Should We Tell the Recruiter That We Value a Good Work–Life Balance?

Although both employees and organizations increasingly realize the importance of a good work–life balance, it remains unclear how recruiters react when applicants mention a desire for balance on their CV. We conducted a between-subjects experiment (N = 96) in which one group of participants received a CV of an applicant who valued work–life balance versus a CV from which this information was omitted. Based on signaling theory and gender–role congruence theory, we suggested that mentioning balance on one’s CV would lead to less favorable recruitment outcomes through a lower work ethic, especially for men. The results supported this mediation hypothesis but, contrary to expectations, showed that the mediation effect was only significant for women.