Workplace variation in migrant job searches: cohesion unites, bonuses do not divide

Abstract Dutch workplaces suffer from labor shortages, and interest in diverse workforces is growing, making the retention of employees with a migration background vital. Yet, migrant employees continue to experience exclusion in the workplace, making them more likely to job search than non-migrant employees. This article is novel because it locates drivers of migrant job searches at the organizational level and examines the impact of indicators of relative distances between groups within organizations. First, we assess whether workplace cohesion mitigates differences between migrant and non-migrant employees, as it may reduce intergroup distances through positive interethnic contact. Second, we examine whether workplaces that divide resources through bonus payment systems have larger job search disparities, as individual performance-based incentives may reinforce intergroup conflict. Using unique employer-employee linked data from the Netherlands, we find that migrants search for jobs more often than non-migrants, being part of cohesive workplaces as a migrant mitigates this gap, and the prevalence of bonus payment systems has no effect. To retain migrant employees and improve workforce diversity, organizations should invest in increasing workplace cohesion. Further implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed.