Context

Gender disparities in the workplace remain a persistent issue, with women underrepresented in top leadership positions and systematically applying for lower-paying jobs than men. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statements are a low-effort positive action measure that has the potential to significantly impact gender differences in job applications.

Goals

The primary goal of this study is to test the effectiveness of EEO statements to encourage women to apply for more demanding, better-paid job positions, and to investigate the effect of the presence of EEO statements targeting women on men's job applications.

Methods

We conducted an online experiment in Germany and Spain (N=1900 each), testing the effect of the presence (vs. absence) of EEO statements on women's and men's job applications. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions, where they saw the EEO statement on both jobs, only on the higher paid job, only on the lower paid job, or on neither job (control).

Expected outcomes

Our findings suggest that careful placement of EEO statements could lead to promoting gender diversity and creating a more equitable workforce.