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Applicant Desirability Influences Reactions to Discovered Résumé Embellishments
Author(s) -
Kuhn Kristine M.,
Johnson Timothy R.,
Miller Douglas
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of selection and assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.812
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1468-2389
pISSN - 0965-075X
DOI - 10.1111/ijsa.12021
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , dimension (graph theory) , deception , social desirability , task (project management) , function (biology) , minor (academic) , law , management , mathematics , economics , evolutionary biology , pure mathematics , biology , political science
This study investigates responses to a discovered résumé embellishment as a function of initial impressions of the applicant. In S tudy 1, managers and recruiters rated the extent to which a discrepancy uncovered by a background check would lower their opinion of an applicant, using a between‐subjects design crossing the applicant's apparent desirability and type of embellishment. In S tudy 2, business students completed a simulated hiring task in which they first evaluated applicants based on their résumés, then read background reports, and subsequently made a final evaluation. Results indicate interactive effects of an applicant's apparent desirability, type of deception revealed, and response dimension. The discovery of a minor embellishment has little effect on evaluations of favored applicants, but negatively impacts less desirable applicants.