Fake Job Applications Prove There’s Real LGBT Discrimination in Hiring

[DeadLetterOffice]

9. I have no doubt that employers discriminate on the basis of LGBT status.

No doubt AT ALL. And it appalls me on a very personal level.

But this study is sloppy, with a sample size and call back rates that are too small to be meaningful...

Yes, the LGBT resume was 23% less likely to get an interview call-back. But the actual DIFFERENCE in call back rates was only 3%, out of only 17 cases that met study criteria for inclusion. You really can't draw any kind of conclusions with those paltry numbers.

Also, if they wanted to be able to say with surety that it was the LGBT activism that affected call-backs, then the resumes should have been matched on all other variables. instead: "The LGBT resume was designed to be stronger in numerous respects." You can't mess with multiple variables and then decide which one has a causal relationship to the outcome. Doesn't work that way.

My point here is mostly that sloppy science makes me crazy, and actually UNDERMINES the cause, because it's not going to be taken seriously (it shouldn't be) and has the potential to be used as a "hey look at those idiots trying to use pseudo-science to further their agenda" talking point for the RW.

I wish they'd done a better job with this study -- it wouldn't have cost any more to make the resumes actually match on all but one variable, and sending out 500 paired resumes (yes, that would've cost more in postage and paper) would have made the 17% response rate still yield an acceptable number of cases to do decent stats analysis with.
Sigh.