Job Candidates Research Articles

Student Prioritization of World Language Learning

This paper compares a student’s priority of world language learning to an employer’s demand for multilingualism. Massachusetts high school students responded to a survey about world language availability and their success with and enjoyment of learning world languages, which was compared to statistics regarding the value employers place on multilingualism in job candidates. The results show that while students prioritize world language learning relatively highly, they pursue it more for fun than for practical value, likely due to the lack of visibility of world language needs in job postings. Employers need to clarify and emphasize these needs to encourage students to continue learning world languages and educators can assist in filling this gap by promoting the importance of world languages in their curriculums.

Seeing past different signals in the job interview: information improves ratings of candidates on the autism spectrum

PurposeThe authors used signaling theory to explain negative perceptions of individuals on the autism spectrum (IotAS) in the job interview and explored whether parasocial contact could improve perceptions.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were randomly assigned across six experimental conditions. Some received information that IotAS' social and communication differences prevent them from attaining jobs they could perform (information), some received this information and watched a video showing IotAS working competently (parasocial contact) and others were exposed to neither information nor video (control). Participants then watched a mock interview of a job candidate presenting as an IotAS or neurotypical and gave their first impressions of him, perceptions of his job suitability and selection decision.FindingsParticipants had less favorable first impressions of the IotAS-presenting candidate and perceived him as having lower job suitability and were therefore less likely to select him. Parasocial contact had no effect. However, participants who had received information that IotAS' differences keep them from being hired for jobs they could do perceived the IotAS-presenting candidate as more suitable for the job and had greater intentions to interact with and select him.Originality/valueThe authors enhance understanding of autism in the workplace by explaining how IotAS' signaling behavior during a job interview impedes their selection. The authors also provide evidence that a brief message that IotAS' social and communication differences keep them from securing jobs they could perform can promote IotAS' selection by focusing decision-makers on their job-relevant qualifications.

'If I'm just me, I doubt I'd get the job': A qualitative exploration of autistic people's experiences in job interviews.

When applying for a job, autistic job candidates are likely to face a number of challenges. Job interviews are one of these challenges - they require communicating and relationship-building with unfamiliar people and involve expectations about behaviour (that may vary between companies and are not made clear to job candidates). Given autistic people communicate differently to non-autistic people, autistic job candidates may be disadvantaged in the interview process. Autistic candidates may not feel comfortable or safe sharing with organisations their autistic identity and may feel pressure to hide any characteristics or behaviour they feel might indicate they are autistic. To explore this issue, we interviewed 10 autistic adults about their job interview experiences in Australia. We analysed the content of the interviews and found three themes that related to the individual person and three themes that related to environmental factors. Participants told us that they engaged in camouflaging behaviour during job interviews, feeling pressure to conceal aspects of themselves. Those who camouflaged during job interviews reported that it took a lot of effort, which resulted in increased stress, anxiety and exhaustion. The autistic adults we spoke to reported a need for inclusive, understanding and accommodating employers to help them feel more comfortable disclosing their autism diagnosis in the job application process. These findings add to current research that has explored camouflaging behaviour and barriers to employment for autistic people.

Assessing GIS education and GIS workforce in Saudi Arabia

PurposeThe geographic information systems (GIS) sector is witnessing significant growth in recent times at the global level and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the same pace. In this research, the authors aim to measure the GIS market employability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the required skills of those seeking GIS employees, existing knowledge and abilities of graduates of relevant academic programs and gaps, if any, between the graduates and the labor market requirements in terms of GIS. Research on GIS education and GIS employability from an information system perspective is scarce; thus, this study is needed.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, a questionnaire was distributed manually and electronically to a specific group of GIS students, teachers and employees. The questionnaire was prepared in Arabic and English language. It was distributed manually to the attendees of the 12th GIS Symposium, organized by Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University at Dammam city, Saudi Arabia in April of 2018. The event is a yearly one that gathers local GIS community and outside speakers and guests. An electronic version of the questionnaire was also available and distributed via personal contacts. Responses were received until the end of 2019.FindingsThe results of 107 respondents indicates good GIS foundation (for example in topology, geospatial data processing and cartography); however, programming and business skills (namely cost benefit analysis, organizational perspective and business understanding) are lacking from Saudi GIS graduates. About 67% of respondents acknowledge directly that it is difficult to find locally qualified GIS graduates. Moreover, 55% of respondents classify GIS job candidates as underqualified. This research identifies under qualification in business competencies and computer programming skills for GIS students and workers in Saudi Arabia. This research did not find a statistically significant different response between GIS teachers and GIS employees/employers; however, students’ response was significantly different from these two groups.Originality/valueResearch on GIS education and GIS employability from an Information System perspective is scarce; thus, this study is needed. Moreover, research about this topic in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Gulf is almost nonexistent.

