A recent study found that LGBT job applicants were subjected being treated differently than job applicants who appeared to be heterosexual. The research was carried out in relation to people seeking employment from federal contractors.
The Equal Rights Center (ERC) and Freedom to Work (FTC) created fictitious resumés and used them to apply for 100 jobs. However, the documents were submitted in pairs. One was positioned as if it was coming from an LGBT job applicant, because it included a mention of a person’s leadership role in an LGBT organization. The other job application also listed a leadership activity, but one connected with another cause, such as environmental sustainability or women’s rights.
It’s important to note that the resumés of the fictitious LGBT job applicants were designed to be more favorable in many regards. For example, those job applicants were shown as having higher grade point averages and more work experience.
To see how potential employers would respond to the potential LGBT job applicants, scientists chose eight federal contractors that did not prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, at least according to a survey conducted in April 2012.
Results of the study determined that even though the LGBT job applicants were more qualified for positions, they were 23 percent less likely to be contacted for interviews than their counterparts who were not perceived to be of a non-heterosexual orientation.
Perhaps one of the most unfortunate things about this study is that it’s not just LGBT job applicants who are at a potential disadvantage. There was nothing on the applications to suggest that applicants were in same-sex relationships. It was just that they had chosen to publicize the fact that they are LGBT activists.
Even though the resumés were fabricated, they still paint a frightening picture of just how much harder it could be for a person to get hired if he or she chooses to be vocal about working to achieve equal rights for the LGBT community. Generally, people are taught how it’s ideal for a cover letter or resumé to show how a person is well-rounded and taking part in things that are not necessarily related to employment.
However, if the data collected in this study held up in the real world for LGBT job applicants, that would mean I’d also be at a disadvantage. Although I identify as a straight ally, I probably wouldn’t state that on a job application, and would instead simply list how I am involved in several organizations that support LGBT individuals.
Last month, President Obama announced he would sign an executive order protecting LGBT people working in federal contract positions. That’s certainly good news, but what about the LGBT job applicants who may not even realize if they are being discriminated against, because they never get called for an interview at all?
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