Gender and Messaging Differences in Recruitment

Last registered on May 21, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Gender and Messaging Differences in Recruitment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016010
Initial registration date
May 13, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 21, 2025, 2:15 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Jason Sandvik
Affiliation
University of Arizona
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-05-13
End date
2025-06-30
Keywords
Firms & Productivity, Gender, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study whether prospective employees' assessments of their gender-based goodness-of-fit for a particular job role can be influenced by visual depictions of the gender make-up of the workforce, and whether this interacts with differences in messaging. We do this specifically within the context of recruitment for detention center officers. Historically, detention center officer positions, like other law enforcement job roles, have been held predominately by men. However, there is increasing evidence that suggests women can succeed in these roles as well. We look to see whether a person's perceptions of whether women are a good fit for jobs as detention center officers changes when they see visual depictions of women in those roles.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Sandvik, Jason. 2025. "Gender and Messaging Differences in Recruitment." AEA RCT Registry. May 21. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16010-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We will administer a postcard-mailer-based experiment among working age adults who are registered to vote in Navajo County, AZ. Participants will receive one of 16 different postcards in the mail, which will advertise jobs at detention center officers in Navajo County. If they want to learn more, they can follow the QR code and/or URL link. This will take them to a survey where they can provide basic demographic information, and then a link will direct them to the job application portal. Randomization of postcards to addresses was done by the authors.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-05-13
Intervention End Date
2025-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Proportion of people who submit survey responses to each treatment-specific survey (as a fraction of total number in that treatment cell).
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Aggregate survey response data by demographics: age, gender, race, employment status, and zip code.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Sixteen different postcards are being mailed out. Four different image options (logo only, logo with female officer, logo with male officer, and logo with female and male officers). And four different messaging options (next step in their career, up for a challenge, ready to serve, and invest in your future). For a total of 4 x 4 treatment cells. We will administer a postcard-mailer-based experiment among working age adults who are registered to vote in Navajo County, AZ. Participants will receive one of 16 different postcards in the mail, which will advertise jobs at detention center officers in Navajo County. If they want to learn more, they can follow the QR code and/or URL link. This will take them to a survey where they can provide basic demographic information, and then a link will direct them to the job application portal. Randomization of postcards to addresses was done by the authors.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by computer (Stata splitsample command)
Randomization Unit
Address (to ensure that different versions are never sent to the same address)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
15,313 addresses
Sample size: planned number of observations
28,618 total individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1,688 - 1,832 individuals per treatment cell
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Arizona
IRB Approval Date
2025-05-02
IRB Approval Number
STUDY00006304
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials