PhD Patosha O.I., Cherkasova L.L.
National research university – Higher school of economics, Russia
ETHNIC STEREOTYPES IN RECRUITMENT
The problem statement
The problem of the ethnic stereotypes was investigated both in Russian and Western literary where in the latter one the discrimination towards African Americans was revealed. Thus, this research was conducted by Bertrand M. and Mullainathan S. [3], in the United States . Authors carried out a field experiment that highlights the difference between the necessity of White Americans and African Americans in the labor market. As a result it was revealed that for callback the African Americans should send twice amount of resume in comparison with “White applicants”; the callback for African American (but not for White candidate) means 8 additional yeas of work experience in appropriate sphere; in case of White citizens there is 30 percent difference in the number of callbacks between high and low level CVs, but there is practically no such discrepancy in case of African American applicant. Moreover scientists exposed that discrimination always depends on indicating the post address of candidate, the authority of the employer organization and its’ location (from the point of view of neighborhoods).
In the Russian labor market ethnic stereotypes of recruiters were researched by Paklina M.S. [4]. This paper dealt with the role of ethnic stereotypes in the hiring process. The correlation between ethnic stereotypes of recruiters concerning the ideal candidate for the company and managers’ views about the system of candidates’ selection was revealed . To be more precise this exploration was about the perfect applicant for American and Japanese companies and also touched the specificity of recruitment for these organizations. As a result the connection was revealed and its peculiarities and limits.
Thus, it is widely known that an efficiency of organizational functioning is closely connected with the process of recruitment. Currently world being in the condition of globalization, the labor migration is observed, hence the job market consists of people of different nationalities. One of the clearest examples of this phenomenon could be noticed in Russia as a multinational country. Thus this fact is also reflected in the recruiting process where the ethnic stereotypes could come out in the communication and have some impact on the recruitment itself. Thus it is essential to investigate how important could be the fact of applicants’ different nationalities accessory during the recruitment process on the Russian labor market.
The literature review
Basic terms
A n ethnic stereotype is an effect of interpersonal perception, the schematized view of his or her and other’s ethnic community, which reflects simplified knowledge about the psychological singularities and behavior of specific nation representatives, seen in their members, which becomes a basis of the steady emotionally charged opinion one nation of the others or of itself [1, p. 75].
Recruitment is a search and hiring a sufficient number of employees with appropriate qualification [2]. The recruiting process usually consists of several stages and those which connected with dealing with the certain employee are resume selection, its’ examination and conducting an interview. Despite the fact that recruitment is a formalized process, the effects of interpersonal communication could still be manifested and also may distort the reality therefore they could lead to some mistakes in the decision-making concerning hiring a person.
In the previous researches the ethnic stereotypes of recruiters were manifested: Paklina M.S. revealed the stereotypes connected with the perfect employee for the companies which originated from different countries. Bertrand M. and Mullainathan S. found out the discrimination concerning one of the races in the US in its’ labor market. Thus it could be one of the forms of ethnic stereotypes.
Consequently, Hypotheses of the current investigation are the following:
H1: there is a display of the ethnic stereotypes in the recruitment;
H1.1: there are some correlations between national group of a candidate and vacancies suggested;
H1.2: there are some differences in professional characteristics attributed to candidates of different nationalities.
The aim of the present study is to reveal the ethnic stereotypes of recruitment managers while selecting candidates of different nationalities to the position connected with communication with customers in the recruitment process.
Methodology
The research was carried out by the questionnaire which was elaborated on the basis of the pilot study. Moreover, all items in this questionnaire follow the order of recruitment stages concerned with applicant selection.
In the first task which reflects the section of the resumes in recruitment, invented full names of the applicants of four different nationalities ( Russian, Jewish, Uzbek and Armenian ) were presented (the invented full names were selected with the expert appraisal method). One full name presented for each respondent with applicant of one out of four nationalities. After examining this information recruiter should have offered some vacancies for the candidate and suggested the position this person is going to pretend. Also on this level recruiter should have filled out the semantic differential: the personal professional characteristics evaluated on the basis of bipolar scales, which content was created with the expert appraisal method . Then the recruiters should have decided would they examine the rest of the CV of the person demonstrated. If not, it was necessary to explain why.
