Hiring discrimination against highly-competent candidates: an investigation of competence and warmth stereotypes, and cooperative/competitive mindsets

Abstract

This study applies the continuum model of impression formation and the stereotype content model to investigate the effect of warmth and competence stereotype on blatant and subtle hiring discrimination against highly-competent candidates. Study 1 (N = 220) used hypothetical countries and Study 2 (N = 512) used four ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) countries to manipulate the competence and warmth stereotypes.

The results offer a theoretical extension to the stereotype content model where warmth and competence stereotypes have differentiating effects on hiring discrimination against highly-competent candidates. Results from both studies showed that competence stereotype had a significant positive direct effect on blatant hiring discrimination when controlling for participants’ prejudice level. Highly-competent candidates from low-competent stereotyped countries were rated significantly lower in hireability and salary assignment. Study 1 results showed that highly-competent candidates from low-warmth stereotyped countries were perceived poorly on career related items. Warmth stereotype had a significant positive total effect on subtle hiring discrimination via prejudice. However, Study 2 did not replicate this result possibly due to a limitation in selecting an actual country in AEC to represent the high competence-low warmth stereotype.

Drawing on past evidence in intergroup studies, Study 2 tested the effect of evaluators’ cooperative/competitive mindsets on hiring discrimination. Study 2 revealed that the evaluators’ cooperative or competitive mindset regarding the AEC did not affect their hiring decisions against highly-competent candidates in any of the hiring measures, which did not support this study hypothesis. Results offer practical implications for Thai decision-makers in preparation for AEC hiring.