Applicant attraction effects on adverse impact, diversity, and job performance: A simulation

Jones et al. (2022) specified conditions where applicant attraction on vocational interests would reduce adverse impact. We extend the Jones model to include both (a) job performance outcomes and (b) diversity (proportion of hires from the minority group), while also elaborating on the underpinnings of the Jones et al. adverse impact results. Using Monte-Carlo simulations of a job hiring process where applicants are attracted based on vocational interests, we show how simultaneously attracting applicants on minority/majority status and on applicant qualifications specifically can affect adverse impact, diversity, and the job performance of new hires. Results reveal that no single attraction scenario improves all three outcomes (job performance, adverse impact, and diversity), although there is a subset of applicant attraction conditions that both reduces adverse impact and improves job performance. We further show how applicant attraction can have counterintuitive effects on the selection ratios of different groups, which in turn affects adverse impact in unexpected ways.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Cho, Matt

Contributors dc:contributor

• Newman, Daniel A.
• Alexander, Leo

• Adverse Impact
• Personnel Recruitment
• Simulations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Matt Cho

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125670

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F125670