Whether to Apply

Abstract: Labor market outcomes depend, in part, upon an individual’s willingness to put herself forward for different opportunities. We use laboratory and field experiments to explore gender differences in willingness to apply for higher return, more challenging work. We find that, in male-typed domains, women view themselves as less qualified for opportunities, both because of differences in self-assessments and because of uncertainty about where “the bar” is. We provide field evidence that reducing ambiguity surrounding required qualifications reduces the gender gap in willingness to apply among qualified candidates, increasing both the diversity and talent of the applicant pool.

If you wish to attend the seminar or would like to have a bilateral with the speaker, please contact the seminar organizers Anne Boring (boring@ese.eur.nl) or Robert Dur (dur@ese.eur.nl).