Do looks really get you a better job? Perhaps

[SEZ213]

I was reading the career section in today's courier mail, and came across this...

http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/b...-1226051373423

EMPLOYEES are being selected on their appearance over qualifications to suit the company image, writes Michael Lund.

How a candidate looks, dresses and speaks are all part of the "lookness" that employers are using to determine who gets the job.

And there's nothing candidates can do if they feel they have been discriminated against because of their appearance.

Professor Chris Warhurst says discrimination over race, sex, gender and disability during the recruitment process are all covered by the anti-discrimination legislation in Queensland and other states.

But employers are allowed to discriminate against a candidate based on their appearance, he says.

Employers are also allowed to discipline employees over their appearance if they fail to follow a dress code either written or implied and in some cases they can even be sacked.

Warhurst, an expert in employment studies from the University of Sydney, highlighted the issue at a career conference in Cairns during his talk on the importance of being attractive to employers.

He opened the talk with images of Hollywood actor Brad Pitt and the fictional character Gollum from The Lord of the Rings and asked the audience: "Who would you hire?"

He told the conference that studies showed people "perceived to be better looking" were up to five times more likely to be hired over others.

They had better careers and could earn up to 16 per cent more than others doing similar jobs.

Physical appearance also influenced perceptions of job competence and performance.

He said evidence showed this "beauty premium" existed for both men and women across all industries.

Warhurst tells CareerOne that recruitment based on appearance is nothing new but the practice is becoming more explicit.

With 30 per cent of the Australian workforce considered over-qualified, he says employers are looking at "soft skills" such as appearance to help decide who gets the job.

"The degree might get you to the interview but having good soft skills will get you the job," he says.

Warhurst says research in Australia and the UK found that employers favoured appearance and personality over previous job experience and having the right qualifications for the job.

The main reason given for preferring appearance was a desire to conform to a company or brand image.

Customer preference and the local managers' preference were also rated higher than any need to conform to employment law.

Warhurst says the worry for job seekers is that the value of a degree or other professional qualification is being diminished in favour of appearance and he warns that the "beauty premium" may become a "beauty bias".

Queensland's anti-discrimination commissioner Kevin Cocks says his office is often approached by people who believe they have been discriminated against because of their appearance but he is powerless to act under current legislation.

"They're concerned they haven't got a job or have lost a job, or they've been harassed because of their appearance," he says.

Common concerns are about height, weight and body shape. Some are also concerned about birth marks that may be visible or other physical characteristics.

"In Victoria, legislation there protects against discrimination on physical characteristics," he says.

"In Queensland we don't have that."

With the state's anti-discrimination legislation now 20 years old he says it is due for a review and he hopes to see some changes to protect against discrimination on physical characteristics.

However, he does accept that some employers should still be allowed to judge candidates based on appearance "so long as they can justify it as a legitimate requirement of the job".

Warhurst says part of the reason appearance is now rated so highly is a shift away from manufacturing to more service industries.

That means employees are more likely to have direct contact with a company's clients and customers.

"People who made cars on production lines didn't meet customers," he says.

Over the same period, though, Warhurst says there has been a drop in the teaching of basic deportment skills because they were seen as "politically incorrect".

"What's happening now is that employers are concerned that people haven't got these skills and are now offering training," he says.

He is quick to stress that there is no universal standard of appearance or behaviour, and employers are looking to match people to their own individual needs.

"It's not just good looks," he says. "It's about having the right looks."

The main focus is on three areas: • How people dress; • How people speak; • Body language and deportment.

Warhurst says candidates looking for an advantage should check out potential employers to see what value they place on appearance and other "soft skills".

"Go to the company and see how people are dressed," he says.

When it comes to language, Warhurst says most people have two speaking voices.

"You can have the way you speak to your grandmother, which would be very polite, and the other voice is the way you speak to your friends down the pub," he says.

The first voice is the one usually preferred by employers but he says too often candidates use their second voice during the recruitment process.

Warhurst says some CEOs and others looking to improve their career options will have voice training to change the way they speak.

"There's no reason why you can't have a different way of speaking when you're in the workplace," he says.

But he warns that any workplace voice should still be genuine and consistent.

He points to one employer in the hospitality industry that would always telephone candidates in advance of an interview.

"What they wanted to do was ring them up at home when they were not aware to find out what their telephone voice was like," he says.

read more at http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/b...-1226051373423

I know that some recruitment agencies do discriminate against people based on those things that are illegal, but very little can be done to prove it...

So what are your thoughts? Are appearances more important than skills, particularly when as Lund suggests that more than 30% of the workforce are actually over qualified?

[Ford_The_Win]

It's absolutely true. There is a tonne of research about this out there, advertising agencies have been playing on it for decades. Basically, the more attractive you are, the more likely people are to be persuaded by you. How you look can even affect the outcome of cases in the courtroom - baby faced people are more likely to be acquitted in negligence cases because they're seen as more naive and innocent. But in more serious situations, it can work against them because of the perception they're naive.

