Running Head: APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

Appearance and its Significance in the Business World Kristin W. Anderson Glen Allen High School

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD Introduction The moment a job applicant walks into the room for an interview, his or her appearance is immediately scrutinized by the interviewer. As stated by Rule and Ambady, Humans are predisposed toward making snap judgments about others and sorting them into social categories in the service of simplifying the social world of which we are a part (2010). Before an applicant even has a chance to introduce his or herself, the recruiter has already observed multiple aspects of his or her appearance which will determine whether or not he or she is a

viable candidate for the position. This success is determined both by a persons attractiveness, as well as interviewers history of successes and failures with people who had similar physical characteristics. There are many physical features that play a part in this first impression, but some have a more significant role in the process than the others. In the United States, such facets of an individuals appearance include height and weight, facial features, attractiveness, and apparel. These components all contribute to the interviewers perceptions of the attractiveness of applicants and, in most cases, determine whether or not an applicant is offered a position within the business. Recruiters that heavily rely on applicants appearances often pass over individuals that are more highly qualified for the position simply because their appearance does not fit the recruiters stereotypical appearance of individuals that they believe would be successful in the position. Additionally, they often hire attractive applicants who are poorly qualified in comparison to other applicants. If individuals and companies are to be successful, applicant screeners must find and employ methods to help them triumph in the battle against appearance bias.

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD Height and Weight When researchers studied successful male CEOs, they determined that a majority of the

successful men were approximately six feet tall. Their height resulted in them being, on average, three inches taller than the other males (Shontell, 2011). Not only do taller men have higher positions within the businesses they work for, but they have also been found to receive significantly higher pay (Little & Roberts, 2012). This research supports the idea that taller males are favored over others when it comes both to applying for jobs as well as ascending through the corporate ranks. Successful business women have also been found to be approximately three inches taller than their female coworkers, yet the height standard for success is less strict for them than for males (Shontell, 2011). While taller women are generally favored, it is only up to a certain extent. Women who are considered too tall are faced with the same obstacles as shorter women. They are perceived as wrong for the position they apply for or unfit to receive a promotion or raise. While men are typically held more strictly to height standards, women have been found to be restricted more by their weight than men are. Larger women tend to make less money and are also less likely to be to be offered a job when they are faced with female competition of a smaller size (Shontell, 2011). Men, on the other hand, are not hindered anywhere near as much by their weight and size. Large men are generally much more likely to be offered a job than large women. These aspects of appearance have been found to suggest the abilities and skills of men and women. Additionally, they create perceptions as to an individuals work ethic, job dedication, and personality (Little & Roberts, 2012). Taller people are often believed to have

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

strong qualities, which then helps them excel through the ranks. One such quality is that they are looked up to by their coworkers because their stature makes them seem more authoritative than someone who is short. Men and women who are larger are often believed to be lazy. This is due to American societys belief that all large people are large because they are too lazy to exercise, when in reality this is not always the case. They are also perceived as undedicated to their job because of the belief that they sit around in their chairs all day instead of doing their work. Perceptions such as these are based on stereotypes that are formed due to experience as well as what society tells us about people with certain characteristics (Debevec, Madden, & Kernan, 1986). Facial Features When it comes to appearance based impressions, facial features have been found to have the greatest impact. While these features may not provide interviewers with accurate inferences about applicants, they do provide the most physical information for people to base their inferences on. For example, people with infant-like faces are often perceived to behave as an infant would (Rule & Ambady, 2010). Dominant male facial features were found to enable the accurate prediction of the final rank of West Point Military Academy graduates (Little & Roberts, 2012). Both of these occurrences are due the unconscious human behavior in which individuals group both people and objects together based on similarities combined with the influences of society. Stereotyping, or the grouping of people based on certain characteristics, is a result of human instinct. People naturally group things together based on similarities in order to process them more quickly. When it comes to faces, people identify and focus on certain features that stand out and are unusual. This could be an infantile face, a strong brow line, or large lips. The

