When men are doing the screening, the bias against women with photos goes away

From Too Much Transparency in Resumes? by Phil Bowermaster. I have come across similar odd evidences of female on female discrimination in other studies. I wonder what is going on here, particularly given the absence of a mirror effect.

A very interesting piece in Harvard Business Review Blogs claims that women job candidates who include a photograph with their resumes actually hurt their chances of getting a job. Attractive women get the brunt of the bias, with single women discriminated against in particular. Unattractive women who include a photo are discriminated against less frequently than attractive women, but again do themselves no favors.

Bottom line: women who don’t include a photo with their resumes are more likely to get called in for an interview than women who do.

So the very practical takeaway is that women should avoid including a photo with their resumes. Guys, it doesn’t hurt you at all. In fact, if you’re good looking, it can give you a bit of a boost. Note that these trends apply when women are the ones screening the candidates; when men are doing the screening, the bias against women with photos goes away.