Veteran Status and Job Candidate Assessments in U.S. Local Governments

Advocates often present veterans as an untapped resource for local governments to boost the public service workforce. However, there is a lack of understanding of how human resource (HR) professionals value military experience when assessing candidate preparedness for a managerial career in public service. We examine how veteran status affects U.S. city and county HR directors’ evaluations of candidates for entry-level managerial positions in local government. Using an experimental design, we randomly assign candidate characteristics of veteran status and gender, and we observe HR directors’ assessments of candidate preparedness. Our findings reveal a premium on veteran status for candidate assessments relative to similar private sector experience in assessments of candidate experience. At the same time, the results are less conclusive when compared to similar public sector experiences. In addition, we find no clear evidence of disparate assessments of candidate preparedness as a function of candidate gender.

Do Rubrics Live up to Their Promise? Examining How Rubrics Mitigate Bias in Faculty Hiring

ABSTRACT Many colleges and universities now require faculty search committees to use rubrics when evaluating faculty job candidates, as proponents believe these “decision-support tools” can reduce the impact of bias in candidate evaluation. That is, rubrics are intended to ensure that candidates are evaluated more fairly, which is then thought to contribute to the enhanced hiring of candidates from minoritized groups. However, there is scant — and even contradictory — evidence to support this claim. This study used a multiple case study methodology to explore how five faculty search committees used rubrics in candidate evaluation, and the extent to which using a rubric seemed to perpetuate or mitigate bias in committee decision-making. Results showed that the use of rubrics can improve searches by clarifying criteria, encouraging criteria use in evaluation, calibrating the application of criteria to evidence, and in some cases, bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion work (DEI) into consideration. However, search committees also created and implemented rubrics in ways that seem to perpetuate bias, undermine effectiveness, and potentially contribute to the hiring of fewer minoritized candidates. We conclude by providing stakeholders with practical recommendations on using rubrics and actualizing DEI in faculty hiring.

How SMT Could Become More Welcoming

Abstract Continuing Stephen Lett’s (2023) argument that pedagogy was undervalued by SMT at its inception, this essay considers the signs and implications of continued marginalization of teaching. While position statements can influence the atmosphere of a society, they are peripheral to its operations, which determine who is included or excluded. SMT could help expand the pipeline for women and minoritized groups and identities by formulating and reinforcing ethical guidelines, not just at SMT events but in the music theory profession as a whole. A set of questions is provided for assessing the potential for harmful behaviors in institutional gatekeeping, from teaching to graduate admissions and programs, faculty searches, and tenure and promotion. Deeper engagement by SMT and its membership—through the formation of guidelines for searches and tenure processes, the formation of an ethics committee tasked with review and adjudication, and mentorship for job candidates and junior faculty—should help to broaden the demographics.

Impression management goals and job candidate’s race: A test of competing models

The trade-off effect—the tendency to downplay a stereotypical social dimension (e.g., warmth) to increase a positive impression by conveying an opposing dimension (e.g., competence)—is well established. However, promoting stereotypical perceptions may amplify positive impressions by conforming to the evaluator’s expectations (i.e., the joint effect). To better understand the impacts of race-related impression management goals, we test these competing propositions through two studies. Study 1 shows that people tend to evaluate others more positively when the others appeal to stereotypical characteristics, supporting the joint effect: White candidates are perceived more positively when they exude competence whereas positive impressions are higher when Black candidates demonstrate warmth. Study 2 assesses the underlying mechanism and the boundary condition of this impact and found that the interaction effects between impression management strategies and race influence positive evaluations of candidates through perceived warmth and competence.

