According to recent sociology studies, graduates who include a religious preference on their resumes are less likely to get a call back from their potential employers. The studies made use of fictitious resumes with names that suggested no particular race or ethnicity. These resumes were sent to employers on the CareerBuilder website to fill entry-level job openings in information technology, sales and other fields suitable for freshers.
Researchers from Southern Sociological Society included seven religious categories including Evangelical Christian, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, Atheist and another that they made out of the blue called Wallonian to see what happened to these candidates in comparison to those that listed no religious preference.
Fewer employers responded to Wallonians and according to Michael Wallace, sociology professor at the University of Connecticut, the reason for this was the fear of the unknown. All in all, of the 3,200 resumes sent out in the South, those who listed a religious preference got 29 percent fewer responses and 33 percent fewer phone calls in comparison to otherwise identical resumes that listed no religious preference. The study also suggested that Muslims were most discriminated against with 38 percent fewer emails and 54 percent lesser phone calls.
A total of 6,400 resumes were sent out for 1,600 job postings in New England. Here, those listing religious preferences received 24 percent fewer phone calls and again, Muslims were discriminated against with 32 percent fewer emails and 48 percent fewer phone calls. While Catholics appeared 29 percent less likely to receive callbacks, pagans appeared 27 percent less likely for the same.
Even though the study focused on entry-level jobs only, Wallace said, “The bottom line message is that it is harmful to put it on your resume and this would relate anybody at any point in their career… We have kind of a schizophrenic attitude toward religion in the United States. We are a fairly religious country. We acknowledge religious freedom and religious diversity but at the same time, we don’t like it when religion is brought into public places such as the workplace or schools.”
