Processing Pronouns of Address in a Job Interview in French and German

Abstract

Does it matter whether applicants are addressed with formal or informal pronouns in online job interviews? This study shows that it does indeed, at least for speakers of French and German. Both French (n = 171) and German (n = 198) participants were more positive about a recruiter who addressed them with formal pronouns. The use of informal pronouns led to negative ratings of that recruiter by French participants, and to lower ratings of the recruiter, the company, and lower salary expectations by German participants. German men were found to be more sensitive than women to the use of formal pronouns, which had positive effects on their attitudes towards the job, company, and their salary expectations. Despite a general trend towards more use of informal pronouns in German workplaces, our study shows that using them in an online job interview has negative outcomes for companies. French participants react even more negatively to the use of informal pronouns, but these mainly have negative effects on their judgment of the recruiter rather than the company for which the recruiter is acting.