, for

pharmacy and I just took an interest in that and had come to the

conclusion that I’d like to try something like that, something different

… Some of the things I have to do you wouldn't believe….I work on

A&E at [the local hospital] and I have to do, well, things you wouldn't

want hear about (Laughter). From the deceased through to doing

ECGs, taking blood and I just enjoy my job…. I suppose it is a bit

about job satisfaction because you're helping people. [Dave, 50s,

Health Care Asst]

Re-evaluated work preferences.

Family connections – deep personal relationships

20

There’s not jobs in the paper or anything like that, and you look

online and it’s qualifications, of course age is another concern

because I’m 58 years old...I know there’s not supposed to be, no

discrimination for age but there is...I think people find more jobs by

word of mouth or whatever than anything that is advertised in the

paper because it’s who you know. [Bill, 50s, Paint Engineer]

sdf

Friends and wider social networks - ‘it’s who you know’

What they can tell you….

21

I would’ve found it very difficult if I’d been knocking on people’s door

and said, “Give me a job.” I couldn’t have done that, I’d found it

difficult. But people [and agencies] I’ve worked with before that

knew me, that knew what I was capable of, I was quite happy to

approach … I phoned [Jim] for a reference and he said to me, “What

do you need that for? Come and work for me. [Carol, 50s, Quality

Manager]

sdf


What they know about you….

22

A friend of mine who had worked in the area for a very long time so a

lot of people know me and [had] worked with me… So, that worked

out quite nicely and meant that I...you know, I wasn’t sort of

scratching around and trying to find a job in a school I didn’t know

about ... so it did work out very well [Wendy, 40s, Teacher]

sdf


What you know about them….

23

I just went to the job centre, in Halesowen and signed on. They talk

to you about what's available ... they do try to help but I think you

can do more yourself, to be honest...you're better off going on to the

computer, having a look what's available, e-mailing people [Dave,

50s, Health care asst]

I did go down to the local job centre and I did sign on. And there

were some jobs down there but nothing that really suited … And so I

just saw the job in the local newspaper, had to look at it online and

then applied [Lynn, 40s, Teaching Asst]

sdf

Friends and wider social networks – social security

Formal support seen as ineffective/devalued

24

I’ve never been unemployed before so very new experience to me

going down there. I found that quite intimidating to be honest....I felt

of bit of a failure with it all...the stigma of it to be honest, to actually

be unemployed and to be going for unemployment benefit...It wasn’t

a nice experience. [Lynn, 40s, Teaching Asst]

I think it’s just degrading; I really do…you can’t believe at how many

people are just there. You ... just feel so … you feel you’re not worth

anything ... you just feel embarrassed … that you’re going to have to

claim [Brenda, 40s, Not Employed (Long Term Sick)]

I

sdf

Friends and wider social networks – social security

… and a measure of last resort

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