Do Employers Forgive Applicants’ Bad Spelling in Résumés?

Christelle Martin-Lacroux ; Alain Lacroux Université de Toulon

Abstract

Spelling deficiencies are becoming a growing concern among employers, but few studies have quantified this phenomenon and its impact on recruiters’ choice. This article aims to highlight the relative weight of the form (the spelling skills) in application forms, compared with the content (the level of work experience), in recruiters’ judgment during the selection process. The study asked 536 professional recruiters to evaluate different application forms. The results show that the presence of spelling errors has the same detrimental impact on the chances of being shortlisted as a lack of professional experience, and recruiters’ spelling skills also moderate their judgment.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2017-09-01
DOI
10.1177/2329490616671310
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Cited by in this index (7)

  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  4. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  5. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Show all 7 →
  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

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