Meta-analysis reveals having a dialect or accent may disadvantage applicants in recruitment processes

[Pelican Press 0]

Meta-analysis reveals having a dialect or accent may disadvantage applicants in recruitment processes

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

People who speak a regional dialect or who have an accent may be at a disadvantage in personnel selection processes. This is the result of a new meta-analysis carried out by researchers at Freie Universität Berlin, the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, and Ulm University.

The team of researchers discovered that applicants who spoke nonstandard language (e.g., ******* and migration-based language varieties or regional dialects) were perceived as less competent in job interviews and were thus less likely to receive a job offer.

The study, titled “Do *******, Migration-Based, and Regional Language Varieties Put Applicants at a Disadvantage? A Meta-analysis of Biases in Personnel Selection” was

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

in the journal Applied Psychology.

The researchers analyzed data from 3,615 participants across 22 individual studies, meaning that their results represent a comprehensive view of current international research on this subject. All primary studies used for the meta-analysis were based on either Standard US/British English or ******* as the standard language. The study compared how job interviews of applicants who spoke standard language with those who spoke nonstandard language were perceived and evaluated, even when the candidates’ replies to questions were identical in terms of content.

Results of the study

The team of researchers, led by Niklas Schulte from Freie Universität Berlin (Division for Psychological Assessment, Differential and Personality Psychology), made two key findings:

• Applicants who speak nonstandard language are considered less competent than standard language-speaking applicants with the same qualifications.
• Their perceived “hirability” was also rated lower than otherwise identical standard language-speaking candidates.

Furthermore, there was no evidence that professional human resources managers were less likely to be influenced by these biases in their hiring decisions than nonprofessionals. Similarly, the disadvantages experienced by nonstandard language speakers were not reduced when the interviews were conducted by other nonstandard language speakers.

Recommendations

Based on the results of their meta-analysis, researchers Niklas Schulte (Freie Universität Berlin), Johannes M. Basch (the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences), Hannah-Sophie Hay (Ulm University), and Klaus Melchers (Ulm University), recommend using structured interviews with predefined questions that focus on the job itself.

“Evaluations should be made with regard to the candidate’s qualifications and suitability for the position—as demonstrated by the content of their answers, not their accent or the language they use. This could help us to reduce the negative effects of bias or misplaced judgments and ensure a fairer selection process,” says Schulte.

More information:
Niklas Schulte et al, Do *******, migration‐based, and regional language varieties put applicants at a disadvantage? A meta‐analysis of biases in personnel selection, Applied Psychology (2024).

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Provided by
Free University of Berlin

Citation:
Meta-analysis reveals having a dialect or accent may disadvantage applicants in recruitment processes (2024, April 25)
retrieved 25 April 2024
from

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Science, Physics News, Science news, Technology News, Physics, Materials, Nanotech, Technology, Science
#Metaanalysis #reveals #dialect #accent #disadvantage #applicants #recruitment #processes

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

For verified travel tips and real support, visit: https://hopzone.eu/