Context in selection of men and women in hiring decisions: gender composition of the applicant pool

Psychol Rep. 2005 Apr;96(2):349-60. doi: 10.2466/pr0.96.2.349-360.

Abstract

The hypothesis that the sex composition of an applicant pool affects the hiring probabilities of individual job applicants was tested using gender-distinctive information on accepted and rejected job applicants in The Netherlands. The evidence supports this hypothesis, although the effect sizes are moderate. Both men and women have a lower probability of being hired when the applicant pool contains fewer applicants from their own sex.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Decision Making*
  • Employment / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Netherlands
  • Personnel Selection / statistics & numerical data*
  • Prejudice
  • Sex Factors