Reducing the physical attractiveness stereotype in the employment interview.

Abstract

The employment interview enables the employer and applicant to exchange job-relevant information. Even though the interview remains the primary selection tool in business, biases exist. The current study investigated the reduction of the physical attractiveness stereotype in employment interviews by using a nonvisual (i.e., telephone) interview format. Eighty students from a midwest university were presented with videotaped interviews and audio portions of the same videotaped interviews of two sales-manager applicants, one being physically attractive and the other being physically unattractive. Participants were then asked to rate the applicants on five job-relevant characteristics. No support was found for the non-visual interview format reducing the physical attractiveness stereotype in employment interviews.