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arXiv · 2301.08083

Algorithmic Writing Assistance on Jobseekers' Resumes Increases Hires

Emma van Inwegen·Zanele Munyikwa·John J. Horton
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Abstract

There is a strong association between the quality of the writing in a resume for new labor market entrants and whether those entrants are ultimately hired. We show that this relationship is, at least partially, causal: a field experiment in an online labor market was conducted with nearly half a million jobseekers in which a treated group received algorithmic writing assistance. Treated jobseekers experienced an 8% increase in the probability of getting hired. Contrary to concerns that the assistance is taking away a valuable signal, we find no evidence that employers were less satisfied. We present a model in which better writing is not a signal of ability but helps employers ascertain ability, which rationalizes our findings.

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Emma van Inwegen, Zanele Munyikwa, John J. Horton. 2023-01-19. Algorithmic Writing Assistance on Jobseekers' Resumes Increases Hires. https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.08083

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