Abstract
This study examined the effects of resume writing quality and ethnicity cues on employment decisions. Prior research on resume quality is scant and no prior studies have examined the role of both resume quality and ethnicity on employment decisions. Participants reviewed a fictitious resume (error-laden or error-free) of a Black, Hispanic or White candidate for the job of Sales Manager. Applicants with error-laden resumes were less likely to be interviewed, hired, offered lower starting salaries and rated lower on job-related traits than applicants with error-free resumes. Although ethnicity did not affect the likelihood of getting interviewed or hired, White applicants were offered higher salaries and rated higher on several job-related traits than Black and Hispanic job applicants. Furthermore, Black applicants with error-free resumes received over 6% less in starting salary than White applicants with error-laden resumes. A practical implication of these findings is that applicants should ensure that their resume contains no spelling, grammatical or typographical errors. These results also suggest that non-White job applicants need job qualifications that exceed those of White applicants to achieve pay equity. This paper provides further evidence for and enhances understanding of implicit race bias toward non-White job applicants.
Highlights
A job resume plays a critical role in the employment process since it often determines whether an applicant receives a job interview, which is typically required before receiving a job offer
Despite the importance of job resumes in the employment process, surprisingly little empirical research exists on the effects of resume quality on employment decisions
This study examined the effects of resume writing quality and applicant ethnicity cues on employment decisions
Summary
A job resume plays a critical role in the employment process since it often determines whether an applicant receives a job interview, which is typically required before receiving a job offer. Much research has documented the effects of overt race bias in the employment context (Quillian et al, 2017), and there is growing body of evidence. No known research has examined the effects of both resume quality and applicant ethnicity on employment decisions. The purpose of this study is to examine the combined effects of resume quality and applicant ethnicity cues (White, Black and Hispanic) on employment decisions
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