Talk Like a Man: How Resume Writing Can Impact Managerial Hiring Decisions for Women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact resume content has on employment decisions. Specifically, this study aims to provide evidence of discrimination against female job applicants applying for leadership roles. Furthermore, this paper discusses the concept of gendered language potentially creating differences between female and male resumes, ultimately impacting women's likelihood of being hired. The current study used the data from 233 Mechanical Turk participants who completed a survey for monetary incentive. It was hypothesized that male job applicants would be preferred over female applicants. It was also hypothesized that agentic language in resumes would be preferred over communal language. Additionally, it was hypothesized that women using agentic language would be rated lower than not only other female applicants using communal language, but also male applicants using agentic language. Agentic language was found to be significantly more hireable than communal language, regardless of gender. Female applicants, as well as those who used communal language in general, were rated higher in warmth than other applicants. Also, male applicants using communal language received the lowest competency ratings out of any other group. Additional findings are discussed.