Resource: Is Social Media Driving Gender Discrimination? Wednesday 23 March 2016 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email New Research Reveals Recruiters Judge Female Applicants on Looks Rather Than Content When Appraising Social Media Profiles. New research reveals recruiters judge female applicants on looks rather than content when appraising social media profiles. The growth in the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other social media accounts has seen many hiring managers use the platforms as part of their recruitment drive, accessing candidates online profiles and making judgements on them before even meeting face-to-face. While this may provide extra background on a candidate, it can also exacerbate negative gender bias against female job applicants. According to findings by University of the West of Scotland researchers, managers who choose to snoop on applicants’ social media profiles, particularly Facebook, are likely to enforce certain biases against female candidates, particularly their physical appearance, potentially distracting from the quality of their application and distorting the true suitability for job roles. When analysing the eye movement of a group of 70 men and women, who were told to review a selection of Facebook profiles and to judge each person as a potential candidate for a job, the research team found that both male and female participants judged the female candidates primarily on the basis of their appearance, while they tended to form an opinion about the male candidates based on the content on their profile page. Read the full story: https://www.managers.org.uk/insights/news/2016/february/is-social-media-driving-gender-discrimination Like this article? Why not share it. Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Topic: “You need the right mix of challenge and empathy” Isaac Kalungi CMgr MCMI was the first Chartered Manager in Uganda Read article Article Topic: Highlights – 10 September Difficult choices and hard conversations – plus the positive impact of CMI’s leadership courses around the world Read article Article Topic: Personal Development How studying for a CMI Level 3 Diploma helped Amy Matthews lead with confidence Operations team manager Amy Matthews shares how a Level 3 qualification gave her new leadership perspectives Read article Article Topic: Workplace Culture The human edge: why soft skills matter more than ever As technology transforms work, technical know-how is only half the story Read article Article Resource The information on this page is designed to help you to develop ever more compelling business proposals and presentations. Take a look at our selection of tools which could help support you. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.