The Value Of Mixed Methods: How Does Certifiability Of Job Requirements Determine The Channels Of Job-Person Matching?

Using qualitative collected in three representative Chinese cities and quantitative data drawn from the 2003 China General Social Survey, in this study I have built up a theoretical framework to understand the interdependence of formal and informal employment channels. I argue that a job-person matching process should be understood from a dual perspective of the employer and the job applicant. From the employer’s perspective, requirements for certain job positions are composed of two parts, namely, certifiable and uncertifiable qualifications. The variation in the relative importance of these two types of qualifications determines that employers’ recruitment strategies vary from formal channels only, to formal-informal-joint channels, and then to informal channels only. From the job applicant’s perspective, quantitative analysis shows that an applicant’s pre-hiring resources— human capital, political capital, and social capital— match up with the targeted employer’s expectations of both certifiable and uncertifiable qualifications in a successful job-person match. By articulating the three typical scenarios of employment activities, I highlight the great importance of joint formal and informal employment channels. I argue that studies on employment need to take a formal-informal-joint approach, instead of focusing on formal or informal employment channels alone.