Applicants' Role as (Pro-)Active Agents in the Recruitment and Selection Process: A Frequently Overlooked Perspective

The present special issue explores the role of applicants as active agents in the recruitment and selection process. The five studies in the domain of applicant behavior demonstrate that during the stages of recruitment and selection, several self-directed behaviors of applicants may be discerned. All in all, the five papers form an excellent series of empirical studies on applicants as active agents that move through the phases of recruitment and selection. In all studies, clear attempts have been made to test and further develop theoretical frameworks – not only the classic framework of theory of planned behavior (TPB) but also creatively importing frameworks from other disciplines such as marketing and the forensic context. It is hoped that this special issue will stimulate more research that considers applicants as proactive, agentic, and self-directed individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)