Asymmetric Information on Noncognitive Skills in the Indian Labor Market
This paper examines the impact of noncognitive (socio-emotional) skills on job market outcomes, using a randomized control trial implemented in an online job portal in India. Job seekers who registered in the portal were asked to take a Big-Five type personality test and, for a random subsample of the test takers, the results were displayed to potential employers. The outcomes are measured by whether a potential employer shortlisted a job seeker by opening (unlocking) his/her application and background information. The results show that the treatment group for whom test results were shown generally enjoyed a higher probability of unlock. That is, employers are more interested in those for whom they can see personality test results. Such a relationship was not seen in the pre-test period, which confirms that the results are unlikely to be spurious. The study also finds a significant impact among organized, calm, imaginative, and/or quiet applicants (no effect is detected among easy-going, sensitive, realistic, and/or outgoing applicants), which seems to display employers' preference.
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2018-03
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| Subjects: | NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS, JOB CREATION, RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL, LABOR MARKET, LABOR SKILLS, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL SKILLS, PERSONALITY TEST, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/782031522089044751/Asymmetric-information-on-noncognitive-skills-in-the-Indian-labor-market-an-experiment-in-online-job-portal https://hdl.handle.net/10986/29558 |
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| Summary: | This paper examines the impact of
noncognitive (socio-emotional) skills on job market
outcomes, using a randomized control trial implemented in an
online job portal in India. Job seekers who registered in
the portal were asked to take a Big-Five type personality
test and, for a random subsample of the test takers, the
results were displayed to potential employers. The outcomes
are measured by whether a potential employer shortlisted a
job seeker by opening (unlocking) his/her application and
background information. The results show that the treatment
group for whom test results were shown generally enjoyed a
higher probability of unlock. That is, employers are more
interested in those for whom they can see personality test
results. Such a relationship was not seen in the pre-test
period, which confirms that the results are unlikely to be
spurious. The study also finds a significant impact among
organized, calm, imaginative, and/or quiet applicants (no
effect is detected among easy-going, sensitive, realistic,
and/or outgoing applicants), which seems to display
employers' preference. |
|---|