When your resume is (not) turning you down: Modelling ethnic bias in resume screening

Abstract

AbstractResume screening is the first hurdle applicants typically face when they apply for a job. Despite the many empirical studies showing bias at the resume‐screening stage, fairness at this funnelling stage has not been reviewed systematically. In this paper, a three‐stage model of biased resume screening is presented. We first discuss relevant theoretical perspectives (e.g., job market signalling and impression formation theories) to explain why resume screening is vulnerable to biased decision‐making and ethnic discrimination in particular. On the basis of the best available evidence, we consider contingencies of ethnic discrimination in the applicant, the decision‐maker, and the broader context (e.g., organisation), as well as the effectiveness of interventions that might counter ethnic bias in resume screening. The paper ends with a critical agenda for further research and practice.