Religious Activities on Résumé Cut Hiring Potential, Research Shows

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Jun 18, 2014

Religious Activities on Résumé Cut Hiring Potential, Research Shows

New research from the Religious Affiliation and Hiring Discrimination claims that listing faith-based activities on a resume with lower an applicant’s chance of getting a job. 

The recently released studies published in the Washington Times say that “applicants who expressed a religious identity were 26 percent less likely to receive a response from employers.” The results of the study are concerning because they suggest that many employers held a bias against religion when looking at resumes. 

For the study, the researchers used a resume template, claiming the applicant graduated from college in 2008 or 2009 and held at least a 3.7 grade point average. Membership in a college faith-based organization was listed to provide religious identification. Atheists, Catholics, evangelical Christians, Jews, pagans, Muslims, a made-up religious group called Wallonians and a control group of no religious group were used. 

Researchers found that 8.5 percent of the non-religious control group received communication in the New England study, compared to the 7.5 percent average of the religions in the study. In the southern U.S. study, 18.2 percent of the control group received a call or e-mail from potential employers compared to 15.7 percent of religious applicants. In both studies, Muslims were the least likely to receive communication from employers with 8.2 percent and 10.7 percent returns, respectively. 

Monster.com, the website for people seeking employment says, Every bit of information on it [the resume] should be selling your value to potential employers, You may leave out organization names that disclose your cultural background, religious affiliation, sexual orientation and other possible targets for discrimination.”

Publication date: June 18, 2014



Religious Activities on Résumé Cut Hiring Potential, Research Shows