Relative importance of three content dimensions in overall suitability ratings of job applicants' resumes

Abstract

In research on interviewers' decision making, it has been tacitly assumed that all content categories of information about job applicants are about equally important determiners of interviewers' evaluations of overall suitability. 22 interviewers and 20 students evaluated sets of 24 resumes constructed to fill the cells of a full factorial design combining 3 levels of scholastic standing, 2 of experience, and 2 of interests, with 2 equivalent form resumes per cell. Main effects for all 3 content dimensions were significant in both groups, but the relative importance of these categories differed greatly within and between groups. Content importance, as well as favorability, determines ratings of overall suitability. (25 ref.) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)