Peter Belmi, who earned his Ph.D. at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2015, was the first in his family to attend college. He is now a professor at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. But when some of his graduating students who were also “first-gens” asked if they should mention the truth on their job applications, Belmi hesitated.
He told several colleagues about it—including his former doctoral advisor at Stanford, Margaret Neale—and the group agreed that it could be done either way. Hiring managers may see this as a plus, but some research suggests that the first-generation label may carry a stigma.
“On the one hand,” said Neale, a professor emeritus of organizational behavior at Stanford GSB, “the first generation fits the old Horatio Alger narrative that Americans love: the gritty underdog who overcomes adversity and bootstraps themselves to success. It takes an extraordinary person to do that.”
But, according to Neale, some may believe that one’s class background leaves a mark. These young people may have grown up without the social influence of any college-educated role models. Maybe their schools are lacking, or they don’t have a good study environment at home.
“Basically, it’s a deficit mindset,” Neale says of this perspective. “It’s like, here are all the things they lack, compared to other applicants—instead of focusing on the unique strengths that enabled them to overcome adversity.”
To find out which view prevails, Belmi and Neale, along with Melissa Thomas-Hunt, professor at the Darden School, and behavioral scientist Kelly Raz, created a fictitious résumé and a cover letter that addressed the applicant’s first-generation status or not. They then sent candidate materials in response to 1,785 entry-level job postings.
First-gen applications were less successful, receiving 26% fewer callbacks for an interview than the group that did not disclose the candidate’s background. “These early results suggest that revealing your first-gen status might not be a good idea,” Neale said. “But the question is, why?”
The psychology of gatekeepers
As anyone who’s applied for a job knows, employers never tell you why the cover letter you’ve been sweating doesn’t cut it. In this study, the researchers have their suspicions-perhaps hiring managers feel that discussing first-gen status is inappropriate or seems like a special request. But they don’t rule out other explanations.
To examine the thoughts of these gatekeepers, the team next surveyed 285 hiring managers on their beliefs about the influence of class background. On a scale of 1 to 7, they were asked how strongly they agreed with statements such as “People’s capabilities can, to a large degree, be traced back to their social origins.”
They found that most managers believe/feel that class shapes people’s attitudes and abilities. Sixty-two percent agreed that “even when individuals leave their original social environment, their behavior is still strongly determined by their social origins.”
On average, those surveyed agreed that “in general, students from low socioeconomic-status backgrounds are less equipped to succeed in business.” These findings, Neale says, cast doubt on the assumption that education is a great equalizer and engine of movement.
Shifting thoughts
The researchers wondered if there was an intervention that could reduce the negative impact of the first generation. They trace the bias, at least in part, to a deficit mindset among the people screening the applicants. “What we’re thinking is, maybe you can create an intervention to shift that mindset,” Neale said. “Something employers can use to facilitate inclusion.”
They tested that idea in two other studies, using a larger sample of 1,250 people. It is not hiring managers but college educated, working individuals from the general population. (Neale says that prior research has shown that job gatekeepers have the same evaluation biases as the average person, so the results should transfer.)
Each was given an application from a fictitious first-gen graduate and asked to imagine they were hiring a team for a critical business opportunity. This time the researchers manipulated the frame of reference of the decision makers, prompting them to focus on the shortcomings or strengths that may result from the experience of the first generation student.
In one study, they suggested specific traits that first-gens need to navigate four years of college—such as courage, determination, resourcefulness, adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving skills. On the other hand, they asked the study participants to identify for themselves what their strengths might be.
Amazingly, these two simple interventions worked. Among those who pointed to disabilities, only 26% said they would consider a first-gen candidate and the group expressed strong doubts that the applicant had the necessary skills. Among those who prioritized strengths, 47% — nearly double the number — said they would review a candidate’s job offer. The research was published in the journal Organizational Science.
Neale says it is easy to implement in a business environment/setting. “It does not include various training sessions or lectures about implicit bias; just some suggestions on how to approach their assessment from another direction. By pushing their thinking, the participants are more receptive to hiring first-gen graduates,” he said, “so they can better appreciate the strengths that first-gen candidates can bring to an employer.
Tell their own story
In today’s chaotic world, companies need access to many different perspectives. “You want people who, because of their backgrounds, can look at a situation and see different things,” Neale said. “Race and gender are important, but we also need to think about diversity more broadly to include different college majors, ages, career paths, etc. First gen is one of those things.”
That said, it’s important to approach diversity in the right way. “In our work and that of others, we know that trying to fight inequality by focusing on the disadvantages people face can be counterproductive,” he said. “It encourages deficit thinking, a less-than lens that facilitates biases.”
He points out how schools, including Stanford, try to help first-gen students with special programs. “While these programs have proven beneficial, focusing only on the remedial side reinforces this deficit thinking. Emphasizing the skills and abilities these people clearly demonstrate can change how we think about their current and future potential.”
The larger lesson from this research, Neale said, is that we all need to be “more intentional about how we consider the strengths and weaknesses of those around us.” We might start, he says, by hearing how Belmi’s first-generation students see themselves.
When Belmi surveyed them before starting this research, most wanted to share their first-generation status with prospective employers. They battled real challenges and succeeded, becoming the first in their families to receive a college diploma. “They want to tell their story on their job applications because they’re proud of what they’ve done,” Neale said. “They feel that their accomplishments reflect the special qualities they can bring to the table.”
More information:
Peter Belmi et al, The Consequences of Revealing First-Generation Conditions, Organizational Science (2023). DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2023.1682
Provided by Stanford University
Citation: Do first-gen college grads face bias in the job market? (2023, July 24) retrieved 25 July 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-07-first-gen-college-grads-bias-job.html
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