Hidden discrimination in online job ads
November 7, 2008 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: Hiring, Latest News & Views, Race discrimination, policies
Advertising jobs online has long been considered a fair and equal method of recruiting. But the data on who responds may indicate that there’s hidden bias in online recruiting.
Steven Levitt, who co-wrote the popular book Freakonomics, says in a New York Times piece that if you look at the numbers, it’s undeniable that online recruiting contains some hidden bias against minorites. Consider the analysis of 25,000 applicant responses fielded by headhunter JobApp Network:
- When the firm took applications by phone, 40% of applicants were minorities.
- When it limited applications to online only, just 20% of the applicants were minorities.
Even before the study was released, some recruiting analysts had suggested that online-only ads tended to screen out minorities who were less likely to have convenient Internet access. The study is the first to support the idea by using actual statistics.
To see the full study, click here.
Tags: Discrimination, Freakonomics, internet, minorities, online, recruiting
November 10th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I think the study must be flawed. There may be many reasons why the “advertising jobs” were not representative.
I have been in HR for over 15 years, and my experience is that I recieve about the same amount of emails and resumes over the internet from persons of color as I do with our in house application process.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Maybe I am reading this wrong but who in the heck would take or perform an “Application” over the phone? That’s absurd. There are so many other things besides just good answers that I look for in an interview. I watch their expressions, their body language, their reactions that you can’t observe over the phone. Besides, Who in a business has time to take over a hundred calls per day to a job ad posting. In fact, one of my pet peeves is people who call and ask if we are hiring…my thought is quit being lazy and come fill out an application, we may just call you in for an interview but you have no chance just calling..no one hands out jobs to those making random calls all day (well maybe a telemarketing firm would)
July 16th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
It seems that you could just as easily say that the study implies that non-minorities are less likely to have convenient access to telephones!
It’s interesting that people seem to constantly be on the hunt for any possible barrier a person of color may face. Do people spend the same amount of time & attention trying to identify obstacles faced by non-minorities?
July 21st, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I think we better get the President on this one right of way. There must be a shortage of computers in minority areas of the country and he will get that fixed.
I visit our local central library frequently to use their “free” computers and find a melting pot mix of all races and ethnicities. The computers are all handicapped accessible and have assistance for the hearing impaired. I feel if someone wants to get a job these days they better be prepared to use the internet to do it. There are still ads in the paper but if you take a look there you will see the want ads are getting smaller all the time. I can’t see how any company other than a small local store would use the phone as the primary means of taking applications. I could see calling to arrange an appointment to complete an application but don’t see how an application could be taken that way and be of any value.
July 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Technology has changed the way companies do business. It is common practice to post jobs over the internet so job applicants know that this is the most used method of successfully searching and applying for a job.
Applying online is not available for only computer owners. That’s why as mentioned before, libraries plus agencies, schools and businesses offer public accessible computers for all groups whether you are a computer owner or not.
The facts seem very generalized:
• When the firm took applications by phone, 40% of applicants were minorities.
Were the applicants specifically asked why they applied over the phone? Or did they assume they applied over the phone because they didn’t own a computer.
• When it limited applications to online only, just 20% of the applicants were minorities.
You would assume the low minority pool was due to lack of access to the internet. But did they consider thinking about the number of non-minority job seekers that fell into the same situation? Saying that the minority group is the only group affected isn’t truly giving us the whole picture.
Bottom line, every person has the right to apply for a job, but sometimes it seems that specifics favor a particular group which gets special attention whereas the same condition does affect all groups.
(Note on the phone application – there are phone application systems companies use. The applicant responds verbally to an automated voice recognition questionnaire. It is a 24 hour accessible application process which the recruiter can either listen &/or print out the responses.)
July 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
The lack of minority applicants via the internet is not necessarily only a function of access to the internet. A person who has no computer at home and little experience with the interent, it less likely to apply online even with access to the internet through libraries and internet cafes. Many older adults who did not grow up in the “internet” age are reluctant to use the library internet, as well. Familiarity with the computer and internet is more a function of economic status. If you are on the low end of the economic pay scale, it is more likely that you do not have regular access to a computer or experience with the internet. The largest group in the “poor” class would be minorities. So if your intent is to limit the number of minorities and older workers in your candidate pool, require that they apply online. You might get away with the argument that it was fair and they could have applied at the library. However, if you have a federal contract and are required to have an affirmative action plan, then you need to recruit using media the minorities access and remove barriers to the application process.
August 27th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I agree with Mike R. The point of the study was to collect data and analyze the findings. When people do these types of experiments I surely hope they considered demographics and used a diverse population etc. The study showed that minorities are less likely to apply online, so therefore they did not have easy access to online job postings. Studying public administration and urban studies will develop a person to be keen on this subject and to have sense of understanding that in fact displacement and gentrification happens. These groups of people face significant challenges and burdens that are just basic to you.
Numerous cases show that minorities are left behind and discriminated against. There are many examples of discrimination in the workplace and in order for it to stop is for the public to understand it exists and we need to progress as a society and understand how to prevent it. Minorities should not and will not have to suffer prejudices that can easily be inflicted onto them. Denying minorities is where most people go wrong…it’s wrong.