Why does height matter in hiring?

• Professional recruiters’ evaluations of job candidates reflect a height premium.
• Recruiters perceive tall job candidates as more competent, employable and healthy.
• Height matters less for perceived warmth (e.g., likeability) and attractiveness.
• These results shed additional light on the content of height bias in hiring.

Previous research shows the existence of a height premium in the workplace with tall individuals receiving more benefits across several domains (e.g., earnings) relative to short people. The current study probes deeper into the height premium by focusing on the specific favorable traits, attributes, and abilities tall individuals are presumed to have, ultimately giving these individuals an advantage in hiring. In an experiment, we made a male job applicant taller or shorter by digitally manipulating photographs, and attached these to job applications that were evaluated by professional recruiters. We find that in the context of hiring a project leader, the height premium consists of increased perceptions of the candidate's general competence, specific job competency (including employability), and physical health, whereas warmth and physical attractiveness seem to matter less. Interestingly, physical height predicted recruiters’ hiring intentions even when statistically controlling for competence, warmth, health, and attractiveness.