Are oral examinations objective? Evidence from the hiring process for judges in Greece

摘要

Oral examinations are a fairly common way of evaluating candidates in professional certification settings. This paper explores the objectivity of the process followed for hiring judges in Greece, with an emphasis on the effect of gender on the hiring decision. Using data for the years 2008-2014, I find statistically significant and robust evidence of female candidates performing slightly worse than male candidates in the oral examination. The mechanism that explains this difference (discrimination, difference in skills, etc.) is not clear. Nevertheless, this result stresses the importance of applying enhanced meritocratic safeguards to oral examinations, especially when a career as a judge is at stake.