[shedcoupe]

When was the last time you saw a pretty girl doing a shi**y job ???

That's right - she married a rich guy and plays tennis with other pretty wives while the plain nanny does all the work with the pretty kids.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Looks do play a part. I have helped several friends with resumes and most of them request a recent picture....

But who's to say it wasn't from 5 years ago when you had a full head of hair and less kg lol ;)

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

But who's to say it wasn't from 5 years ago when you had a full head of hair and less kg lol ;)

Because then it would not be a recent photo!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Because then it would not be a recent photo!

Yes... true. But the person going over the applications will not know anything about the person other than the photo.

When I used to screen applicants for work in Korea the older people (40+) almost always did it.

Once you have the call for the interview, thats half the job done.

I agree that it depends on some jobs as to if the physical attributes needed for the role. Such is life.

[Seduce XR6]

I don't think this article is about simply the way a person looks as it also takes into account how well spoken a person is & how well they dress or groom themselves.

Or put another way if they are a person of a higher class or standard which as was also pointed out can be faked if you have a fake speaking voice that you use at work etc & dress yourself well (even if you would normally not) & I guess also have some degree of natural good looks.

To answer the question though I would say ones ability to do the job well, efficiently & be an asset to the employer would be the most important factors though that does not always mean the best qualified person either as many are highly qualified with degrees etc though are hopeless in a working environment.

However if I was hiring & both applicants had similar skills but 1 was a bit Boganish or rough sounding/ looking while the other had more true class in all 3 areas then I would hire the latter.

For an office, sales, retail type of position... If it was for a bobcat operator or a truck driver I would not care what the person looked like or how they spoke lol

But if the article was just about how good or pretty a person looked thanks to his or her genes that would be another matter as to give a person a job based solely on good looks when they are barely qualified to do it & a bit thick (you know the typical blonde bimbo types) is just wrong but has been going on for a very long time & not only jobs as these types do tend to get things much easier than the average looking person.

[DJR-351]

Depends on the profession....

In mine, Qualifications and more importantly experience are paramount. If you don’t have those people tend to get seriously hurt or die, assets worth millions get damaged or destroyed, massive environmental damage can happen with the possibility of jail time and/or huge fines....

Seriously, i don’t care if you have a head like a smashed crab as long as you are competent in your job.....

But then again i guess with office/retail/sales etc image is perceived to be everything, and to be honest, a sales person that looks like Beyonce could quite easily sell me the Opera House.....

[Pis-ton broke]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Depends on the profession....

In mine, Qualifications and more importantly experience are paramount. If you don’t have those people tend to get seriously hurt or die, assets worth millions get damaged or destroyed, massive environmental damage can happen with the possibility of jail time and/or huge fines....

So your not a shelf stacker at Coles.

and if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do?

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

So your not a shelf stacker at Coles.

and if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do?

Anchor handler/Rig Tender/Supply boat (AHTS) Captain.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3ATh..._order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-Gg..._order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlX-V...eature=related

...but we have our fun days....

[Pis-ton broke]

that looks like an interesting job!

I,m such a hansome guy, so how come I'm stuck in a sh..hole filthy factory slav,in as a boilermaker??

[thefargo]

I hope I haven't posted a members pic here!

[thefargo]

or perhaps one of these

[thefargo]

last two, unless you want more

[SSD-85]

I tried for several years to obtain an Administrative role. I even participated in many mock interviews with employees & their management staff within corporations. They honestly could not see why I was not nailing a position. I was soon to discover that I (being as tame as I can be here) was a male. Thus I didnt have the "talents" for such a job. Disgusting really.

[Emmzy]

I must say, some employer's suck! i reckon 90% of the time its always done by looks, its starting to make me wonder why, as alot of places i've been to lately, i'm realising no body has a clue how to even do their own job with customer service .... like a couple coffee shops for example lately! these employers really got to realise, looks aint everything! sh*ts me

[shedcoupe]

Originally Posted by em69zy

I must say, some employer's suck! i reckon 90% of the time its always done by looks, its starting to make me wonder why, as alot of places i've been to lately, i'm realising no body has a clue how to even do their own job with customer service .... like a couple coffee shops for example lately! these employers really got to realise, looks aint everything! sh*ts me

And the sad reality is that generally you either have one or the other, ie. those with great looks can often be, (to be kind), a little vacant.

Though some rotters have it all. Apparently Sophie Monk is pretty smart, and has been very nice looking until the ex (plastic surgeon) got to her.
Cameron Diaz is reputed to be a clever-dick, err ... smarty-pants too.

[Pis-ton broke]

all the ugly people can get cruzie jobs in the public
service, and then sit back and get all the cruzie benifits.

[Lukeyson]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

all the ugly people can get cruzie jobs in the public
service, and then sit back and get all the cruzie benifits.

Dont mind if i do

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

And the sad reality is that generally you either have one or the other, ie. those with great looks can often be, (to be kind), a little vacant.

