Examining discrimination in asynchronous video interviews: Does cultural distance based on country‐of‐origin matter?

Abstract

AbstractWe conducted two studies to investigate how cultural differences based on country of origin influence the selection process in an asynchronous video interview (AVI) context. We drew upon the GLOBE cultural value dimensions and individual measures of prejudice to examine if raters evaluate job applicants who are more culturally dissimilar to them more negatively than culturally similar applicants. Professionals with hiring experience from the United Kingdom were recruited via the Prolific platform and asked to watch and evaluate pre‐recorded video responses from five culturally diverse applicants. Results across both studies were only somewhat consistent with the GLOBE framework. For instance, raters did demonstrate a strong preference for Canadian and South African interviewees over other countries. Right‐wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation were non‐significant in moderating how evaluations were assigned; however, ethnocentrism levels did modestly impact evaluations in Study 2. This research is the first to investigate how cultural factors can impact the selection process in an AVI context. As the number of organizations that rely on virtual interviews increases and globalization makes it likely for applicants and interviewers to be from different cultural backgrounds, our research is highly relevant in understanding the impact of these elements on hiring decisions.