Signaling cooperation

We examine what an applicant’s vita signals to employers about her willingness to cooperate in teams. Intensive social engagement may credibly reveal that an applicant cares about others and is less likely to free-ride in teamwork situations. We find that contributions to a public good strongly increase in a subject’s degree of social engagement as indicated on her résumé. In a prediction experiment with human resource managers, we find that employers use résumé content effectively to predict relative differences in subjects’ willingness to cooperate. Thus, a young professional’s vita signals important behavioral characteristics to potential employers. Our results complement the findings from recent studies which analyze the effects of social engagement on wages and job market prospects.