Influence of applicant's dress on interviewer's selection decisions.

Investigated the effect of female applicants' dress on interviewers' selection decisions for management positions by having 77 personnel administrators view videotaped interviews of 4 applicants in different costumes and make hiring recommendations for each applicant. Three-way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of costume on hiring decisions independent of the effects of person, sequence of showing, and costume?×?person interaction. Results confirm that masculinity of the female applicant's dress had a significant effect on interviewers' selection decisions. There was a positive relationship between masculinity of the applicant's costume and favorability of hiring recommendations received by the applicants. The influence of person on selection decisions also was significant. It is concluded that female applicants' clothing is an avenue for influencing the selection decision for management positions. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interviewers' perceptions of person–organization fit and organizational selection decisions.

Amodel of person–organization fit and organizational hiring decisions is developed and tested, using data from 38 interviewers making hiring decisions about 93 applicants. Results suggest that interviewers can assess applicant–organization values congruence with significant levels of accuracy and that interviewers compare their perceptions of applicants' values with their organizations' values to assess person–organization fit. Results also suggested that interviewers' subjective person–organization fit assessments have large effects on their hiring recommendations relative to competing applicant characteristics, and that interviewers' hiring recommendations directly affect organizations' hiring decisions (e.g., job offers). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subtle effects of sex role stereotypes on recruiters' hiring decisions.

Asked 150 male job recruiters from 2 university placement officers to evaluate relevant employment materials on 1 hypothetical job applicant (male or female) for either a male-oriented (personnel technician) or female-oriented (editorial assistant) position to make a hiring decision. Results indicate that hiring decisions were not influenced independently by the applicant's sex or position for which he/she was applying, but rather by the interaction of the 2 variables. That is, significantly more females than males were recommended for hiring for the editorial assistant position, while significantly more males were recommended for the personnel technician job. Post-hoc analyses revealed different trait patterns attributed to applicants recommended for hiring based on their sex-job role congruence. Implications for further research relating to personnel-related decisions are discussed. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The nature of stereotypes: A comparison and integration of three theories.

In the present research we examined predictions derived from the following three theoretical approaches to stereotyping: complexity-extremity theory, assumed characteristics theory, and expectancy-violation theory. In order to assess these predictions, we manipulated the race, personal appearance, and dialect style of target job applicants. White judges rated these applicants of a set of characteristics relevant to hiring decisions. Results were consistent with all three theories. Specifically, the range of judges' evaluations of black applicants was larger than the range of their evaluations of white applicants; the effects of personal appearance and dialect style were larger that the effects of race; and black applicants, on average, received more favorable ratings than white applicants. We present a model integrating all three perspectives, and we demonstrate its usefulness for explaining our results and for understanding past research on stereotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interviewer predictions of applicant qualifications and interviewer validity: Aggregate and individual analyses.

The relative effects of varied interviewee cues on line managers' hiring decisions were examined, as was the relative predictability of various criteria by line managers' interview impressions. Aggregate and individual regression analyses revealed that 3 nursing directors' impressions of 186 nursing applicants shaped their hiring recommendations more than did the applicants' resume credentials. Moreover, managers' interview impressions significantly predicted employees' job attitudes, though predictions of attitudes did not exceed predictions of performance. Finally, individual managers based hiring decisions on different interview impressions, and these impressions forecast employees' job attitudes with differential validity. Implications for future interviewing research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of automatic obesity stereotypes in real hiring discrimination.

This study examined whether automatic stereotypes captured by the implicit association test (IAT) can predict real hiring discrimination against the obese. In an unobtrusive field experiment, job applications were sent to a large number of real job vacancies. The applications were matched on credentials but differed with respect to the applicant's weight. Discriminatory behavior was quantified by the extent to which the hiring managers invited normal-weight versus obese applicants to a job interview. Several months after the behavioral data were obtained, the hiring managers completed an obesity IAT and explicit hiring preference measures. Only the IAT scores reliably predicted interview decisions. More specifically, hiring managers holding more negative automatic stereotypes about the obese were less likely to invite an obese applicant for an interview. The present research is the first to show that automatic bias predicts labor market discrimination against obese individuals. Practical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obtaining employment in academia: The hiring process and characteristics of successful applicants.

Little is known about (a) the criteria used by doctoral degree-granting psychology programs in the selection of new faculty, (b) characteristics and qualifications of successful applicants, or (c) differences between clinical and experimental specialties on these variables. The present study addresses these issues by surveying department heads (or search committees) or doctoral degree-granting psychology programs and newly hired faculty members in clinical and experimental programs. Responses were related to the faculty search, the hiring process, the variables that influenced faculty search committees' decisions, and demographic information and qualifications of newly hired faculty. Results indicate some trends in academic psychology and also point out several discrepancies in previous research. Differences between the 2 specialties are also elucidated. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of response distortion on preemployment personality testing and hiring decisions.

