Despite progress, recent reports of gay-bashing underscore the continued importance of this day. But how do gay men and lesbians fare in today’s labour market? How are they perceived by recruiters? Researchers at Ghent University conducted a study to empirically test all positive and negative stereotypes about LGBTQ+ individuals that have been theorised in previous academic literature. The findings of the study have recently been published in the Journal of Population Economics.

A Comprehensive Study of Perceptions
The researchers began with an extensive literature review, identifying 71 traits associated with gay men and lesbians. These were streamlined into 21 characteristics that could theoretically benefit or disadvantage LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace.

To explore these perceptions, 408 professional recruiters were asked to evaluate four fictional job candidates, focusing not only on the overall strength of their profiles but also on the 21 identified traits. Additionally, recruiters were asked how likely they, their clients, and their colleagues would enjoy working with these candidates.

Strengths and Weaknesses
The study revealed that candidates who mentioned being married to a same-sex partner on their CVs were met with predominantly positive expectations, although some stigma persists.

“Compared to heterosexual men, gay men are perceived as significantly more (i) outspoken, (ii) open-minded, (iii) self-aware, (iv) emotionally sensitive, (v) neat, (vi) intelligent, (vii) creative, (viii) talkative, and (ix) honest. They are seen as displaying more (x) empathy in teamwork, possessing better (xi) advanced social skills, higher (xii) team orientation, and a more (xiii) loving and gentle personality. However, they are also viewed as (xiv) less enjoyable to work with than heterosexual men.”
Professor Stijn Baert, Labour Economics, Ghent University

“Lesbians, on the other hand, are seen as (i) more enjoyable to work with but (ii) less loving and gentle than their heterosexual counterparts. Like gay men, they are also perceived as more (iii) outspoken, (iv) open-minded, and (v) self-aware than heterosexual women. Additionally, lesbians are seen as (vi) more assertive, (vii) independent, and (viii) dominant—traits not associated with gay men.”
Philippe Sterkens, Post Doctoral Researcher, Ghent University

Impact on Hiring Chances
While sexual orientation subtly signals various traits to recruiters, only two perceptions strongly affect hiring chances.

“For gay men, recruiters’ belief that they and their colleagues or clients might enjoy working with them less is negatively associated with their interview chances. For lesbians, the opposite is true.”
Ines Pauwels, Master’s Thesis Contributor, Ghent University

“Recruiters generally dislike the perceived outspokenness or boldness of gay men and lesbians. This is also linked to lower hiring chances.”
Hellen Durinck, Master’s Thesis Contributor, Ghent University

Balancing Perceptions
“Overall, we find that positive and negative perceptions of gay men and lesbians tend to balance out. For the average recruiter, there’s no evidence of overt negative discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
Axana Dalle, Doctoral Researcher, Ghent University

“However, the fact that ‘gay is okay’ for the average recruiter doesn’t mean discrimination doesn’t occur. In our experiment, a small subgroup of ‘homonegative’ recruiters—those who express negative views about LGBTQ+ individuals in daily life—gave less favourable evaluations. These recruiters rated gay and lesbian candidates specifically lower in (i) leadership skills, (ii) professionalism, (iii) career orientation, and (iv) perceived health.”
Philippe Sterkens, Post Doctoral Researcher, Ghent University

Policy Implications
This research highlights the nuanced perceptions recruiters hold about LGBTQ+ candidates. Misconceptions around boldness and less enjoyable collaboration should be addressed in recruiter training. Additionally, diversifying hiring panels to prevent bias from a single, potentially prejudiced evaluator appears promising.

Transgender Identity

While perceptions of gay men and lesbians balanced out, the same wasn’t true for transgender candidates. In a recent field test in Ghent, transgender candidates were invited for interviews in just 13% of applications, compared to 19% for cisgender candidates.

“Our earlier research sheds light on why transgender candidates face discrimination: they are often burdened with a persistent stigma of poor health. Employers fear they may take frequent sick leave. At the same time, they are perceived as more assertive and autonomous.”
Professor Stijn Baert, Labour Economics, Ghent University

Further Information

The experiment was conducted in May 2021 with recruiters from the United States and the United Kingdom. This decision was based on the availability of high-quality panels via Academic Prolific and alignment with Anglo-Saxon literature dominating this field. Prior research suggests the underlying mechanisms of discrimination are similar across OECD countries.