The generalist bias

This research introduces the generalist bias – a tendency to reward and select people with general skills when complementary, specialized skills are needed. Five studies investigated its effects. Study 1 confirmed the existence of the bias in a context-free experiment. Study 2 showed that the compensation of players in NBA teams was related to their two- rather than their three-point scoring. Study 3 showed that basketball fans favored all-around players even when three-point shooters would better complement a team’s needs. Study 4 showed that the generalist bias occurred in HR recruiting, and Study 5 showed that companies often recruited specialists to handle multiple, unrelated jobs. In addition, studies 3 and 4 also showed that joint evaluations (comparing specialists and generalists side-by-side) strengthened the generalist bias, whereas separate evaluations weakened it.

► We introduce a new concept, the generalist bias.
► This is a tendency for organizations to hire generalists.
► Even though they benefit more from the complementary value of specialists.
► Five studies using mixed methods in a variety of contexts test the bias.
► Joint evaluations accentuate the bias; separate evaluations attenuate it.