6 ms·

Sailing is a very stereotypical rich man's sport, and track & field is perfect for the poor (low equipment and facilities costs). So it's no surprise the resear

by jzwinck 10y ago

Sailing is a very stereotypical rich man's sport, and track & field is perfect for the poor (low equipment and facilities costs). So it's no surprise the research used these. But they are saddled with a confounding factor: participant age. The person reviewing your resume will likely be over 30 years old, maybe over 40. And they probably have more money than you. This makes it more likely that they participate in sailing or golf and less likely that they do track & field. You may benefit from sharing an interest with your hiring manager or recruiter, and maybe it just happens they like things enjoyed by adults with money. Rather than judging you because you like cheap stuff. A rich man's sport that doesn't favor older folks so much is crew (rowing). That would have been a better choice than sailing IMO.

deleted 10y ago
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adjkant 10y ago
> "The person reviewing your resume will likely be over 30 years old, maybe over 40. And they probably have more money than you. This makes it more likely that they participate in sailing or golf and less likely that they do track & field." This isn't an error in the study in my opinion, it's a reason why discrimination happens, which you've highlighted. People are more likely to hire someone like them, who they can relate to. It's the same category as "culture fit". It's something that people hiring need to consciously be aware of and account for. That's a very reasonable conclusion from this.
sundvor 10y ago
Cycling would have been an interesting choice. Barriers to entry are relatively low, and it is plenty popular with middle aged people. At least in Australia.
closeparen 10y ago
Each time I've lived near a harbor, there was a nonprofit sailing club where you could join for $100/year or so, take classes, participate in friendly races, sign out boats for a couple hours for fun, and volunteer maintaining them. Usually had full scholarships for underprivileged kids, and totally affordable fees for middle class families. It's kind of concerning that when I talk about sailing, people read that as a signal that anyone in my family is rich enough to own and maintain a boat.

by jzwinck 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

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adjkant 10y ago

> "The person reviewing your resume will likely be over 30 years old, maybe over 40. And they probably have more money than you. This makes it more likely that they participate in sailing or golf and less likely that they do track & field." This isn't an error in the study in my opinion, it's a reason why discrimination happens, which you've highlighted. People are more likely to hire someone like them, who they can relate to. It's the same category as "culture fit". It's something that people hiring need to consciously be aware of and account for. That's a very reasonable conclusion from this.

sundvor 10y ago

Cycling would have been an interesting choice. Barriers to entry are relatively low, and it is plenty popular with middle aged people. At least in Australia.

closeparen 10y ago

Each time I've lived near a harbor, there was a nonprofit sailing club where you could join for $100/year or so, take classes, participate in friendly races, sign out boats for a couple hours for fun, and volunteer maintaining them. Usually had full scholarships for underprivileged kids, and totally affordable fees for middle class families. It's kind of concerning that when I talk about sailing, people read that as a signal that anyone in my family is rich enough to own and maintain a boat.