Is plastic surgery the answer to rejuvenating a sagging face – and a sagging career? According to US government statistics, more and more people are having cosmetic surgery to get ahead in the workplace, with requests from estate agents, lawyers, airline pilots and business execs.
Were the great writers, artists, inventors, composers, engineers, philosophers and mathematicians especially good looking? No. But the quality of their work was outstanding and that’s what counts.
But with increased focus on the importance of physical attractiveness, many in HR believe workplaces are becoming 'lookist'.
A study by the Industrial Society found employers tend to put beauty before brains when hiring staff. Many companies are now more interested in a recruit's looks, speech, dress sense and personal hygiene than in how well they did at school or university. An incident given is that of a supermarket checkout girl who was sent home to shave her legs to avoid “putting off” potential customers. Others who have suffered include a woman who allegedly lost her job because she wore glasses, which were deemed to make her appearance unappealing. The report says the emphasis on personal appearance is both understandable and unavoidable but concludes, “Employees assessed as unattractive earn less money.”
Many companies now want “neat, stylish” employees with outgoing personalities. Others prefer staff with “soft and friendly”, rather than “guttural”, accents - staff with the latter are told that they would be advised to “upgrade” their speech. Trendy London eating places such as Caffè Nero, the cafe chain, which portrays itself as “young, stylish, Italian and sexy”, hires staff to match. More surprisingly, accountancy firms are putting a premium on looks. They are encouraging staff to dress less formally because they think that having lots of people in navy and grey suits gives them a boring image.
Richard Reeves, of the Industrial Society, comments, “Throughout industry, firms are trying to give themselves a competitive edge by appearing stylish and fashionable. Staff are very much part of that. For employees, it means that how you look, dress, talk or even smell, is becoming as important as your GCSE results.”
For those of us not blessed with film star looks, just how unfair is life? Another employment study discovered that ginger hair is by far and away the feature that the majority (81%) believe is permissible to joke about. Blondes also get more stick than most. And baldness is another target, with 84% having the mickey taken out of them. One employee had a nervous breakdown because of bullying from her workmates - and she received £800,000 compensation.
Ugly Betty might be good at her job, but a recent US study proves that the better-looking you are, the more you are likely to get paid. The research found attractive men and women are not only more popular and successful but they actually earn more. The difference can amount to as much as 15% of salary between the best and worst looking, it’s claimed. Economists James Andreoni and Ragan Petrie wrote, “We find a beauty premium even though beautiful people contribute, on average, no more or less than others. Attractive people make more money than middle attractive people, who in turn make more money than unattractive people.”
It seems there’s an assumption that beautiful people are more cooperative and helpful. All, however, is not on their side. When beautiful people aren’t pulling their weight, their looks count against them and it is the unattractive who come out winners.
Work guru Catherine Kaputa has formulated a five-point plan for salvaging your looks and achieving success:
1. Package yourself: Clothes will not help you perform but will help how your performance is perceived.
2. Emphasise features: Be confident about your looks and build a strong image.
3. Have a trademark: Think Bono's shades or Sir Robin Day's bow ties. Stand out from the crowd.
4. Focus on “soft power”: Use your values, style and point of view to attract others to you. Stand tall, and never slouch.
5. Hone your speech: The ability to sell yourself and your ideas is critical.
