The Effect of Evaluator Masculinity on Dyadic Hiring Decisions

Research examining gender disparities in the workplace tends to focus on individual behavior rather than the behavior of teams or dyads, yet important workplace decisions such as hiring and promotion decisions are often made by more than one person. The primary aim of the current study was to determine the role of the evaluator masculinity in collaborative, dyadic hiring decisions. Participants were recruited in pairs and given measures to assess their self-agreement with masculine characteristics before evaluating the resumes of two candidates for a student government position. Path analyses revealed that the opinion of each dyad member was predictive of the group decision, but the more masculine member of the dyad had more influence on both the evaluation of the candidates and the hiring decision. Results are discussed in terms of practical considerations for ensuring gender and gender role balance for those engaging in evaluating others for hiring and promotion decisions.