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

mind then unconsciously places a person with such features in the same categories as others with similar features. Individuals then unconsciously assume that people in the same groups are similar to each other. If one person in a group is lazy, then so are the other members of the group. When people have faces that resemble and infants, they are automatically placed in a group that is primarily composed of babies. Babies, of course, are helpless and depend on others for everything they need. This abilities inference is then placed by the individual doing the grouping upon people who have infantile faces, which results in them being treated as if they are weak and dependent upon others. Societal influences also play a colossal role in the determination of characteristics by means of facial features. All through our lives, society has and will tell us that certain features are indicative certain attributes. A strong, square jaw, for example, has been ingrained in our minds so that people, especially males, with such jaws are instantly assumed to be strong leaders. While such presumptions are not always correct, they cause us to expect and search for the characteristics they imply. If such characteristics are not present, we attempt to reaffirm our false inferences by manipulating any characteristics similar to the inferred one so that it supports the interpretation. Attractiveness Attractiveness, in general, has been found to have a profound impact on the overall perceptions of individuals. In Budesheim and DePaolas study of political candidates, it was found that attractive political candidates were favored more than those that were considered unattractive. This was true even when the candidates had the same political agenda and ideas (1994). It was also found that voters were more likely to agree with a politicians policies that they would not typically agree with when the favorable candidate was considered attractive

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD (Budesheim & DePaola, 1994). These findings, while focused on political candidates instead of the business world and job applicants, support the ideas of attractiveness influencing peoples opinions of others and impressions being aided by attractiveness and hindered by unattractiveness. Studies have also shown that attractive individuals are more likely to be perceived as having more desirable personalities than those that are considered unattractive or of average attractiveness. Dion, Bersheid, and Walster found that people who were considered attractive were viewed by others as more likely to acquire better jobs than those who are not attractive (1972). When it comes to the workplace, an individuals attractiveness plays a significant role. Those that are considered attractive are often given more opportunities than those that are not (Little & Roberts, 2012). This is partially because people generally like attractive individuals

more than those that are not attractive (Little & Roberts, 2012). People also tend to perceive that individuals that are attractive as nicer than those that are unattractive. Such traits in the workplace result in more positive interactions with coworkers. When an individual is well liked by his or her coworkers, he or she has a greater likelihood of receiving some type of raise or promotion. Clothing While we would like to believe that our society has progressed to the point where men and women are equal in both opportunities and treatment, we still have quite a bit of headway to make. Men and women are both held to certain standards when it comes to their appearances in and out of the workplace, yet women are still scrutinized more than men. This is especially true

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD when it comes to the way men and women present themselves through the way they dress themselves.

When a man gets dressed for work in the morning, he simply needs to wear a suit that fits alright and is close to the current fashions. Women, on the other hand, are expected to wear an ensemble that is fashionable, practical, and professional. Her closet must be full of different articles of clothing so that she never seems to wear the same outfit twice. If she were to wear unvaried clothing like a man, she would come off as not caring about her appearance. Such a woman would then give the impression that she does not care about her job since she could not be bothered to dress for the occasion. Additionally, womens personalities and abilities are inferred based on how they clothe themselves. A woman who wears spiked heels, short skirts, and revealing blouses are immediately believed to be bimbos who do not work very hard and therefore rely on others (especially men) to do their work for them. Women who wear black ensembles, particularly pencil skirts, blazers, and closed-toe heels, come across as all business in addition to incredibly bossy. Even though men and womens apparel are both evaluated and taken into consideration when they are being interviewed by a recruiter, womens clothing has a much more significant impact. A womans clothing is a much more significant factor when it comes to her potential for success than a mans clothing. Solutions When people know and understand how appearance impacts success and refuse to attempt to find a solution they are wasting their knowledge. In order for companies and individuals to flourish, recruiters and applicants must attempt to overcome the innate human

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

desire to predetermine and individuals success based on their appearance. This can be achieved through the thorough examination of resumes, blind interviews, conscious alterations of thoughts, and wardrobe choices. Resumes When it comes to reading resumes, applicant screeners often glance at the first few lines and sometimes the final lines. Not only is this inconsiderate of the effort put into the resume by the applicant, but it also creates an incomplete image of the applicants accomplishments and abilities. Recruiters should take the time to completely read applicants resumes. This enables them to create a first impression without the applicants appearances having an impact. Getting to know applicants abilities before meeting them in person also enables interviewers to prepare the proper questions and topics of discussion that will best determine whether or not the applicants are well-suited to the position. Blind Interviews Blind interviews would enable interviewers to converse with job applicants without having their impression of the applicant altered based on his or her appearance. Such interviews could be done in two different ways. The first is that they could be modeled after The Voice and have the interviewer conduct the interview with the applicant while facing in the opposite direction. In this case the interviewee would, of course, be informed prior to the interview that it would be a blind interview. Another method that could be used for a blind interview is a telephone interview. An interview on the phone would also remove conscious and unconscious appearance bias. Additionally, this type of interview would be especially applicable for

