Poll: 81 Percent — Hire the Best Person for the Job

April 25, 2023: Eighty-one percent (81%) of voters say that it is better for companies when they hire the best person for a job, rather than hiring to match the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of the community.

A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 77% also say that it is better for communities when companies hire the best person for a job.

The survey also found that voters generally do not believe that companies actively discriminate when hiring. For each of five groups — racial minorities, women, LGBTQ+, military veterans, and Christians — voters said they did not believe that small companies generally actively discriminate in hiring. When asked about large companies with relation to the same five groups, voters said they did not believe there was generally active discrimination against four.

By a narrow 39% to 36% margin, voters say that large companies generally do discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Methodology

The survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on April 11-13, 2023. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of registered voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points.

Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left nearly a decade ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Survey Questions

The Is it in a company's best interests to hire the best person for the job or to hire people who match the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of their community?

• 81% -The best person for the job
• 13%-People who match the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of their community
• 5%-Not sure

What is better for communities: For companies to hire the best person for the job or to hire people who match the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of their community?

• 77%-The best person for the job
• 17%-People who match the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of their community
• 6%-Not sure

Generally speaking, do most large companies actively discriminate against any of the following groups when hiring?

Military veterans

• 19%-Yes
• 61%-No
• 20%-Not sure

Christians

• 20%-Yes
• 57%-No
• 21%-Not sure

Racial minorities

• 34%-Yes
• 42%-No
• 23%-Not sure

Women

• 38%-Yes
• 44%-No
• 18%-Not sure

LGBTQ+

• 39%-Yes
• 36%-No
• 25%-Not sure

Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is a political analyst, author, public speaker, independent public opinion pollster and columnist for Creators Syndicate. Read Scott Rasmussen's Reports — More Here.