This study examines aspects of job interview behavior that influence employer preference for a female applicant for a managerial position in the human service field. The authors used an analogue methodology simulating videotaped job interview vignettes to present a female applicant exhibiting varying leadership and personality styles, ranging from a “warm” cooperative style to a “cold” task‐oriented style. Employers in the human services field rated their preference for the simulated applicants. There were significant differences in preference for the various types of applicants; the most preferred were those who combined warmth with goal‐oriented leadership skills.

Responses to a questionnaire by 125 students suggested that students using home-and-family as a reference group tended to be more establishment-oriented as were career-minded students, especially males.