For job seekers with disabilities, soft skills don't impress in early interviews
Research also finds discussing salary early in the interview process
hurts all candidates

Date:
September 10, 2020
Source:
Rutgers University
Summary:
A new study finds that job candidates with disabilities are more
likely to make a positive first impression on prospective employers
when they promote technical skills rather than soft skills, such
as their ability to lead others.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study by Rutgers University researchers finds that job candidates
with disabilities are more likely to make a positive first impression
on prospective employers when they promote technical skills rather than
soft skills, such as their ability to lead others.


==========================================================================
The findings, published in the International Journal of Conflict
Management, contrast this with the results for candidates without
disabilities who were positively evaluated when they highlighted either
hard or soft skills during initial job interviews.

"Job interviews are challenging for everyone, but particularly so for
people with disabilities who have always had difficulties presenting
themselves favorably to gain employment," said Rutgers Business School professor Mason Ameri.

"People with disabilities encounter an implicit bias that they will not
be as productive as their non-disabled peers," said Ameri, who co-authored
the study.

"Knowing how to navigate the conversation with potential employers
is critical for leveling the playing field." In three studies, 1,711 participants watched videos of candidates -- either visibly seated in
a wheelchair or not -- using influence tactics to answer an opening
question during an interview for a project manager position.

Participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the job candidate's employability and appropriate level of salary, as well as how trustworthy
they appeared.

Among the findings:
* Employability: For candidates without disabilities, discussion
of hard
skills or soft skills led to more favorable perceptions. While the
expression of hard skills similarly improved the employability
rating of the candidate with the disability, discussion of soft
skills did not.

* Pay: When candidates with disabilities discussed salary early in
the job
interview, it appeared to hurt them more than when candidates
without disabilities raised the same topic. Still, even for
candidates without disabilities, announcing a salary figure so
early in the process seemed to be off-putting in terms of whether
they should get the job at all.

* Trustworthiness: Candidates with disabilities were not viewed as
trustworthy regardless of the tactic they used. For candidates
without disabilities, ratings of trustworthiness increased when
they discussed hard or soft skills. However, other tactics such
as signaling alternative offers or suggesting a salary figure did
not have the same positive effect.

"Influence tactics such as emphasizing your skills and abilities are
a good idea but don't necessarily work the same way for everyone,"
said Terri Kurtzberg, co-author and professor at Rutgers Business
School. "Instead, people with disabilities should focus on job-related
hard skills and competencies instead of softer skills and warmth. This
choice accelerated positive impressions of employability."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Rutgers_University. Original written
by Susan Todd. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Mason Ameri, Terri Kurtzberg, Lisa Schur, Douglas Kruse. Disability
and
influence in job interviews. International Journal of Conflict
Management, 2020; ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) DOI:
10.1108/IJCMA-04- 2020-0070 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200910110830.htm

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