Does your ethnic name hurt or help you in the job market?

[Charles]

If it helps, how? If not, would you change your first or last name? Seems a bit extreme, but I think that this used to be a common practice years ago. Might having an unusual name stands out in a positive way?

[KillZone]

As far as I can tell, it does not hurt me. There seems to be some evidence that a name does matter.

http://etb-political.blogspot.com/2012/04/discrimination-in-job-market.html


RACE FACTOR IN EMPLOYMENT
According to an expirament that was performed by Poverty Action Lab, with race in mind, the final results revealed an overwhelmingly apparent discrimination based on race. Resumes were submitted for the jobs listed in newspaper classifieds under sales, administrative, and clerical positions. Part of the resumes submitted contained information leading the employer to believe the submission was from a minority applicant, for instance submitting the application under a name likely to belong to a minority "Lakisha Washington or Jamal Jones". Poverty Action Lab concluded:

1. Resumes with white names received 50% more callbacks than those with black names.

2. There is evidence that the returns to improving credentials for whites is much higher than for blacks. Specifically, for resumes with white names, higher quality resumes received 30% more callbacks than low quality ones. For resumes with black names, the higher quality resumes did not receive significantly more callbacks.
The above indicates to me that RACE is not a factor. The NAME is a factor.

For a more balanced view from a psychologist:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103111002927


Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Volume 48, Issue 3, May 2012, Pages 752–756

The name-pronunciation effect: Why people like Mr. Smith more than Mr. Colquhoun

Abstract
Names are rich sources of information. They can signal gender, ethnicity, or class; they may connote personality characteristics ranging from warmth and cheerfulness to morality. But names also differ in a much more fundamental way: some are simply easier to pronounce than others. Five studies provide evidence for the name-pronunciation effect: easy-to-pronounce names (and their bearers) are judged more positively than difficult-to-pronounce names. Studies 1–3 demonstrate that people form more positive impressions of easy-to-pronounce names than of difficult-to-pronounce names. Study 4 finds this effect generalizable to ingroup targets. Study 5 highlights an important real-world implication of the name-pronunciation effect: people with easier-to-pronounce surnames occupy higher status positions in law firms.

These effects obtain independent of name length, unusualness, typicality, foreignness, and orthographic regularity. This work demonstrates the potency of processing fluency in the information rich context of impression formation.

All things being equal I'd rather hire someone named Samuel Jones compared to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Easier to pronounce, easier for clients to pronounce. That has nothing to do with race.

[queenlillian1962]

As far as I can tell, it does not hurt me. There seems to be some evidence that a name does matter.

http://etb-political.blogspot.com/2012/04/discrimination-in-job-market.html


The above indicates to me that RACE is not a factor. The NAME is a factor.

For a more balanced view from a psychologist:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103111002927



All things being equal I'd rather hire someone named Samuel Jones compared to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Easier to pronounce, easier for clients to pronounce. That has nothing to do with race.

I disagree, I think names are the new way to profile a possible employee. If you have a certain name you might be able to tell what there background is and thus not hire anyone with lets say a name like Lakosha if you don't like blacks or not hire a muslim is the name is Mohammad or Omar, or asian in the name is Pansouvhang or Aiko. Asking for their Facebook account is another way because you can get info about the person off FB they otherwise legally couldn't ask like what religion, what race/gender your married to, or sexual orientation.

My name personally hasn't hurt me, but I worry about my nephew who is bi-racial and has name found mostly in the black community. Haters might not hire him just because of his name.

[Going Postal]

As far as I can tell, it does not hurt me.

Try getting a day care job, KillZone. :D all those merc jobs is clouding your perspective.

[Sangroid]

If it helps, how? If not, would you change your first or last name? Seems a bit extreme, but I think that this used to be a common practice years ago. Might having an unusual name stands out in a positive way?

I think that it helps.

I know that when I am in a position to decide and all other things being equal I will give the business/job/opportunity etc to an Irish-American or Roman Catholic person.

[Sangroid]

Same goes for the reverse...certain names, no matter the qualifications, go right in the trash heap.

They are like Mohammed etc

[House]

I disagree, I think names are the new way to profile a possible employee. If you have a certain name you might be able to tell what there background is and thus not hire anyone with lets say a name like Lakosha if you don't like blacks or not hire a muslim is the name is Mohammad or Omar, or asian in the name is Pansouvhang or Aiko. Asking for their Facebook account is another way because you can get info about the person off FB they otherwise legally couldn't ask like what religion, what race/gender your married to, or sexual orientation.

My name personally hasn't hurt me, but I worry about my nephew who is bi-racial and has name found mostly in the black community. Haters might not hire him just because of his name.

What do you suggest, then? Applications without names? Might as well use our social insecurity numbers for something, their old purpose is obsolete.