Attractiveness and resume quality on perceived hireability

Abstract

Research has shown that being attractive can have many benefits (e.g., Doorley, & Sierminska, 2015; Pike, Bateman, Butler, 2014). Attractive individuals are benefited by the halo effect and stereotypes and are often seen as more friendly and better leaders while reaping benefits like higher wages (e.g. Geiler, Renneboog, & Zhao, 2018; Parrett, 2015). Using the framework that attractive individuals receive benefits for their beauty, this study delves into understanding if there are benefits in being attractive while applying to a job. It is predicted that a less attractive job applicant would need to compensate for their appearance by having a high-quality resume. Three hundred and twenty-one participants responded to a survey exploring this concept and were recruited via Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Participants viewed a job description, job applicant resume, and applicant photo before taking on the role of a hiring decision maker by completing survey questions regarding the perceived hireability of the applicant. Results showed that only the quality of the resume had an effect on perceived hireability while the level of attractiveness did not.