Which of these names evokes job competence?

Question

You're the director of human resources at a Fortune 500 company, and you are hiring for a managerial level position in finance. You get a stack of resumes. Each of the women have similar academic credentials and experience.

Which of these candidates would you interview first?

"Kylee"
"Kayleigh"
"Christie"
"Brittany"
"Anne"
"Jennifer"
"Diane"
"Hillary"

Kerry, yes I do appreciate your playing along. :-) One would hope that jobs (at least outside the entertainment industry aren't filled based on someone's name ... yet a person's name does have some associations, good or bad, with it. There are a couple names on this list that are VERY trendy right now. I'm curious whether a name that might be cute on a little girl holds up when that girl becomes a woman and is trying to be taken seriously in the working world.

Answer 1

Well ... I'm not an HR director and I don't work in finance. (Much of my career has been spent in academic research.) But I have hired many people, and it is common to find several with similar qualifications and backgrounds.

Fair or not, I've often made the final decisions about who to interview based on a gut feeling about the candidate's likely fit in our workplace. I'm always looking for someone smart.

And Kylee, Kayleigh and Brittany don't read smart to me. Christie doesn't either, though I'd be neutral for Christine. While I don't believe that I've tossed any one out for having a flimsy name, I also can say that I've never hired anyone with one of those names.

Anne, Jennifer, Diane and Hillary are neutral names to my eye, and would neither sway me in favor of hiring or not.

I will say this, though. In an academic setting - and I suspect in many workplaces - it's not uncommon for us to be interested in creating a diverse team. So names that *do* jump out at me tend to be those that are subtly African-American, Latino or perhaps foreign.

So I've interviewed - and hired - an Ayana, as well as a Teresita, nicknamed Tia, Tamika nicknamed Tami (though she was an intern) and a Svetlana. It's dangerous to make those kinds of assumptions - and indefensible if you're sued, I think - but when I'm winnowing down 40 or 50 resumes to a handful to actually meet, it does factor in the thinking.

So to sum up - it isn't necessary to name your kid Anne just to improve her chances of succeeding professionally, but it is wise to avoid names like Kylee and Kayleigh that don't fit most people's image of a competent adult professional.

Answer 2

Diane, Hilary, Anne, Christie, Jennifer, Brittany, Kayleigh, Kylee

Answer 3

In this order:
Jennifer
Anne
Diane
Christie
Hillary
Kayleigh
Kylee
Brittany

Unfortunately, our names are sometimes the first thing a person "sees" about us. The names at the bottom of the list all sound younger, which is why I would interview them last. They don't sound as serious either. Although, the name Hillary has some negative connotations for me too, lol. A name is something a child will have forever and should be a gift, not a burden!

Answer 4

1. Christie
2. Jennifer
3. Hillary
4. Anne
5. Diane
6. Kayleigh
7. Kylee
8. Brittany

Answer 5

This is a very thought-provoking question. And, yes...I do have a bias toward certain names and the connotation of competence that they evoke.

I would interview Anne, Diane and then Jennifer. The rest of them would be lucky to make it on the list. For some reason, I just couldn't see reporting to say...a Director of Finance named Kylee.

Of course, this is all based upon their applications/resumes exhibiting similar qualities and job experience.

Good Question!
The Coach

Answer 6

Diane, Hillary or Anne definitely sound more "experienced." I think a part of that though is that these names are considered older so when we hear them we think of "older, more experienced" people. However, if you were to name your child Kylee, in 25 years when that child enters the work force, that name is going to be much more popular and may in fact be the name that sounds more professional because it is more common.

Answer 7

My order is

Jennifer -young, professional, but still capable of being fun.
Diane -because this is older sounding
Hillary -around my age group (20's), so possibly more motivated and willing to learn.
Anne- more universal. Not too sure about the age of Anne.
Christie -I kind of cringe at this one. I go by Kayt, but everything professional of mine says Katherine. Putting Christie on an application makes me think of a girl/teenager. I would much prefer to see Christine or Christina.
Brittany -ugh. So ditzy sounding.
Kayleigh -Equally ditzy and empty sounding.
Kylee -This is a ridiculous name. A given name shouldn't sound like a six year old's nickname.

This doesn't guarentee that they would get the job in that order, of course, but it is an indication of how seriously I would take them.

Answer 8

Probably Diane or Hillary however being interviewed is still no guarantee that someone would get a job no matter what the name.

Answer 9

Anne

Answer 10

I assume you're asking which sound the most professional.
1) Anne
2)Diane
2)Hillary
4)Jennifer
5) Christie
6) Brittany
7) Kayleigh
8) Kylee