Evaluating Agentic Female Job Candidates: The Effects of Gender and Qualification of Comparison Candidates

Indianapolis, IN

Previous research has demonstrated that agentic women experience backlash in the hiring process when being considered for leadership positions. For example, Rudman et al. (2012) found that when participants evaluated an agentic female target candidate on measures of competence, likability, and hirability, although the female candidate received equal ratings of competence to an agentic male candidate, she received backlash in the form of lower ratings of likability and hirability than the agentic male candidate. In the current study, I investigated whether these backlash effects are consistent when the agentic female target candidate is evaluated in comparison to a male or female competitor of equal or lesser qualifications. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they received and read information about an agentic female target candidate and a competitor candidate (male/equally qualified, female/equally qualified, male/less qualified, female/less qualified) applying for a faculty position at Butler University. Participants then evaluated the target candidate on measures of competence, likability, and hirability. I predict that the target candidate will be evaluated less favorably when compared to a male competitor and more favorably when compared to a less qualified competitor. When compared to an equally qualified candidate, I predict the target candidate will be evaluated less favorably if this candidate is male. Results and their implications will be presented.