Gender-based wage discrimination and the backlash effect in recruitment and dismissal processes Experimental evidence from Slovakia

A sample of 155 HR managers participated in an experimental vignette study. In Task 1, they evaluated three CV resumes in terms of the applicants’ competence, hireability, likeability and wage proposal of three applicants applying for a regional sales manager post. Half of the sample received CVs presented as females’ and half as males’, otherwise the CVs were identical. Generally, male and female applicants were evaluated similarly in terms of competence and hireability. Average and worst male applicants were evaluated as less likeable than identical females. However, wages offered to female applicants were significantly lower than those offered to male applicants. We were unable to identify moderators of the phenomenon other than female HR managers driving the effect. In Task 2, participants were showed a set of vignettes presenting six employees (3 men and 3 women) preselected to be dismissed due to the economic crisis. Apart from basic demographics, the employees were described in terms of age, years in the company and frequency of absences. Again, we switched employees’ gender for half of the sample. We have found that HR managers are more likely to dismiss male employees and that they are particularly unforgiving to male workers with frequent absences.