Automation and Recruiting: Understanding the Intersection of Algorithmic Systems and Professional Discretion in the Sourcing of Job Candidates

Automation and Recruiting: Understanding the Intersection of Algorithmic Systems and Professional Discretion in the Sourcing of Job Candidates

AI4HR Recruiter: a job recommender system for internal recruitment in consulting companies

Recruiting job candidates is a crucial activity for consulting companies to fulfill their consulting activities for customers or internal projects. Due to the complexity of the recruitment process, companies adopt standardized resume formats to be able to identify or compare candidates. However, this process requires significant involvement from human resource specialists and project leaders. In this paper, we present AI4HR Recruiter, a recommender system designed to improve the internal recruitment process of consultants. The system uses artificial intelligence-based techniques, specifically pre-trained sentence transformers. It aims at supporting recruiters in identifying and selecting candidates, rather than automating the process. We measure improvement in efficiency in terms of gains in recruiters time induced by the recommendation explanation presence. We also measure the impact on users’ satisfaction of two different types of algorithm to generate recommendations. To do so, we have been conducting a two fold study in a real-life setting for six months, where on the one hand, telemetry data was gathered while recommendation process user interaction was being performed and on the other hand, surveys about users’ satisfaction were conducted afterward. Our results evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the system in assisting recruiters in candidates selection process.

Jak zwracamy się do osób nieznajomych? Granica między swoim a obcym we współczesnej polszczyźnie

The subject of this article is the manner of addressing strangers in Polish. In order to verify the current use of the language in this regard, two research methods were used: a survey method and an analysis of comments on a website aimed at the business community. As the respondents of the survey indicated, the contemporary Polish language speakers recognise the importance of the traditional border of officiality when choosing the appropriate forms of address. However, a problem in communication arises when the conceptual opposition of the official / unofficial intersects with the opposition of ours / others. This problem is sometimes observed in a business conversation, in which a recruiter addresses a job candidate using Polish ty form from the first contact and treats them as a person on the “our” side. The analysis of the comments from the internet showed that the relationship between the recruiter and the candidate basically remains between strangers and it is better to avoid the use of unofficial forms, especially those which use the addressee's first name.

Organizational perspectives on digital labor market intermediaries

AbstractDramatic changes in organizational forms and employee‐employer relationships have coincided with a proliferation of labor market intermediaries. Often digital and internet‐based, these new hiring technologies assist organizations in recruiting and screening potential job candidates. We identify three types of digital labor market intermediaries (dLMIs): connectors, curators, and comminglers. We examine the use of dLMIs through the lens of organizational theory, focusing on implications for organizational efficiency, power, and equity. dLMI use is patterned but variable across different organizations and has unintended outcomes that defy efficiency expectations. It poses new constraints for job seekers while allowing organizations and intra‐organizational groups to negotiate institutional pressures and power imbalances. Finally, dLMI use appears to reproduce pre‐existing inequalities among different types of employees.

Masculinity and Leadership Effectiveness (Self-)Perceptions: The Case of Lesbian Leaders.

In line with the gay glass ceiling effect, sexual minorities are often target of discrimination within work-related contexts, thus potentially undermining their wellbeing at work. For gay men, discrimination may partially be attributed to gay men's stereotypical feminine perception, which does not fit with the stereotypically masculine traits required for leadership positions. Yet, when considering lesbian women, the masculine stereotypical view associated with them may come to represent an advantage in work-related contexts, especially when compared to heterosexual women. In Study 1, N = 303 heterosexual participants rated a lesbian vs. a heterosexual woman as a job candidate on stereotypical gender (masculine vs. feminine) traits as well as leadership effectiveness. Results showed that being lesbian was associated with higher levels of masculinity (but not femininity), which in turn was related to high leadership effectiveness. In Study 2, N = 268 lesbian and heterosexual women rated themselves on the same measures. Results showed that both groups associated masculine traits with enhanced leadership effectiveness. These studies provide a better comprehension regarding how lesbian women may be perceived in work-related contexts and shed light on the role played by gender stereotypical perceptions in shaping both heterosexual and lesbian perceptions of leadership effectiveness.

