Job search is a lengthy process in which self-regulation is needed to obtain reemployment. Time and motivation play an important role in how job seekers regulate their search behavior. Building on temporal motivation theory and self-determination theory we examined the relationship of time-related personality attributes, job search motivation, and their interaction with self-regulatory job search behaviors and subsequent outcomes of the job search process. In a three-wave field study among 397 unemployed job seekers, results showed that trait procrastination explained unique variance in job search procrastination and haphazard job search above and beyond future focus and autonomous job search motivation. Trait procrastination was also negatively related to reemployment status via increased job search procrastination and haphazard job search, and a reduced number of job interviews. Finally, the negative indirect relation between trait procrastination and reemployment status through job search procrastination, haphazard job search and job interviews, was less negative for job seekers who were more autonomously motivated to engage in job search. Our findings point to the importance of a temporal perspective of job search and suggest that the role of time-related personality attributes and motivation in the job search process should be considered in future research and practice.

找工作是一个漫长的过程，需要自我调节才能获得再就业。时间和动机在求职者如何调节其搜索行为中起着重要作用。基于时间动机理论和自我决定理论，我们研究了与时间相关的人格属性，求职动机及其与自我调节的求职行为以及随后求职过程结果之间的关系。在对397名失业求职者进行的三波实地研究中，结果表明，特质拖延症解释了求职拖延症和随便找工作的独特差异，超越了未来的重点和自主求职动机。特质拖延也通过增加求职拖延和随随便便的求职而与再就业状况负相关，并减少了面试次数。最后，特质拖延与通过求职拖延，随随便便的求职和求职面试所产生的再就业状态之间的负间接关系，对那些更自发地从事求职的求职者而言，负面影响较小。我们的发现指出了求职的时间观点的重要性，并建议在未来的研究和实践中应考虑与时间相关的人格属性和动机在求职过程中的作用。