The effect of applicant age, job level, and accountability on the evaluation of job applicants

Simulated videotaped employment interviews were utilized in assessing the effect of accountability on the evaluation of job applicants. One hundred-twenty undergraduates majoring in business and personnel related areas were informed that they would be participating in the pilot-testing of a new employee placement technique. The age of the job applicants (25, 40, or 55 years), the position for which they were being considered (assistant director or director), and the degree to which subjects were made to feel accountable for their evaluation of the applicant (low or high accountability) were manipulated, resulting in a 3 × 2 × 2 between-subjects design. Increasing subjects' accountability produced more positive evaluations for the 40- and 55-year-old applicants. The implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.