Gender discrimination in hiring: Intersectional effects with ethnicity and cognitive job demands.

Abstract

When considering hiring discrimination, scientific research typically considers 1 applicant characteristic at a time (such as the applicant’s gender or ethnicity), despite that applicants belong to various social groups (e.g., being a woman and belonging to an ethnic minority group). Moreover, the type of job one is applying for might further activate/inhibit stereotypical ideas about an applicant’s “fit” into that job position. The overall goal of this study was to investigate “double jeopardy” against Maghreb/Arab minority female applicants when they applied for a high-cognitive demanding job. Maghreb/Arabs are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in Belgium (where this study was conducted), who also suffer low labor market outcomes compared with other ethnic minorities and their native/Belgian counterparts. An experimental study was designed where 214 native/Belgian human resources (HR) professionals evaluated resumés of native/Belgian and equally qualified Maghreb/Arab applicants (female/male), who applied for either a highcognitive demanding job (manager) or a low-cognitive demanding job (clerk). Our study shows indeed a double jeopardy problem regarding Maghreb/Arab female applicants when they applied for the high-cognitive demanding job but not so when they applied for the low-cognitive demanding job. Given that all applicants were equally qualified for the job positions studied, HR professionals’ job suitability perceptions seemed to be affected by job-irrelevant factors, namely applicants’ multiple group status. Yet, the type of job one was applying for seemed to trigger this. In sum, our study findings highlight the need for considering gender discrimination from a much more complex perspective, thereby taking into account other minority characteristics (like ethnicity) and job characteristics (like cognitive demands). This might better mirror reality and deepen our understanding of hiring discrimination in order to avert it. S C I E N T I F I C A B S T R A C T Studies on hiring discrimination typically consider 1 diversity dimension at a time. Building on a multiple categorization and cognitive matching perspective, this study investigated how applicants’ gender intersects with other status characteristics (ethnicity) and cognitive job demands for a better understanding of gender discrimination in resumé screening. An experimental study among 214 Belgian human resources professionals showed that a Maghreb/Arab female applicant received lower job suitability ratings compared with equally qualified native/Belgian female and Maghreb/Arab male applicants when they applied for a high-cognitive demanding job. No differences were found when they applied for a low-cognitive demanding job. Study findings point to the complexity of gender discrimination in hiring (i.e., resumé screening) as double jeopardy of ethnic minority women (i.e., Maghreb/Arab) may also depend on the type of job (i.e., cognitive demanding or not) one is applying for. We conclude with a critical reflection on findings, future research opportunities and implications for practice, like anonymous resumé screening.