Mitigating Gender Differences in the Success of Self-Promotion Tactics in Employment Interviews Through the Use of a Structured Rating Process
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Abstract
During employment interviews, candidates often use impression management tactics to influence how they are perceived by the interviewer. Previous research suggests that certain impression management tactics, specifically self-promotion, may work more successfully for men than for women during employment interviews (Rudman, 1998; Phelan et al., 2008). The present study examined whether using a structured rating process mitigates gender differences in the success of self-promotion tactics. Hypotheses were tested using a between-subjects experimental design with 831 participants. Results did not suggest that self-promotion was a significantly more effective strategy for men than for women, regardless of whether an unstructured or structured rating process was used. However, when visually examining the data, there is a slight pattern (although effects were non-significant) where self-promotion worked better for men and that the structured rating process diminished these differences. Future research should be conducted to further our understanding of gender biases in employment interviews.