The
Missing Link: Social Infrastructure
and Employers' Use of Information
Shazia
Raffiullah Miller and James E. Rosenbaum
Abstract
What information do employers use in hiring entry-level workers?
In contrast with the expectations of economic theory, research finds
that employers make hiring decisions without using information about
high school students' skills. From interviews with a sample of 51
urban and suburban employers, we find that while employers receive
much information, they mistrust the dependability and usefulness
of information from nearly all sources. This leads them to rely
on information they gather in interviews, a method prone to racial
and cultural biases and ill-suited to their stated needs for academic
skills and work habits. We suggest that for economic theory to operate,
employers must not only receive information, they must receive it
in a form that assures trustworthiness and relevance. We find that
some employers get school information from long-term social networks
which provide just such assurances, and these employers use this
information. While much sociological research has shown how workers
use networks to learn about possible jobs, this study is one of
the first to indicate how employers use networks in recruiting,
and it indicates how networks make information trusted. We conclude
with some implications for theory and policy.
Shazia Raffiullah Miller,
School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University James E. Rosenbaum, School of Education
and Social Policy, Northwestern University
To Order:
Hard copies of IPR working papers cost $5.00 each (international orders are $10 each). We only accept checks drawn on U.S. bank and payable in U.S. funds. Checks or
money orders should be made payable to Northwestern University and sent to
the following address:
Publications Department - WP Orders
Institute for Policy Research
2040 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208-4100.
For information, call 847-491-8712 or email ipr@northwestern.edu.
Please note that we do not accept credit cards.
