Evaluating Potential Political Bias in Recruitment: Effects of Extreme vs. Moderate Party Affiliaton

Abstract Growing political polarization is affecting recruitment. This study used an experimental simulation design to examine how political value similarity may influence hiring decisions, focusing on France's polarized multi-party system with a centrist core. This allowed us to compare fictional applicants with extreme political affiliations with those with moderate or neutral stances. We also analyzed raters' reasons for evaluating politically affiliated fictional candidates and how these evaluations impacted hypothetical hiring outcomes. A sample of 350 raters assessed a fictional LinkedIn profile with manipulated political affiliation. Findings showed that political value similarity heightened perceptions of overall similarity, which was associated with hypothetical hiring outcomes such as expected counterproductive work behavior (CWB): Sharing political values reduced expectations of CWB. Notably, over 20% of participants cited political considerations as the key factors when evaluating fictional applicants who openly shared their political affiliation on LinkedIn. Future research should thus distinguish between different party affiliations as these can exhibit unique effects on hiring outcomes.