As political viewpoints remain divisive among social groups, 64% of hiring managers reported knowing candidates’ political views, according to a survey released Sept. 3 by ResumeBuilder.com. Of those, 68% said they will likely prioritize those with similar political views.  

Top reasons cited by hiring managers for prioritizing candidates with aligned political views include: 

• Reflect well on the company, 67% 

• Better culture fit, 65% 

• Personal interest, 56% 

The most common ways hiring managers learn a candidate’s politics include: 

• The candidate volunteering the information, 69% 

• Checking the candidate’s social media, 49% 

• Noticing items in a virtual interview, such as a poster or sticker, 45% 

• Prompting the candidate, 43% 

• Directly asking, 37% 

• Through the candidate’s clothing, 28% 

Of hiring managers aware of a candidate’s political stance, 64%  believe knowing this information is important.  

When hiring managers were asked about why they believe it’s important to know candidates’ political views: 

• 69% said to identify potential conflicts with existing employees 

• 68% mentioned gauging alignment with company values 

• 61% pointed to anticipating actions that could reflect poorly on the company 

• 39% cited personal interest 

When learning a candidate’s political views, 19% of hiring managers would be unlikely to hire those with opposing views, while 51% are very likely and 31% are somewhat likely to hire them. 

Additionally, 17% of hiring managers who are voting for Trump are unlikely to hire candidates with opposing views compared to 12% of those voting for Harris.  

“It’s not surprising that so many hiring managers check candidates’ political affiliations during the hiring process, especially not in today’s polarized environment,” Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com, said in a press release. “Our findings align with previous surveys showing that a significant number of hiring managers also scrutinize social media and other outlets for clues about a candidate’s age, religion, or other personal characteristics that may introduce bias into the process.” 

The online survey includes responses from 1,000 hiring managers. It took place in August.