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD positions where the potential employee would telecommute instead of working in an office building. Thought Alteration While this may appear to be the most basic and easiest method, changing ones way of thinking is incredibly difficult. Interviewers must keep in mind that an applicants skills are not represented in his or her physical features. This means that interviews have to consciously remind themselves throughout the interview process that what an applicant has to say about themselves is more important than their physique. Job applicants must also change their method of thinking. If someone goes in for an interview and feels self-conscious and uncomfortable with their appearance and believes that their ability to get the job will be hindered by their appearance, then they have decreased the draw interviewers will feel towards them. Interviewers are looking for employees who are confident in themselves as well as their abilities, and they easily notice when someone has little self-confidence. Wardrobe Choices In an ideal world, recruiters would simply determine an applicants compatibility for a position based on his or her qualities instead of his or her appearance. The reality is, however,

that appearance plays a huge role in the judgment of applicants aptitude and will do so for many years to come. When it comes to dressing for a job interview, or even for a regular day at work, individuals should wear clothing that is appropriate for the event, comfortable, and reflects their personality. It is incredibly important to wear clothing that is appropriate for the event, whether it be for an interview or an average day on the job. Donning an old t-shirt and ripped and ragged

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jeans to an interview with a large banking corporation would almost certainly guarantee that the applicant would not be offered the position. Appropriate clothing is imperative because it indicates that an individual understands what is/would be expected from him or her. It also demonstrates that the individual has respect for the interviewer/his or her position and coworkers. It is essential that individuals attire is comfortable when it is worn for extended periods of time. While working in business, individuals are customarily unable to change their clothes throughout the day. Likewise, job applicants are unable to excuse themselves from the interview so that they may change into more comfortable clothing. Comfortable clothing is not only physically comfortable, but mentally as well. Such clothing enables individuals to feel relaxed and at ease in different situations. The feeling of complacency resulting from the clothing is noticeable to recruiters and coworkers and transfers to them as well. When interviewers and coworkers are able to effortlessly interact with an individual, the individual is more likely to succeed. For the most part, recruiters know exactly what type of abilities and characteristics are needed in a person in order to fill the open position. Unfortunately for businesses and individuals, interviewers are all too often misled by some or all of the previously mentioned facets of appearance. Individuals have the potential to increase their potential for success by wearing clothing that speaks of their personality for them. Clothing that expresses and individuals personality enables interviewers to have another source that provides information about an applicant that is sometimes overlooked by other applicants. An individuals incorporation of his or her personality into his or her apparel enables the recruiter to come to a

APPEARANCE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD more accurate judgment as to whether the applicant is a suitable fit for the position for which they interviewed. Conclusion

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The previously mentioned aspects of physical appearance have significant impacts on the way they are treated and understood in the workplace and during job interviews. Research has found that height, weight, facial features, attractiveness, and clothing are the aspects of appearance that have the greatest impact on individuals potential for success. These facets of individuals images have been found to cause recruiters and coworkers to form immediate perceptions of the individuals abilities, skills, behaviors, and values. While these inferences could occasionally accurate, they are often incorrect and lead to the loss of opportunities for both businesses and individuals. If businesses and individuals are to reach their potential for success, then recruiters will be forced to adopt practices that remove the influence of applicants physical appearance from the interviewing process. Preventing the recruiter from seeing the applicant during the interview would aid because it would be impossible for an applicants appearance to interfere when the applicant cannot be seen. Having recruiters remind themselves not to judge applicants appearances during face-to-face interviews would reduce the significance of such conclusions. It is also the individuals task to manipulate their method of thinking and dressing. The business world currently relies upon appearance and this will not be changing within the foreseeable future. Individuals must learn to think positively of themselves and consequently they will become and exude more confidence. Through the manipulation of the way they dress, individuals have the potential to show their confidence as well as how well they will fit in the position for which they are being interviewed.