The impact of accountability in employment equity and minority hiring situations

Abstract

This experiment investigated the impact of accountability--the need to justify one's views to others--on ratings of videotaped interview performance and likelihood of hiring. Participants were shown a Native or non-Native fictional job applicant applying for a position in human resources, and were presented as applying in the context of an Employment Equity programme, or they were not. As well, participants were either told that they may be asked to justify their ratings of the applicant (accountability condition), or they were not told this information. Significant differences were found between ratings given for Native and non-Native candidates on three of four rating variables, with Native candidates rated lower. A main effect of Employment Equity was also found, although it was not easy to explain. Contrary to patterns found in past literature, no significant impact of accountability under any condition was found. In light of the findings, the possibility of hiring discrimination is proposed.