Does an image say more than 1000 words? An experimental study on the effects of visual stigmas on video resume reviews Een beeld zegt meer dan 1000 woorden? Een experimentele studie naar effecten van visuele stigma’s op video-cv-beoordelingen

The realization of diversity in organizations starts with the inflow of applicants and the implementation of selection procedures that are bias free. This study investigated whether video resumes are susceptible to hiring discrimination. Inspired by social-psychological models on categorisation and information processing, we examined whether visible stigmas led to discrimination of (equally) qualified applicants and whether this was more pronounced for applicants with a self-inflicted stigma (i.e., a tattoo) than with a congenital stigma (i.e., a port-wine stain). An experimental study among 115 HRM students who participated in an HRM business game showed that, based on the screening of a video resume, the chances that an applicant with a visible tattoo would be invited for a job interview was 4.29 times lower than for an equally suitable candidate without a visual stigma, and 3.21 times lower for an applicant with a visible tattoo than for an equally suitable candidate with a visible port-wine stain. There were no differences in the likelihood of an applicant with a port-wine stain being invited compared to an applicant without any visual stigma. Employers and legislators may need to protect applicants with inherent visible stigmata (like port-wine stains) as well as those with self-inflicted visible stigmata (like tattoos) from hiring discrimination.