Low-Ability Foot-in-the-Door Effect
RCTClinical Trial
Job seekers with lower baseline cognitive or test-based scores face severe structural screening barriers and are disproportionately excluded from formal employment opportunities [19, 20]. Standard screening tests often filter out these candidates before they can demonstrate actual workplace productivity [20].
Picture this
Giving lower-scoring job candidates short-term work exposure works like a physical foot in a closing door [20]. Instead of getting permanently shut out by low written screening test scores, the temporary work placement allows candidates to demonstrate real-world work habits directly to employers, overriding initial negative paper credentials [19, 20].
What the evidence says
Candidates at the 25th percentile of baseline ability gained a 25 percentage point increase in post-intervention employment probability and earned $11.01 more per day [25]. In contrast, candidates at the 75th percentile experienced a 1.5 percentage point decrease in employment probability and earned only $2.20 more per day [25].
- Who was studied
- N = 227 urban Malawian male job seekers re-interviewed at the 8-month follow-up [9, 21].
- How
- Heterogeneity analysis within an RCT/IV framework interacting baseline composite ability scores (timed numeracy and literacy test results) with experimental job acquisition [12, 22-24].
What to do
Prioritize low-scoring or lower-ability job applicants for short-term workplace exposure opportunities to maximize economic returns and overcome hiring screening barriers [19, 20, 25].
From the source
"Individuals of lower ability (as assessed by a numeracy and literacy test) benefit the most from the work experience." [19]
Employment Exposure: Employment and Wage Effects in Urban Malawi