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Original Article

Applicant Ethnicity Affects Which Questions Are Asked in a Job Interview

The Role of Expected Fit

Published Online:March 21, 2018https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000197

Abstract

Abstract. Three experiments on professional recruiters explored how applicants’ ethnicity affects questions prepared for a job interview and the implications of this. Study 1 revealed that outgroup applicants prompt recruiters to focus more on whether applicants have integrated cultural norms and values fitting the ingroup norms (person-culture fit), as well as the match between the applicants and their would-be work team (person-group fit). When applicants were from the ethnic ingroup, recruiters focused more on questions pertaining to the match between the applicants’ abilities and the specific demands of the job (person-job fit). Studies 2 and 3 revealed that questions prepared for outgroup applicants were rated as less useful for hireability decisions, and that summaries emphasizing person-job fit were perceived as more useful.

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