David Pedulla's research on hiring patterns and biases in the Stanford News
Stanford research reveals reasons why job applicants get screened out of the hiring process
People whose employment histories include part-time, temporary help agency or mismatched work can face challenges during the hiring process, according to new research by former Stanford sociologist David Pedulla, now at Harvard University.
When hiring managers review job applications, they must make rapid assessments about who they think is a good candidate for a position. But those evaluations are especially critical towards applicants whose employment histories differ from conventional notions of what a “good” job is, according to new research by Stanford sociologist David Pedulla.
Pedulla found that applicants with backgrounds that stray from traditional, full-time employment – such as part-time positions, temporary agency employment or jobs below their skill level – face increased scrutiny that often eliminates them from the hiring process. His research also revealed how those judgments vary considerably by an applicant’s race and gender. For example, black men with seamless job histories had almost identical callback rates as white men who were unemployed for a full year.