Response distortion (RD), or faking, among job applicants completing personality inventories has been a concern for selection specialists. In a field study using the NEO Personality Inventory, Revised, the authors show that RD is significantly greater among job applicants than among job incumbents, that there are significant individual differences in RD, and that RD among job applicants can have a significant effect on who is hired. These results are discussed in the context of recent studies suggesting that RD has little effect on the predictive validity of personality inventories. The authors conclude that future research, rather than focusing on predictive validity, should focus instead on the effect of RD on construct validity and hiring decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of procedural and distributive justice on reactions to a selection system.

Procedural and distributive justice were examined in an employee selection situation. Along procedural justice dimensions, job relatedness of and explanation offered for the selection procedures were manipulated. Distributive justice was examined through manipulation of a selection decision and collection of a priori hiring expectations. Dependent measures included fairness reactions, recommendation intentions, self-efficacy, and actual work performance. Undergraduates (n?=?260) were selected/rejected for paid employment. Job relatedness influenced performance and interacted with selection decision on perceptions of distributive fairness and self-efficacy. Explanations influenced recommendations of rejected applicants. Interactions between hiring expectations and selection decision were observed on perceived fairness and recommendation intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of individual differences in mail-coding skills and their variation with ability level.

Personality and cognitive predictors of mail coding were investigated in 2 samples, 1 of high coding ability (N?=?56) and 1 of mixed ability (N?=?158). Two approaches to predicting correlates of skill within groups of differing ability were compared: P. L. Ackerman's (1988) ability theory and D. A. Norman and T. Shallice's (1985) account of levels of action control. The predictors of mail-coding skill varied with ability: Personality variables were more predictive among higher ability Ss, and cognitive measures were more predictive among lower ability Ss. Implications of the findings for theories of individual differences in skill are discussed. There were 2 main practical conclusions. First, the measures used were more predictive than a standard psychometric selection test. Second, correlates of skill may be different among unselected job applicants and among the subset of applicants hired for subsequent operational training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relative importance of personality and general mental ability in managers' judgments of applicant qualifications.

Eighty-four managers who make hiring decisions in 1 of 6 occupations representative of J. L. Holland's (1973) 6 job typologies (medical technologist, insurance sales agent, carpenter, licensed practical nurse, reporter, and secretary) rated 39 hypothetical job applicants on 2 dependent variables, hirability and counterproductivity. Applicants were described on the Big Five personality factors (Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) and on general mental ability. Results showed that general mental ability and conscientiousness were the most important attributes related to applicants' hirability and that Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness were the most important attributes related to counterproductivity. In most respects, these results mirror meta-analytic reviews of validity studies, thereby confirming hypotheses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making those who cannot see look best: Effects of visual resume formatting on ratings of job applicants with blindness.

Objective: Although general attitudes toward individuals with disabilities are often positive, these perceptions do not always lead to equal footing in the hiring process. This study examined stereotypes of job applicants perceived to be blind and the role of applicant blindness in hireability ratings made by human resource managers. Specifically, we highlighted a unique challenge for individuals who cannot see: the visual formatting of resumes. Design: Human resource managers (N = 249) evaluated the visually formatted or unformatted resumes of hypothetical job applicants who were portrayed as blind or sighted and rated applicant hireability and personality characteristics. Results: Although applicants perceived to be blind were perceived as more conscientious and agreeable by human resource managers, these positive evaluations did not translate into favorable hireability evaluations. Conclusion: Because human resource managers severely penalize applicants who do not attend to visual, nonfunctional resume presentation, applicants who cannot see are apt to find themselves disadvantaged in the hiring process. The implications of these findings for organizations, job seekers, and rehabilitation professionals are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexism and Beautyism Effects in Selection as a Function of Self-Monitoring Level of Decision Maker.

The authors, in two experiments, investigated the influence of the sex and attractiveness of applicants for male and female sex-typed jobs on selection decisions made by low and high self-monitors. In both experiments, attractiveness and the congruence between applicants' sex and the sex type of the job influenced selection decisions. In addition, high self-monitors were more influenced by attractiveness and sex of the applicant when hiring for sex-typed jobs than low self-monitors, but this difference in hiring pattern was not evident when the job was gender neutral. Results indicate that job applicants may encounter different employment opportunities as a function of their sex, their physical attractiveness, the sex type of the job, and the self-monitoring level of the decision maker. Implications of results are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct equivalence as an approach to replacing validated cognitive ability selection tests.

