Beyond compliance: A randomized trial of DEI statements and subsequent signals for job seekers with disabilities

Companies are increasingly attending to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) statements in their public-facing documents, including job advertisements. Little is known about how various decisions about language type or placement within a job ad are received by marginalized populations, including those living with disabilities.

This study aims to explore various options for DEI statements within job ads, to assess whether these choices have a measurable impact on potential job seekers living with disabilities.

An experiment with a 2 × 2 × 2 design was used which varied the DEI language (legal/traditional or heartfelt), the placement at the top or the bottom of the job advertisement, and whether the company offered the opportunity to indicate a need for accommodations even before the interview. Quantitative and qualitative items measured general reactions to the statement, intent to apply to this company, willingness to disclose a need for accommodations, how supportive the company seemed, and impressions of the company's level of trustworthiness. Statistical tests include t-tests, z-tests for proportions, and regression-based tests for mediation.

Heartfelt statements and upfront placement inspired more positive reactions from participants, with trust mediating these positive relationships. However, participants also expressed skepticism that, regardless of language, bias would still exist in the reality of the job.

These results suggest that job candidates with disabilities are not indifferent to a company's DEI framing and prefer heartfelt language and earlier placement, though statements without direct evidence can raise suspicion about whether the actions would stay true to the words.