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Anonymous Job Applications in Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Krause-Pilatus, Annabelle

    (IZA)

  • Rinne, Ulf

    (IZA)

  • Zimmermann, Klaus F.

    (University of Bonn)

Abstract

Numerous empirical studies find a substantial extent of discrimination in hiring decisions. Anonymous job applications have gained attention and popularity to identify and combat this form of discrimination. To test whether their intended effects result in practice, in several European countries such as Sweden, France and the Netherlands field experiments were recently conducted. Also in Germany, a large field experiment has examined the practicability and potentials of this approach. Against the background of the recent German findings as novel evidence, this paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this new policy proposal.

Suggested Citation

  • Krause-Pilatus, Annabelle & Rinne, Ulf & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2012. "Anonymous Job Applications in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 7096, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7096
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ayaita, Adam, 2021. "Labor Market Discrimination and Statistical Differences in Unobserved Characteristics of Applicants," EconStor Preprints 236615, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    2. Kaiser, Lutz C., 2014. "The Gender-Career Estimation Gap," IZA Discussion Papers 8185, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Berson, Clémence & Laouénan, Morgane & Valat, Emmanuel, 2020. "Outsourcing recruitment as a solution to prevent discrimination: A correspondence study," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    4. Nesseler, Cornel & Gomez-Gonzalez, Carlos & Parshakov, Petr & Dietl, Helmut, 2023. "Examining discrimination against Jews in Italy with three natural field experiments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    5. Lex Thijssen & Marcel Coenders & Bram Lancee, 2021. "Ethnic Discrimination in the Dutch Labor Market: Differences Between Ethnic Minority Groups and the Role of Personal Information About Job Applicants—Evidence from a Field Experiment," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1125-1150, September.
    6. Ohto Kanninen & Sanni Kiviholma & Tuomo Virkola, "undated". "Anatomy of An Anonymous Hiring Pilot," Working Papers 338, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    7. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo, 2016. "Field Experiments on Discrimination," NBER Working Papers 22014, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Chareyron, Sylvain & L'Horty, Yannick & Mbaye, Souleymane & Petit, Pascale, 2023. "Reducing ethnic discrimination through formal warning: Evidence from two combined field experiments," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    9. LIU Xing & SIERMINSKA Eva, 2014. "Evaluating the effect of beauty on labor market outcomes: A review of the literature," LISER Working Paper Series 2014-11, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    10. Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2017. "Migration for Development: From Challenges to Opportunities," GLO Discussion Paper Series 70, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    11. Joanna N. Lahey & Douglas R. Oxley, 2021. "Discrimination at the Intersection of Age, Race, and Gender: Evidence from an Eye‐Tracking Experiment," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(4), pages 1083-1119, September.
    12. Peter Kuhn & Kailing Shen, 2023. "What Happens When Employers Can No Longer Discriminate in Job Ads?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(4), pages 1013-1048, April.
    13. Emma von Essen & Jonas Karlsson, 2019. "The effect of competition on discrimination in online markets—Anonymity and selection," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, August.
    14. Yusuke Jinnai, 2016. "Do Job Applicants also Discriminate Potential Employers? Evidence from the World's Largest Online Labor Market," Working Papers EMS_2016_03, Research Institute, International University of Japan.
    15. Fath, Sean & Larrick, Richard P. & Soll, Jack B., 2022. "Blinding curiosity: Exploring preferences for “blinding” one’s own judgment," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    16. Ayaita, Adam, 2023. "Ethnic Minority Background and Personality Characteristics: Evidence from a Representative Sample of the Adult Population," EconStor Preprints 251745, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, revised 2023.
    17. Haruka Uchida, 2023. "What Do Names Reveal? Impacts of Blind Evaluations on Composition and Quality," Artefactual Field Experiments 00728, The Field Experiments Website.
    18. Lennart Hofeditz & Sünje Clausen & Alexander Rieß & Milad Mirbabaie & Stefan Stieglitz, 2022. "Applying XAI to an AI-based system for candidate management to mitigate bias and discrimination in hiring," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(4), pages 2207-2233, December.
    19. Weichselbaumer, Doris & Schuster, Julia, 2021. "The Effect of Photos and a Local-Sounding Name on Discrimination against Ethnic Minorities in Austria," IZA Discussion Papers 14495, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Lutz Kaiser, 2014. "The Gender-Career Estimation Gap," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 0300349, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    21. McGinnity, Frances & Quinn, Emma & McCullough, Evie & Enright, Shannen, 2021. "Measures to combat racial discrimination and promote diversity in the labour market: A review of evidence," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number SUSTAT110.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    anonymous job applications; hiring; discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M51 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Firm Employment Decisions; Promotions
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)

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