In this study we demonstrate an approach to replacing validated selection tests to which job applicants may have prior access. This approach, labeled construct equivalence, allows for replacing valid tests currently in use with new, experimental tests that have been shown to measure the same constructs. We demonstrated the construct equivalence approach by collecting data from over 2,000 applicants for four different positions in a large petrochemical company. We investigated the equivalence of the experimental and the current tests by using correlational analyses, structural modeling, and analyses of hiring decisions. Results indicated that the experimental and current tests measure the same constructs and that replacing the current tests with the experimental tests would treat ethnic and sex subgroups consistently. Construct equivalence was shown to be a viable approach to test substitution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Applicant reactions to test scores banding in entry-level and promotional contexts.

This series of field studies used a fairness framework to investigate applicant reactions to test score banding in 3 police selection contexts. Studies 1 (N?=?85) and 2 (N?=?369) involved applicants for entry-level positions, and Study 3 (N?=?39) involved applicants for promotion. Across all 3 studies, race interacted with applicants' belief that banding is associated with affirmative action to affect measures of fairness and organizational outcomes such as attractiveness and perceived employee relations. Reactions were also related to applicants' perceived outcomes as a result of banding. Results are explained in terms of self-interest and suggest that reactions to banding are largely a function of the association of banding with affirmative action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making the right impression: A field study of applicant impression management during job interviews.

Two issues were explored: (a) which impression management (IM) tactics applicants use during actual interviews and (b) whether there is a relationship between applicants' IM tactics and their interview outcomes. The study also examined convergence across different methods and raters when measuring IM. Postinterview survey measures were obtained from applicants and interviewers regarding applicant IM behavior during a specific interview; in addition, a subset (n?=?24) of interviews was audiotaped and analyzed for the presence of IM. Analyses revealed low to moderate convergence across methods and raters, suggesting that IM tactics may be multidimensional constructs. Across methods and raters, there was consistent evidence of greater applicant self-promotion than ingratiation. Similarly, IM tactics significantly predicted interviewers' evaluations and whether applicants later obtained site visits. Implications for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cross-validated comparison of five models used to predict graduate admissions committee decisions.

Weights derived from an admissions committee's assessment of 170 applicants to a graduate industrial relations program using 5 models (linear, multiplicative, dummy variable, unit weighting, and multiple hurdles) were cross-validated on 112 additional applicants. Predictions of all models were significantly related to the committee's admissions decisions in the cross-validation group. The accuracy of predictions was about the same for all models; however, except for GPA and Graduate Record Examination scores, the other variables weighted varied somewhat from model to model. A substantial amount of the decision variance was unaccounted for by any model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivational subtypes among veterans seeking substance abuse treatment: Profiles based on stages of change.

This study is a replication C. C. DiClemente and S. O. Hughes (1990) that identifies motivational subtypes among applicants for drug and alcohol treatment at a Veterans Hospital (N?=?486). Scores on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale were subjected to a cluster analysis and resulted in 4 of the 5 profiles previously identified. The cluster membership was distributed as follows: Precontemplation, 30% (n?=?120), Contemplation, 17% (n?=?69), Ambivalent, 22% (n?=?90), and Participation, 31% (n?=?125). Members of the Precontemplation cluster scored significantly lower on three measures of alcohol and drug use severity and were less often referred to inpatient treatment. Results are discussed in terms of the continued need for external validation of the stages of change model and the potential to match treatments to motivational subtypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recruiting and hiring women in STEM fields.

The number of women earning advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has increased, yet women remain underrepresented at all ranks of the academic hierarchy in these fields. To help explain this pattern, we explored mechanisms in the recruitment and hiring process at the level of the department that hinder or promote the hiring of women into tenure-track positions. Using a unique data set of the entire pool of applicants to tenure-track STEM faculty positions over a 6-year period at a large public research university, we identified strategies that universities and academic departments can use to increase women's representation in tenure-track positions, including placing greater emphasis on increasing the number of women applicants and placing advertisements in venues that specifically target women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and physical attractiveness of raters and applicants as determinants of resumé evaluations.

110 male and female student "interviewers," classified as either high, moderate, or low on physical attractiveness, evaluated 12 bogus job applicants for whom sex, physical attractiveness, and qualifications had been varied. A 2?×?3?×?2?×?3?×?2 analysis of variance was computed, with the 1st 2 variables (interviewer sex and attractiveness) constituting between-group factors, and the last 3 variables (applicant sex, attractiveness, and qualifications) constituting repeated measures factors. Regardless of interviewer sex and attractiveness, highly qualified applicants were preferred over poorly qualified applicants, male applicants were preferred over female applicants, and attractive candidates were preferred over unattractive candidates. Discrimination in employment decisions was attributed to sex-role and physical attractiveness stereotypes. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)