Využití psychodiagnostických metod v manažerské práci

The article focuses on the use of psycho-diagnostic methods in management and HR management. Various methods and their classification are described and analysed for their best uses. Authors of the article work with the premise that while psychology itself developed in a neutral clinical environment, eventually it spread to other areas, such as HR management, with a completely different overall approach towards the examined subject. Where clinical psychology focuses on diagnostics separated from real life, HR psychology examines employees and job candidates in specific situations. It is further influenced by the HR professional’s experience and own, subjective calibration. Most managers have no psychological background and tend to think in precise, measurable terms unattainable in psychology. Thus reliability, validity, objectivity, and standardization of results is of utmost importance to the applied psychological methods and the results these methods provide. There are various ways of classifying psychological diagnostic methods in management. These include factors such as individuality, administration, or time-scope. The authors, however, choose to look at these methods in terms of their use and purpose. Non testing methods are described first – observation, interview, anamnesis, and analysis of spontaneous products are introduced in detail. Following are personality and performance tests, analysis of their advantages and disadvantages and possible uses. The focus of the article lies in detailed analysis of selected psycho-diagnostic methods and their use in the recruitment process through the eyes of managers. The authors interviewed managers with experience in recruitment and selection of new employees and provided a brief overview of providers of each of the following analysed methods: Behavioural interview, Hogan Personality Index (HPI), Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), The Big Five Questionnaire (NEO), Belbin e-interplace, Achievement Motivation Inventory (LMI) and the Bochum Personality questionnaire (BIP). The outcome includes basic recommendations for the use of various psycho-diagnostic tools. The most important is the need for the identification of employee selection criteria. Appropriate psycho-diagnostic tools can be selected only once these criteria are well defined. The various tool providers often organise pilot runs to create diagnostic models that are tailored to specific job positions or clients. Such models are often reliable, and their providers should be able to provide data about empirical test results, standardization of the used methods and detailed user and evaluation manuals. Evaluation reports for each candidate are a standard feature of such solutions. Further recommendations are: psycho-diagnostic tools are not the only source of information about candidates, the number of candidates and the overall time-frame designated for the hiring process play an important role too, some methods are good only for screening while other methods require professional psychologists. Some methods are better for specific positions or can be used to sieve candidates in the first round of the hiring process. And finally, the various tools can be combined for better results which should always be evaluated not in their absolute values but in relation to the desired position and the required competencies.

Facing an Unexpected Negotiation Partner: the Impact of Hiring Manager Gender Role Violation on Job Candidates

Facing an Unexpected Negotiation Partner: the Impact of Hiring Manager Gender Role Violation on Job Candidates

Labor Market Returns to MBAs From Less‐Selective Universities: Evidence From a Field Experiment During COVID‐19

AbstractMaster's degree enrollment and debt have increased substantially in recent years, raising important questions about the labor market value of these credentials. Using a field experiment featuring 9,480 job applications submitted during the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, I examine employers’ responses to job candidates with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), which represents one‐quarter of all master's degrees in the United States. I focus on MBAs from three types of less‐selective institutions that collectively enroll the vast majority of master's students: for‐profit, online, and regional universities. Despite the substantial time and expense required for these degrees, job candidates with MBAs from all three types of institutions received positive responses from employers at the same rate as candidates who only had a bachelor's degree—even for positions that listed a preference for a master's degree. Additionally, applicants with names suggesting they were Black men received 30 percent fewer positive responses than otherwise equivalent applicants whose names suggested they were White men or women, providing further evidence of racial discrimination in hiring practices.

Would you Like to Have Your Social Skills Assessed by a Softbot? AI-Supported Recruitment Processes

In parallel with the increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment processes, there is also an ongoingdiscussion on the dehumanisation in automated recruitment. On one hand AI-based recruitment has the potential toreduce human bias, on the other hand there are parts of the process that still need human judgement. Another concern isthat the identified dehumanisation could harm the relationship between employees and employers. Research indicatesthat AI-based technologies definitely have the potential to increase the efficiency of the recruitment process by replacinghumans in time-consuming tasks. Less research has been conducted on the human perceptions about AI-basedrecruitment. In a time when AI-based recruitment tools are used in a rapidly increasing number of companies andorganisations, it is important to better explore the human side of the process. Therefore, this paper investigates: Whatare the perceptions of the job candidate conditions in automatised and AI-based recruitment processes? This study wasconducted with a qualitative approach with data gathered from candidates and recruiters that all had experiences fromAI-based recruitment processes. Four candidates and two recruiters were chosen with the idea of a purposive sampling.Answers from six audio recorded semi-structured interviews were categorised in a deductive thematic analysis. Thetheoretic lens for the study was the Model of Applicant Reaction to Selection. Findings showed that the informants had anegative attitude towards the dehumanised recruitment process. The most obvious finding was the general critiquetowards the AI-based assessment of candidates' social skills. At the same time, the majority of the informants agreed thatAI-based recruitment tools have the potential to make time-consuming administrative tasks more efficient. Only oneinformant was willing to go through a completely AI-based recruitment process, and all informants pointed out differentways in which the recruitment tools need to be improved. The conclusion is that the AI-based recruitment tools must bemade more transparent and used as a support for decision-making rather than being the decision maker. Therecommendation is a hybrid solution, where AI-based tools are used to assist and create the basis for well-informedhuman decisions.

