Who doesn't appreciate a nice letter of recommendation?
Turns out some women might not want one.
In a study of the words used in reference letters, researchers at Rice University found marked differences in word choice, depending on whether the job candidates were men or women.
Male candidates were more often described with active or assertive words such as confident, ambitious, forceful, independent and intellectual.
Letters about female candidates were more likely to use social or emotive words such as helpful, kind, nurturing, tactful and agreeable.
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Whereas men were more likely to be championed for influencing others, women were more likely to be appreciated for taking direction well.
And it didn't matter one bit whether the letter writer was male or female.
The study was focused on applicants for junior faculty positions, but it may translate into the larger work world. If so, it could spell trouble for candidates -- male or female -- whose recommendations are laden with "communal" rather than "agentic" words.
When the Rice researchers stripped out names and pronouns and submitted recommendation letters for hiring evaluation (also controlling for all other qualification variables), "The more communal characteristics mentioned, the lower the evaluation of the candidate," said Randi Martin, one of the professors who conducted the study.
The researchers believe this is the first study to show that these perceived gender differences in letters affect judgments of hirability. They acknowledge that broader research is needed.
Even with its limited sample, though, it builds on a body of research that suggests communal skills -- generally perceived as female -- aren't necessarily valued for leadership positions.
Also telling was a disparity noted in many of the recommendation letters. About women, writers were more likely to say she might make an excellent leader, while men were more likely praised as already a leader.
Distributed by McClatchy Tribune Information Services
