Gender Bias in Job Fair Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Terminology and Definitions

Permission to Conduct Study

Transmittal Letter/Survey Instructions

Survey/Interview Questions

Gender Bias in the Recruitment Process at Job Fairs

Administrative Research Problem

Gender bias is problematic for organizations that wish to increase innovation and avoid legal problems due to their hiring practices. Federal law requires that organizations should not exclude persons in their hiring practices based on their gender, race, or ethnicity. Hiring must be based solely on the person's ability and suitability for the job. Avoiding bias helps organizations to increase innovation due to the different perspectives that each person will add to the organization. Bias in hiring practices can be intentional or unintentional. Regardless of the motive, it is necessary to avoid bias in hiring practices. This research intends to explore the question surrounding job fairs. The study will explore the question of whether bias exists during the recruitment process at job fairs.

Research demonstrates that gender bias is still a pervasive problem in the hiring process. In a study that manipulated two variables, job sex-type and candidate sex; it was found that gender played a significant role behind the hiring choices of organizations (Luzadis, Wesolowski, & Snavely, 2008). It appears that certain jobs are considered appropriate for males and others are considered appropriate for females. Job stereotyping may be directly linked to gender bias in the hiring process.

Another study examined the effects of employee race on hiring procedures using factors suitability such as cognitive ability, psychomotor ability, previous work experience, objective measures of performance, and other factors necessary to select sewing machine operators in the U.S.A. The dependent variable in the...

This study focused on performance three months after hiring in an attempt to relate it to the selection process. It was found that race had an effect on the cognitive ability of the worker, however, psychomotor ability and previous work experience did not (Gardner & Deadrick, 2012). Only women were included in the study, largely because the only applicants were women. This suggests job stereotyping among sewing machine operators in the U.S.
Hausman, (2012) examined measures that Congress could take to reduce discrimination. The study found that Title VII of the Civil Right Act 1964 could do little to reduce unintentional bias in employment decisions. Anonymous hiring has been suggested as a solution to the problem, stripping resumes of all issues related to race or sex. Unconscious bias was found to be problematic, regardless of organizational intension to do away with it.

Research on gender bias in hiring practices has taken place in a number of different settings. It has been suggested that appearance is an important part of the hiring process. This research will explore gender bias as a factor in a specific setting. It will explore whether gender bias exists in hiring practices at job fairs. Research suggests that gender and other characteristics will play a role in hiring selection.

Research Problem

The job fair offers a unique setting where applicants and job providers can meet face-to-face, without the formal process of first submitting a resume or filling out a job application. It is human nature to begin sizing up someone and making inferences about him or her as soon as we see them. In the office setting, certain procedures and elements are present avoid gender bias. Human Resources offices have posters, policies, procedures and other elements that present a supportive environment for avoiding gender bias. In addition, the presence of others in the same room that has the same goals is another…