Would you Like to Have Your Social Skills Assessed by a Softbot? AI-Supported Recruitment Processes

In parallel with the increased use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment processes, there is also an ongoingdiscussion on the dehumanisation in automated recruitment. On one hand AI-based recruitment has the potential toreduce human bias, on the other hand there are parts of the process that still need human judgement. Another concern isthat the identified dehumanisation could harm the relationship between employees and employers. Research indicatesthat AI-based technologies definitely have the potential to increase the efficiency of the recruitment process by replacinghumans in time-consuming tasks. Less research has been conducted on the human perceptions about AI-basedrecruitment. In a time when AI-based recruitment tools are used in a rapidly increasing number of companies andorganisations, it is important to better explore the human side of the process. Therefore, this paper investigates: Whatare the perceptions of the job candidate conditions in automatised and AI-based recruitment processes? This study wasconducted with a qualitative approach with data gathered from candidates and recruiters that all had experiences fromAI-based recruitment processes. Four candidates and two recruiters were chosen with the idea of a purposive sampling.Answers from six audio recorded semi-structured interviews were categorised in a deductive thematic analysis. Thetheoretic lens for the study was the Model of Applicant Reaction to Selection. Findings showed that the informants had anegative attitude towards the dehumanised recruitment process. The most obvious finding was the general critiquetowards the AI-based assessment of candidates' social skills. At the same time, the majority of the informants agreed thatAI-based recruitment tools have the potential to make time-consuming administrative tasks more efficient. Only oneinformant was willing to go through a completely AI-based recruitment process, and all informants pointed out differentways in which the recruitment tools need to be improved. The conclusion is that the AI-based recruitment tools must bemade more transparent and used as a support for decision-making rather than being the decision maker. Therecommendation is a hybrid solution, where AI-based tools are used to assist and create the basis for well-informedhuman decisions.

Bringing it all back home: the HRM role in workforce localisation in MNEs in Saudi Arabia

Governments across the Arabian Gulf aim to reduce their dependence on expatriates by implementing localisation policies. Building on institutional and legitimacy theories, we seek to advance our understanding of the effects of such policies on multinational enterprises (MNEs). We used data from 157 MNEs operating in Saudi Arabia and found the indigenisation of the human resource management (HRM) function is closely correlated with the level of workforce localisation: key factors empowering localisation, defined as recruitment and training practices geared towards the needs of locals, include the demographics and role of the HRM Director. Theoretically, we contribute to the literature on institutionalism and legitimacy by revealing how various institutional forces influence the process of selection and transfer of HRM practices to adapt to the institutional environment of a given context. Our research also shows that if MNEs follow government recommendations, develop links with local educational institutions to target suitable job candidates, and adapt to shortages in local skills and competencies by investing in the training and development of local workers, they will be more likely to achieve success in workforce localisation and legitimacy.

Weighing interest relative to performance in hiring decisions: Important but free?

AbstractStudents considering career options are often advised to identify their interests. Yet how much do people weigh the importance of interest when making hiring decisions, particularly as compared to performance? In two preregistered studies we examined how samples of US adults in the workforce weighed interest and performance when making hiring decisions about a hypothetical job candidate. Participants (total N = 740) were told that the candidate was applying for a position where they had previously interned, and were presented an ostensible Intern Evaluation Form in which he interest and performance ratings were independently varied to be below or above average. Participants then indicated their job offer and starting salary recommendations. Across two domains (Marketing and Sales, Study 1; Software Development, Study 2), participants weighed interest and performance equally in job offer recommendations, but weighed performance more in salary recommendations. Thus, job candidates who demonstrated higher interest but below average performance had an equal chance of receiving a job offer as candidates who demonstrated above average performance but lower interest. However, the former group would be offered a lower starting salary. Exploratory analyses examined participants' inferences about the candidate's future motivation and performance as potential explanations. Implications and future directions are discussed.