CV with or without photo? This is the best option to pass the first big filter

Although the use of blind resumes or at least without a photo has been encouraged for some time so as not to condition selection processes, the truth is that it seems that, when required, the weight of an image

This is how it is traced by at least one study that has compared different assumptions and images of candidates passed through a beauty filter or without passing through it.

In the , presented in Management Decision magazine, it was hypothesized that less physically attractive job applicants are discriminated against in hiring decisions. In a US context, the authors tested whether appearance-altering photo filters can exploit this bias.

In the study, 1,200 managers evaluated simulated white applicants presented with or without a beauty filter for a social worker or IT job. In another sample, 212 managers evaluated black and white candidates with or without a beautification filter for an HR specialist position.

A bias especially present in women

The results demonstrate that the beautifying filters increased the perception that they could be hired regardless of the type of job, but especially when the applicants were women.

Both male and female applicants whose photos were embellished were perceived as more competent, but only male applicants were perceived as more approachable.

In Study 2, beautification filters increased recruitability only slightly for white candidates, followed by white and black candidates, but substantially for black candidates.

Filters increased the perceived competition of black applicants (and especially black women), but not white applicants, and increased the perceived closeness of all groups except white women.

As we can see, the weight of the image conditions, which supports for many the thesis that, to promote greater equality in hiring or to better stick to merits, the use of blind CVs should be encouraged.

In conclusion, learning about the company’s policies can help us decide if it is appropriate to send a resume without a photo. If not, it appears that, for better or worse, the photo continues to provide important context to all employers, according to the study.