Attractiveness and Sex Bias in Employment Interview: Can Structured Interview Reduce These Biases?

Abstract

Past research has found that some factors unnecessary for effective job performance, such as applicants' physical attractiveness and sex, influence interviewer evaluations of the applicants. This study extends previous research by examining the moderating role of interview structure in real employment interviews for actual job openings. Results from 60 interviewers and 129 applicants of 20 firms supported our hypotheses and showed that the more structured the interview, the effects of applicant physical attractiveness became insignificant, and interviewers were less likely to select men for masculine jobs and women for feminine jobs. In practical, in order to reduce potential sources of error caused by applicant physical attractiveness and sex-based stereotype and enhance the quality of interviewer decisions, the level of interview structure in organizations should be increased.