Social status can be determined in just seven words.

Yale University researchers suggestthat a person’s social status can be determined in just seven words. Moreover, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), this could affect the decision to hire and the amount of wages. During the study, scientists asked 274 recruiters to listen to audio recordings or read transcripts of candidates for the position of laboratory head at the university. The results were quite unexpected.

The recruiter makes an impression of the applicant in the first few seconds of communication

Social status affects salary and position

At the very beginning of the experiment, recruiters were askedevaluate the professional qualities of the candidate, the initial salary and social status without reading a resume. All the information the subjects had was presented in the form of transcripts and audio recordings from discussions before interviewing people who claimed to be the head of the laboratory at the university. The results showed that during the first seven words, employers quickly assessed the social status of candidates. Subsequently, this was reflected in hiring decisions, as well as at the level of wages and bonuses.

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The average starting salary for those whose socialstatus was assessed as higher, starting at about £ 45,260 ($ 58,750) compared to about £ 44,680 ($ 58,000) for those whose social status was lower. Likewise, most candidates with high social status received a starting bonus above £ 1925 ($ 2500), while applicants whose social status was classified as low did not receive a bonus.

Salary and position are directly dependent on social status. And this is in developed countries, such as the UK

Leading author of the study, assistant professorYale University's organizational behavior, Michael Kraus, explained to The Telegraph that people rarely talk about social status openly, yet experienced recruiters determine the competency and suitability of applicants based on socioeconomic status, assessed by a few seconds of the applicant’s speech. Kraus also noted that these psychological processes are deeply rooted in society, but it is necessary to deal with them if we want justice to reign in society.

What impression do voice assistants leave behind?

It has been found that speech patterns are technicaldevices, such as Amazon’s Alexa, provide a positive experience for recruiters. Researchers found that speech that followed traditional English grammar standards, as well as digital standards such as Amazon's Amazon or Google Assistant Alexa voices, was associated with both actual and perceived social status. The researchers also found that the definition of social status was mainly responsible for pronunciation, not the content of speech that conveyed social status, and that it took only seven words to draw conclusions.

It turned out that the intonation of voice assistants like recruiters

Research shows that even duringthe shortest interaction, a person’s speech patterns form how people perceive him, including an assessment of competence and suitability for work. Although most recruiters deny that the social status of the applicant is important, in reality the socio-economic situation of the person or his parents is assessed in the first seconds when the person begins to speak. This circumstance limits economic mobility and perpetuates inequality. What do you think, and what is the situation in Russia? Let's try to discuss this in the comments and with the participants of our Telegram chat.