Though some rotters have it all. Apparently Sophie Monk is pretty smart, and has been very nice looking until the ex (plastic surgeon) got to her.
Cameron Diaz is reputed to be a clever-dick, err ... smarty-pants too.

lol are you serious regarding Chipmunk & the Bimbo?

I have watched many interviews on many shows with them both & I have to say they would fit the bill for the Blonde Bimbo types 100%

It oozes from them

[SEZ213]

I will recant a couple of stories from my days in recruitment...

We had a client who only wanted asian women...knowing that this kind of discrimination isn't legal, he still asked. His perception was that they had a higher attention to detail and didn't mind doing mundane tasks...a few recruiters actually went out of there way to find asian women for him...I refused. I told him I could find him people who had the skills to do the job he wanted done, but I couldn't give him just asians, whether he decided to employ them, was on his head, not mine.

Similarly, when recruiting for government roles, it was very easy to pick the employees out - they didn't want overachievers, and when we sent them to them...they came back with negative feedback. The skills weren't so much important to them, the ability to take their time, and not think for themselves was (so as not to make others look bad).

I've had a boss tell me that my looks certainly helped me get a job...when he saw my facial expression, he quickly added that I was also the most qualified for the job...

As far as employers not taking into consideration men for 'feminine' roles and women for 'masculine' roles...it stinks, I went house painting with the other half, and to begin with was pretty much ignored by the supervisor, apparently I had no clue (bloke in his mid 60's - women belong in the kitchen type)...

A pretty face might get you somewhere in life, but if you're dumb as dog s*** you will get only get so far...and age catches up with most of us.

I'm in full agreeance with the voice, the softer it is, the less inclined people are to yell at you (I learnt this from being called a nasty 'c' word one night whilst working in security), after that point, sweetness and light on the telephone...people (particularly men) seem to go easy on you.

I find it crappy that employers have started doing this, but I'm by no means surprised.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

Do looks really get you a better job?

Most definitely. I've secured most of my jobs over the phone

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

Similarly, when recruiting for government roles, it was very easy to pick the employees out - they didn't want overachievers, and when we sent them to them...they came back with negative feedback. The skills weren't so much important to them, the ability to take their time, and not think for themselves was (so as not to make others look bad).

So maybe the fact that I was a quick thinker, a perfectionist, an over achiever, well dressed & groomed, well spoken & critical of others who were lazy or slobs while always telling those above me better ways to do things (which were actually better ways) worked against me lol

I always wondered why at times I would get passed by & others who were not as skilled or experienced or as well presented as myself would get the Job or promotion lol

Now I work for myself & have done for the past 7 years so all is good in the office lmao

[BENT_8]

Reminds me of this song...

And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man, I think you'll do
So I took off my hat, I said "Imagine that, huh, me working for you"

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Reminds me of this song...

And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"

I remember when that first came out..... Who sang it. 5 something ?.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I remember when that first came out..... Who sang it. 5 something ?.

Was originally released by Five Man Electrical Band in 1971, then covered by Tesla later on.

That verse in the song is so true unfortunately, and the old saying 'you cant judge a book by its cover' has been made redundant by a society obsessed with vanity.

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by Seduce XR6

So maybe the fact that I was a quick thinker, a perfectionist, an over achiever, well dressed & groomed, well spoken & critical of others who were lazy or slobs while always telling those above me better ways to do things (which were actually better ways) worked against me lol

I always wondered why at times I would get passed by & others who were not as skilled or experienced or as well presented as myself would get the Job or promotion lol

Now I work for myself & have done for the past 7 years so all is good in the office lmao

I'd say telling someone above you the better way to do things might have been the mitigating factor in things working against you...

[Seduce XR6]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

I'd say telling someone above you the better way to do things might have been the mitigating factor in things working against you...

lol I guess so however I was only ever trying to help & back then too naive to work out that maybe it could work against me as I was silly enough to think if I could come up with more efficient ways to do things that was part of being a good & dedicated employee lol

When I was a manager I always listened to those below me as sometimes they would have really good ideas (not always).

[Burnout]

I once interviewed a woman for a job as part of a three person panel; we had her application CV etc.. and considered pre-interview she was a type we were looking for. She was about 40, had vast experience in a related industry, had been a line manager.

She was sent into the office dressed in Ugg boots, a pair of trackie dacks and a bra with a blue wife beater over the top. She sat in the interview answered questions in a monotone.
It was clearly obvious she did not want the job, perhaps any job and was perhaps satisfying the requirements of another authority.

Looks & appearance play a considerable role in employment.

[gtxb67]

virtually everything is based on looks - it has been in human nature from the day we are born. we are attracted to attractive people and sometimes, people to their detriment choose to look past skill and go by looks alone


it has always been this way and always will, you only need to look at a young child - they are more welcoming of a pretty stranger with feminine features, than a 6ft bikie with a bushy beard. for sure some peoples criteria may change, but we always go for the person we figure we can relate to better. it is the same with relationships - most of us don't go out of our way to choose the ugly one, even if they may be a better person & more caring towards us