The next part of the methodology was an invented CV which was similar for all applicants of different nationalities. After looking through the proposed resume a recruiter should have decided if to invite this candidate to an interview. If not, again it was needed to explain why.
The third task of the questionnaire which reflects the interview recruitment stage described interview itself with the applicant suggested. Also the photo of the candidate with the respective nationality to the full name presented is displayed in this part of the task. The interview reported in a positive way and equal for all four candidates. In the last question in this section respondent should have answered would she invite this applicant to the interview with the managers of the company.
A representative sample included 45 female respondents at the age from 20 till 50 years old. The respondents work as recruitment managers both in a recruitment organizations and companies of other fields.
The main parameter in this case will be the policy of organization in which the respondent works: the excluding criterion was the rule not to examine the interview of person if he or she is not Russian.
Results
After collecting the forms the respondents were divided into four groups with the respect to the nationality of applicant suggested in the questionnaire.
Open questions results’ were analyzed by the qualitative content analysis and they were checked for the correlation between nationality and position suggested. Thus, we have revealed the positive correlation between the nationality of the applicant and the professional sphere offered by respondents (? 2 = 18, 267, p?0.05). Consequently, the following connections were found out:
- Russian candidate could be more successful in financial and advertising spheres and also hold the highest ranks (for instance chief accountant);
- Armenian applicant might be good at finance and sales on such positions as director and manager;
- Uzbek candidate was preferred in the spheres of recruitment and sales on such vacancies as manager or assistant;
- Jewish applicant supposed to be good at finance and sales again on manager or assistant position.
Also, we have exposed the characteristics of stereotypes content. Successfulness as the personal feature of the candidates of different nationalities is significantly different (criterion H – Kruskal -Wallis, p?0,05 ). The most successful from respondents’ point of view is Jewish candidate, than Armenian, next one is Russian and least one is Uzbek.
Thus, we can see that as a result of the research conducted it was revealed that recruiters demonstrate ethnic stereotypes towards applicants who are representatives of different nationalities.
Interpretation
The successfulness of different nationalities candidates we suppose that this distribution reasoned by the connection of view concerning the success itself with the intelligence. Also it is widely known that intellect usually considered as the mathematic skills which coincides with the professional area offered to Armenian and Russians who are on the second and third place of success parameter respectively. From our opinion the Uzbek candidate was placed on the last positions because in Russia applicants of this nationality usually hold some middle or the lowest positions in companies from. Finally, we suppose that Jewish representative was placed on the last but one position in respect of success in contempt of widely known intelligence of this nation because of anti-Semitic views which still exist in Russian society.
Sales were offered for Jewish, Armenian and for Uzbek because of the widely spread view that they are sellers, and brilliantly can persuade customers.
Uzbek are on the recruitment position because this job is much less creative than for example advertisement sphere offered for Russians which is always connected with detailed estimation, prediction and based on the market analysis.
Conclusion
This paper suggests that ethnic stereotypes of recruiters do manifest during the candidates selection process.
Thus, our results reflect that there are some differences in professional domains and characteristics which are viewed as peculiarities of nationalities researched.
So, while a massive training at the national level may change the structure of perception of different nationalities candidates, small training programs may not work. In fact, if representatives of different race will recognize how employers reward their skills, they may be rationally reluctant to even participate in these programs. In general, the results in this paper provide reasons for the persistence of national inequality over time.
In the future continuation of the current research the expansion of the survey is planned.
References:
1. Bodaljov A.A. Interpersonal perception and comprehencion / A.A. Bodaljov. – M.: Moscow university publishing house, 1982. – 200 p.
2. International Human Resource Management: managing people in a multinational context [Electronic resource] / Dowling P., Welch D., Festing M., Engle A. – Cengage Learning EMEA, 2008. – Access mode: http://books.google.ru/books?id=LVG2BUQs_ygC
3. Marianne B. Are Emily and Greg Ore employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A field experiment on labor market discrimination / B. Marianne, S. Mullainathan // American Economic Review. – 2004. – Vol. 94. – P. 991–1013.
4. Paklina M.S. The role of ethnic stereotypes in recruitment in the international companies: Master dissertation / M.S. Paklina. – M., 2010. – 135 p. – P. 111–114.