Gays get fewer job interviews
According to a new study, gay men with resumes that make their sexuality identifiable are 40 percent less likely to be called in for a job interview than someone who lists membership of a socialist group.
Harvard University researcher Andras Tilcsik prepared two resumes — one which listed the applicant as having been the elected treasurer of a college campus gay organisation, and another which listed him as being involved in a “progressive and socialist alliance” — and used them to respond to job advertisements.
Tilcsik thought that as both types of organisation would be associated with leftwing politics, he could eliminate bias based on political affiliation.
Results varied across the country with far fewer callbacks in the country’s Southern and Midwestern states than in Western and Northeastern states where being identifiably gay on a resume made little difference to the number of callbacks.
I remember going for job interviews in the 1970’s! A question, I was asked regularly in interviews was “Do you have a girlfriend?” Of course, such a question cannot be asked today! A friend told me that in the Accountancy world at the time, companies were very keen that they didnt have any homosexuals onboard and were very careful about who they accepted into their businesses. Thus, if you played contact sports and did other very blokey things, then you were a shoein!
Going for a job is just that. As an employer and someone who runs a hospitality staff outsourcing company, its a matter of my staff having the credentials of being well presented, physically fit, able to do the job and work a seven day rotating roster. What they do outside that time is no concern of mine. Im legally covered by a 3 month probationary period where I can let them go and dont need grounds. To put Gay volunteering on your resume, I dont recommend!
Oliver, you’re right in that someone who worked for/with an organisation with a strong involvement in the homosexual community is not necessarily gay themselves. What I take the study to mean, however, is that in the US, if you mention something that suggests you might be gay, you’ll be 40% less likely to be called.
A resume is a documented listing of work history, making your sexuality identifiable on a resume? unless you write “Homosexual” next to your name? potential work and sexuality are two separate things.