🤓 Researchers sent 83,000 fake job applications to biggest U.S. companies to test for discrimination. Here are the findings.

by Alex Funkhouser

This week, the researchers revealed the names of the companies that discriminated most against Black or female applicants in their study.

In 2021, a group of researchers published the results of a wide-ranging experiment they had conducted to examine the hiring practices of leading employers across the country. Over the course of two years, they submitted more than 83,000 fake job applications for 11,000 entry-level positions at more than a hundred of the largest U.S. companies by revenue. The researchers sent in nearly identical sets of applications with names that were “distinctively Black” or “distinctively white”—as well as names that were gendered—to test for discriminatory hiring practices.

When reached for comment, a CVS spokesperson told Fast Company, “Ensuring diversity in our hiring practices is a high priority. We are focused on hiring, developing, and retaining a talented workforce that represents and reflects the diversity of our customers, patients, and communities we serve. The study highlights an area that we already address: ensuring that a diverse slate of candidates have opportunities to succeed.” (Costco did not respond to a request for comment.)

When the researchers first presented their findings, they withheld the names of the companies in question but shared that, on average, Black candidates did hear back from prospective employers less frequently. Much of the discrimination was, however, concentrated in certain industries—namely, auto and retail—and among a select group of companies.

This week, the researchers finally revealed company names and created a “discrimination report card,” which disclosed that two auto companies—AutoNation and Genuine Parts—had the highest rates of discrimination against Black applicants. (AutoNation did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Genuine Parts said In a statement, “We are always evaluating our practices to ensure inclusivity and break down barriers, and we will continue to do so.”)

Read the complete Fast Company artice BY PAVITHRA MOHAN: https://www.fastcompany.com/91089772/researchers-submitted-83000-fake-job-apps-to-see-if-the-biggest-u-s-companies-discriminate-heres-what-they-found

⚖️ A shockingly high number of hiring managers ask illegal questions during job interviews

by Alex Funkhouser

Questions about citizenship, race, disability, or other characteristics often skirt what’s allowed by law. Here’s what to do if you’re asked one.

Throughout the hiring process, managers typically assess a candidate’s suitability for a role by investigating their experience, communication abilities, and other relevant professional attributes. Nevertheless, some hiring managers continue to overstep boundaries by probing into protected information such as age, identity, disabilities, or familial status.

Of the men surveyed, 38% admit to asking illegal questions, compared with 23% of women. Women are believed to ask illegal questions less often due to their experiences “being on the other side of an illegal question” and losing out on an “opportunity because of it.”

A Resume Builder study that surveyed 1,000 U.S. hiring managers found that 1 in 3 hiring managers say that they knowingly ask illegal questions. Here is what you need to know:

• Hiring managers want to know how other priorities and situations affect employees’ ability to work
• Men are more likely to knowingly ask illegal questions than women
• Applicants often don’t know when they are being asked an illegal question

Read the complete Fast Company article BY CLAIRE ZHAO: https://www.fastcompany.com/91092181/hiring-managers-ask-illegal-questions-during-job-interviews

🧑‍🎓 Ethan Mollick professor of management at Wharton explains why AI will impact (most) jobs

by Alex Funkhouser

Researchers have found that AI has the power to impact the vast majority of jobs.

One of the first questions people ask when they start using AI seriously is whether it will affect their job. The answer is probably yes.

The question is important enough that at least four different research teams have tried to quantify exactly how much overlap there is between jobs that humans can do and jobs that AI can do, using a very detailed database of the work required in 1,016 different professions. Each study has concluded the same thing: Almost all of our jobs will overlap with the capabilities of AI. As I’ve alluded to previously, the shape of this AI revolution in the workplace looks very different from every previous automation revolution, which typically started with the most repetitive and dangerous jobs. Research by economists Ed Felten, Manav Raj, and Rob Seamans concluded that AI overlaps most with the most highly compensated, highly creative, and highly educated work. College professors make up most of the top 20 jobs that overlap with AI (business school professor is number 22 on the list ). But the job with the highest overlap is actually telemarketer. Robocalls are going to be a lot more convincing, and a lot less robotic, soon.

Only 36 job categories out of 1,016 had no overlap with AI. Those few jobs included dancers and athletes, as well as pile driver operators, roofers, and motorcycle mechanics (though I spoke to a roofer, and they were planning on using AI to help with marketing and customer service, so maybe 35 jobs). You will notice that these are highly physical jobs, ones in which the ability to move in space is critical. It highlights the fact that AI, for now at least, is disembodied. The boom in artificial intelligence is happening much faster than the evolution of practical robots, but that may change soon. Many researchers are trying to solve long-standing problems in robotics with large language models, and there are some early signs that this might work, as LLMs make it easier to program robots that can really learn from the world around them.

Read the complete Fast Company article BY ETHAN MOLLICK: https://www.fastcompany.com/91072675/a-wharton-professor-explains-why-most-jobs-will-be-impacted-by-ai

💬 Why Some Professors Are Encouraging Students To Use ChatGPT

by Alex Funkhouser

ChatGPT is being utilized by workers in professional settings everyday. Here’s why students should be prepared.

ChatGPT was officially introduced on November 22, 2022, by OpenAI. When It initially launched, it was described as a tool that could provide responses based on prompts. But since its introduction, ChatGPT has been updated and revised several times, and it now includes both free and premium account options. 

Recent studies indicate that over 91% of organizations want to hire candidates with ChatGPT experience. Anecdotally, in speaking with companies that partner with Rutgers, several have expressed an interest in hiring early-career talent with knowledge of and experience with ChatGPT. 

During this period there have been many discussions about the use of ChatGPT at colleges and universities. Although it has been more than 18 months since ChatGPT was introduced, there are often more questions than answers. 

Some professors and administrators have attempted to limit students’ use of ChatGPT. However, I actually recommend that my students at Rutgers’ School of Management & Labor Relations use ChatGPT. Here is an overview of how young people are already using ChatGPT—and why I believe we should encourage them to use it more. 

Read the complete Fast Company article BY KYRA SUTTON: https://www.fastcompany.com/91071156/why-some-professors-are-encouraging-students-to-use-chatgpt