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Har attraktiva individer en fördel i rekryteringsprocessen? En kvantitativ studie om huruvida fysisk attraktivitet påverkar bedömningen av kompetens och anställningsbarhet.

Helin, Tyra LU and Portland, Alexandra LU (2022) PSYK11 20212
Department of Psychology
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effect of facial attractiveness on recruiters’ assessment of applicants' competence (i.e., hard and soft skills) and employability. It also examined if the importance of attractiveness differs between men and women in these contexts. A survey was constructed that began with a fictitious cover letter and a face photo of the “applicant”. While the letter was the same across conditions, four photos selected from the FACES database were randomized across respondents and differed in level of attractiveness (attractive/unattractive) and gender (male/female). After reading the letter, the respondents assessed the "applicant's" soft and hard skills as well as employability using a Likert scale. The 73 respondents... (More)
This study aimed to examine the effect of facial attractiveness on recruiters’ assessment of applicants' competence (i.e., hard and soft skills) and employability. It also examined if the importance of attractiveness differs between men and women in these contexts. A survey was constructed that began with a fictitious cover letter and a face photo of the “applicant”. While the letter was the same across conditions, four photos selected from the FACES database were randomized across respondents and differed in level of attractiveness (attractive/unattractive) and gender (male/female). After reading the letter, the respondents assessed the "applicant's" soft and hard skills as well as employability using a Likert scale. The 73 respondents who answered the survey consisted of 51 women and 22 men, all with work experience of recruitment and/or education within the field of human resources. The result showed no significant difference between the assessment of attractive and unattractive faces for any of the variables examined. Additionally, there were no differences in the effect of attractiveness between the sexes. A significant difference was found for the variable “reliability” between the two conditions “attractive man” and “unattractive woman”. However, further analyses showed that gender was the significant main effect. Thus indicating that attractiveness is not important for the assessment of hard and soft skills and employability under the examined circumstances. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna studie ämnade att undersöka effekten av anisktsattraktivitet på rekryterares bedömning av arbetssökandes kompetens (hårda och mjuka färdigheter) samt anställningsbarhet. Det undersöktes också om betydelsen av attraktivitet skiljer sig mellan män och kvinnor i dessa sammanhang. För undersökningen konstruerades en enkät som inleddes med ett fiktivt personligt brev och en ansiktsbild på den “sökande”. Brevet var detsamma för alla betingelser men de fyra bilderna som valts ut från FACES-databasen randomiserades för varje respondent och skiljde sig i nivå av attraktivitet (attraktiv/oattraktiv) och kön (man/kvinna). Efter att ha läst det personliga brevet fick respondenterna bedöma den “sökandes” mjuka och hårda färdigheter samt... (More)
Denna studie ämnade att undersöka effekten av anisktsattraktivitet på rekryterares bedömning av arbetssökandes kompetens (hårda och mjuka färdigheter) samt anställningsbarhet. Det undersöktes också om betydelsen av attraktivitet skiljer sig mellan män och kvinnor i dessa sammanhang. För undersökningen konstruerades en enkät som inleddes med ett fiktivt personligt brev och en ansiktsbild på den “sökande”. Brevet var detsamma för alla betingelser men de fyra bilderna som valts ut från FACES-databasen randomiserades för varje respondent och skiljde sig i nivå av attraktivitet (attraktiv/oattraktiv) och kön (man/kvinna). Efter att ha läst det personliga brevet fick respondenterna bedöma den “sökandes” mjuka och hårda färdigheter samt anställningsbarhet på en Likertskala. De 73 respondenterna som besvarade enkäten bestod av 51 stycken kvinnor och 22 stycken män, alla med arbetserfarenhet av rekrytering och/eller utbildning inom personalområdet. Resultatet visade ingen signifikant skillnad mellan bedömningen av attraktiva och oattraktiva ansikten för någon av de undersökta variablerna. Det gick heller inte att utläsa någon skillnad för effekten av attraktivitet mellan kön. Det gick att finna en signifikant skillnad för variabeln pålitlighet mellan betingelserna “attraktiv man” och “oattraktiv kvinna”. Detta resultat visade dock en signifikant huvudeffekt för kön och inte för attraktivitet. Studien indikerar därmed att attraktivitet inte har betydelse för bedömningen av hårda och mjuka färdigheter samt anställningsbarhet under de studerade omständigheterna. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Helin, Tyra LU and Portland, Alexandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK11 20212
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Ansiktsattraktivitet, rekrytering, mjuka färdigheter, hårda färdigheter, anställningsbarhet, facial attractiveness, recruitment, soft skills, hard skills, employability
language
Swedish
id
9073975
date added to LUP
2022-02-21 09:13:25
date last changed
2022-02-21 09:13:25
@misc{9073975,
  abstract     = {{This study aimed to examine the effect of facial attractiveness on recruiters’ assessment of applicants' competence (i.e., hard and soft skills) and employability. It also examined if the importance of attractiveness differs between men and women in these contexts. A survey was constructed that began with a fictitious cover letter and a face photo of the “applicant”. While the letter was the same across conditions, four photos selected from the FACES database were randomized across respondents and differed in level of attractiveness (attractive/unattractive) and gender (male/female). After reading the letter, the respondents assessed the "applicant's" soft and hard skills as well as employability using a Likert scale. The 73 respondents who answered the survey consisted of 51 women and 22 men, all with work experience of recruitment and/or education within the field of human resources. The result showed no significant difference between the assessment of attractive and unattractive faces for any of the variables examined. Additionally, there were no differences in the effect of attractiveness between the sexes. A significant difference was found for the variable “reliability” between the two conditions “attractive man” and “unattractive woman”. However, further analyses showed that gender was the significant main effect. Thus indicating that attractiveness is not important for the assessment of hard and soft skills and employability under the examined circumstances.}},
  author       = {{Helin, Tyra and Portland, Alexandra}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Har attraktiva individer en fördel i rekryteringsprocessen? En kvantitativ studie om huruvida fysisk attraktivitet påverkar bedömningen av kompetens och anställningsbarhet.}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}