Beauty a factor in the hiring process? This study shows that attractiveness can help but points out the need for decision-makers to be aware of their biases

In an article from today's Science News "Hiring Practices Influenced By Beauty" we may read about a new study on the role of attractiveness in hiring practices.

“When someone is viewed as attractive, they are often assumed to have a number of positive social traits and greater intelligence,” say Carl Senior and Michael J.R. Butler, authors of the study. “This is known as the ‘halo effect’ and it has previously been shown to affect the outcome of job interviews.” The study explored the influence of the halo effect in a mock job negotiation scenario where male and female interviewers were shown pictures of attractive or average looking male and female job applicants.

In this study

Female interviewers were found to allocate attractive looking male interviewees more high status job packages than the average looking men. Female interviewers also gave more high status job packages to attractive men than to attractive women. Average looking men also received more low status job packages than average looking women. Male interviewers did not differ in the number of high or low status job packages

that were given to attractive looking interviewees of either sex, though the male interviewers gave out more low status job packages overall, irrespective of the sex of the interviewee.

But when the males assigned low status jobs to attractive females, the decision

could not have been driven by interpersonal attraction, but rather by emotion. Female interviewers did not exhibit any significant EDR differences [thought to be higher when emotions are used to make a preferential decision], suggesting their bias occurs on a cognitive level.

A bit confusing with lots of speculation thrown in. Read the study "Interviewing strategies in the face of beauty : A psychophysiological investigation into the job negotiation process" (uncopyedited) if you want.

The bottom line:

“From a business point-of-view, there is a need for leaders/managers to be aware of their assumptions in decision-making processes, be they strategic or operational, and that they may be prone to emotion and bias,” say the authors.

Good advice. Self-awareness is important for any business practice. This study is another indication of the value of being aware of your biases and assumptions when making firm decisions.

Note (added January 3, 2008, 9:30 PM Mountain): Did attractiveness impact the Iowa caucus?