Selection Interviews of Overweight Job Applicants: Can Structure Reduce the Bias?¹

Abstract

The purpose of these studies was to extend the benefits of the structured selection interview beyond its psychometric advantages, and to include its potential to mitigate biases against overweight applicants. In the first study, 133 participants witnessed a videotaped interview and were asked to rate the performance of the candidate. Videotapes varied by structured/unstructued interview scripts and average weighdoveweight job applicant. Results confirmed the discrimination bias against overweight interviewees, and supported the possibility that a structured interview moderates this bias. In the second study, 137 participants completed the same task with an additional level of interview structure. Results provided additional support for the predictive power of the highly structured interview, and mixed results for a mildly structured interview.

The Structured Interview: Reducing Biases Toward Job Applicants with Physical Disabilities

“…However, this finding is consistent with those of Kutcher and Bragger (2004) and Bragger et al (2002) who used a similar methodology to investigate weight bias and pregnancy bias, respectively, in the structured and unstructured job interview. These results are likely a function of the narrow range of starting salaries listed in the job description and the inexperience and inability of undergraduate students to make realistic judgments about salary recommendations.…”

“…Results supported that interview structure did indeed reduce the leniency bias toward candidates with disabilities. These findings, when considered with those of other studies (e.g., Bragger et al, 2002;Kutcher & Bragger, 2004), indicate that efforts to structure an organization's interview can effectively improve not only the accuracy, but also its fairness and defense against common biases and stereotypes.…”

“…While Kutcher and Bragger (2004) found evidence of discrimination against overweight job applicants and Bragger, Kutcher, Morgan, and Firth (2002) found evidence of discrimination against pregnant job applicants, both studies showed that the use of the structured interview reduced the impact of these biases. These findings support the premise that the structured interview does increase the fairness of the job interview, and is thus likely to reduce bias against job applicants with disabilities.…”

Bias against overweight job applicants: Further explorations of when and why

“…Additionally, the lack of impact on affect could have been due in part to the structured interview format used for this study. Kutcher and Bragger (2004) found that a highly structured interview reduced bias against obese applicants, Note. 0 = Caucasian and 1 = African American.…”

“…What can we do to reduce bias? We've mentioned that a recent laboratory study found that increasing the structure of job interviews can decrease obesity bias (Kutcher & Bragger, 2004). Future work should continue to turn toward creating interventions to try to reduce or, ideally, eliminate the impact of obesity-based prejudice at work.…”