A new poll finds that seven in 10 recruiters would give preference to candidates who share their own political views.
Resume Builder the studyThe announcement is timely as the US presidential election heats up: the company surveyed 1,000 US-based recruiters and found that 68% are more likely to hire someone with similar political views to themselves.
One in five say they would be less likely to hire a candidate who holds opposing views, and 64% of recruiters say it is important to know a candidate's political views.
Interestingly, 64% of managers say they are almost always aware of a job candidate's political views (35%) or sometimes (29%).In interview scenarios, there are several categories protected by prohibitions in federal and state laws. These include, for example, questions about race, sex, religion, age, and disability.
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However, currently There is no federal law No political bias in the hiring process. Instead of recruiters asking about political affiliation, how can recruiters ascertain a candidate's political leanings?
“Many recruiters are scouring social media and other outlets for clues about a candidate's age, religion or other personal characteristics that could introduce bias into the hiring process,” says Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder.
She added: “Of course, this type of behaviour is unacceptable and political bias should be taken as seriously as any other bias.”
Increasing polarization
With the political climate at home becoming increasingly tense and geopolitical conflicts on top of it, many Americans may feel compelled to share their opinions publicly, whether through social media or casual conversation with coworkers.
“As society becomes more polarized, we are being forced to confront these issues in the workplace more than ever before,” Haller said.
In 2022, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Politics in the WorkplaceAccording to the study, the percentage of American workers who say they have experienced bias because of their political affiliation has increased by 12 percentage points over the past three years.
“Unfortunately, there has been a significant decline in the civility with which people express their opinions and beliefs, which is creating obstacles to success for employers and employees,” SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. (SHRM-SCP) said of the survey.
“This trend is fueled by the relative anonymity of social media and has spilled over into our communities and workplaces. In today's climate, people are saying, 'If you don't agree with me, I can't work with you.'”
This is a challenging situation for workers and employers alike, and it is made even more uncertain by the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing the issue.
While federal employees may have more protections when it comes to political activity (as long as it's carried out outside of work), experts say private employers are generally more likely to be able to fire employees based on their political affiliation without violating federal law.
Private companies may apply their own internal policies to outspoken employees. For example, in 2022, Meta used its respectful communications policy to prohibit employees from posting “opinions or discussions about the pros and cons of abortion, abortion availability or rights, or political, religious, or humanitarian views on this issue.”
In April of this year, 28 Google employees Fired The company staged a sit-in protest at its California offices in response to calls to end its contract with the Israeli government.
Resume Builder's research found that recruiters who are reluctant to hire people with different political affiliations tend to do so to avoid actions that could reflect negatively on the company (75%) or to avoid a poor cultural fit (73%).
“Some managers justify bringing personal bias into the hiring process by arguing that they are looking for candidates who will fit the company culture and represent the organization accordingly,” says Stacey Haller of the company.
Diverse teams are important
But whether it's race, ethnicity, gender or political views, diversity in the workplace is important. Being exposed to people who hold different views than your own can lead to better business outcomes than being in an echo chamber where confirmation bias can take over.
Several studies back this up. Deloitte survey As of 2017, it was found that inclusive teams performed 80% better in business than less inclusive teams.
McKinsey's latest Diversity Report Research backs this up: In companies that are committed to diversity, it was found that “employees in the top quartile of ethnic composition are 39 percent more likely to outperform those in the bottom quartile.” If your team isn't diverse, there aren't any regularly implemented DE&I policies, or you're part of an organization where political stances are impeding your career growth and working relationships, it might be time to find something new.
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