Female bosses are more likely to hire gay and lesbian job applicants over heterosexual candidates who are equally qualified, according to a British-led study.
Researchers also found the opposite was true when the recruiter was a man, with male bosses judging straight candidates as being more suitable.
Academics at the University of Sussex looked at 400 managers who were presented with four made-up CVs from a gay man, a lesbian woman and a straight man and woman.
The candidates’ CVs carried the same experience and qualifications. The only difference was the LGB candidates were listed as being members of a group for gay professional workers, The Times reports.
Lead author Dr Ben Everly, of Sussex’s School of Business, Management and Economics, said the findings suggested employers should consider carefully the make-up of selection panels.
He said: “These results show that bias against gay men and lesbians is much more nuanced than previous work suggests.
“Hiring decisions made by teams of both men and women could lead to less biased decisions.”
The study is the first to highlight a positive bias for gay and lesbian jobseekers, but only when women were responsible for hiring.
The report also notes: “One implication is that placing more women in selection roles within organizations could be a catalyst for the inclusion of gay and lesbian employees. Additionally, these results could influence when and how gays and lesbians disclose their gay identities at work.”
