Do clothes make a difference ?

How to dress for an employment interview is a frequently asked question. The problem is that there is no proper answer for this question. However it is always appreciated when you pay attention to your appearance. Because when you do so, your interviewer will know you really want the job. It is also important to adapt the way you dress to the kind of company you want to join. But no matter what you wear, make sure you feel comfortable in your clothes. You don't have to look like a fashionista to get a job, but a first impression that says you mean business, could be helpful.

Louis Dever

Source: http://www.vacature.com/art1676

Why looks count in the workplace.

Attractive people make 12% more money than unattractive people and they are also much more easier to get on with. Investigators found out the main reasons behind this beauty premium. They said that attractive people are more co-operative and more helpful. Another positive effect of these beauties is the so-called halo effect, that’s when people assign positive attributes to other people just because they are pretty, and these attributes have nothing to do with looks. But there is also good news for the less attractive people, if the good looking people don’t do their share of the work, than the others have the advantage.

Louis Dever

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/beautiful-people-earn-12-more-than-ugly-bettys-461261.html

Beautiful money

It’s common knowledge that men earn more money than women. Actually the ‘wage discrimination’ doesn’t stop here. A recent study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis showed that physically attractive people commonly earn 5 percent more than their less attractive colleagues. Among men, height is the most valued trait, every inch a men is above the national average, his salary increases by 1,8 percent. For women, it’s slenderness. Obese women earn up to 17 percent less than their slimmer counterparts. The mission for less given applicants is to convince their future employer with a more attractive personality, beside the required qualification.



Joachim Dierckens

Source:
http://www.docshop.com/2007/11/06/attractive-people-really-do-make-more-money/

The trials of job hunting beyond a certain size.

''Their eyes immediately dart down to my belly. Then, there's a brief look of shock. And then they want to get me out of their office as quickly as possible.'' That’s what happens when 390-pound Robert Diaz walks in the door for a job interview. Discrimination against obese people is nothing new. In fact, employment lawyers say it has been on the rise since the economy tightened. Luckily for people like Mr. Diaz, obese people are slowly gaining protection under many states’ disability laws. The human rights laws now recognize obesity as a disability and forbid employers to discriminate against such workers. Hopefully, employers will now become more wary of making comments to job seekers about their weight, even in a joking manner.

Joachim Dierckens

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/26/jobs/the-trials-of-job-hunting-beyond-a-certain-size.html?pagewanted=1

Fattism, the last prejudice ?

Obese people are less likely to be hired or promoted even if they meet the expectations . This was the result of a survey amongst British personnel officers. Even worse, 2790 out of 3000 British human resources professionals said they rather hire thin people than fat people even if they have similar qualifications. Employers can even fire a person who is overweight just because they don’t like obese people. They don’t need any proof because there ‘s no discrimination law for obesity in Britain. This a huge problem in a country where 65 percent of women and 70 percent of men are overweight.




Louis Dever


Source: http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/48257/health/fat_people_less_likely_to_be_promoted.html

The role of appearance in a solicitation.

An investigation at the University of Groningen revealed that the appearance of the applicant is very important. Male managers rather hire beautiful women, female leaders prefer less attractive women because they see them as a competition. The advice of the survey is to put off the first personal conversation as long as possible to reduce the hiring discrimination to a minimum. The best thing to do first is to make a selection based on working experience, Curriculum Vitae and psychological tests so that the influence of the employers hormones are smaller. Also it’s better to take the final decision with a man and a woman together. All those things together should help to hire the perfect employee.

Joachim Dierckens

Source: http://www.fnvjong.nl/nieuws/nieuws/uiterlijk_speelt_een_rol_bij_solliciteren.asp

taking care can save your career

While managers have to make hiring decisions, it may be obvious that they are sensible to the physical attractiveness of the people in front of them. Luckily for the rather unattractive people, this effect can be reduced by taking care of your appearance. The first step in this process is dressing carefully. In addition, the personal care is also very important. People with repulsive smells and a bad set of teeth are really unpleasant to work with. At last, your attitude has a major role in the final decision. Don’t forget to smile and stand straight. If you combine all this with a good brain, you have a big chance at being hired.

Jeroen Ducheyne

Source: http://www.goedgevoel.be/gg/nl/563/Sollicitatie/article/detail/275393/2008/05/14/Uiterlijk-beinvloedt-carriere.dhtml

Fatties are less efficient.

Most of the investigations found out that obese people are less likely to getting hired. Well now, are these people effectively less productive than their skinny counterparts?
The answer is outspokenly yes.“Fatties” are remarkably more related to reduced work activities, and the odds of having a work injury or more disability days are also higher with people with an obesity problem. The chances of being absent from work for an obese person compared with those with normal weight illustrate this. With a four times higher odd, this mark really leaps out at you. In terms of education, regular people are also more skilled. Apparently, the personnel managers aren’t wrong after all...

Jeroen Ducheyne

Source : : http://www.longwoods.com/product.php?productid=20576

Honesty is the best policy

Managers should be aware of their preferences in hiring decisions and should admit that they are prone to emotion and bias. That’s the advice given by Carl Senior and Michael J.R. Butler, authors of a recent study. When the interviewees are described as attractive, they usually receive more high status job packages than the average looking persons, because these last ones are attributed less positive traits and intelligence skills. Especially female leaders are sensible to the halo-effect, as this phenomenon is called. The female interviewers not only differ on this effect, they also give more high job status packages to attractive men than attractive women. From a business point-of-view, it is therefore important to these chiefs to be honest with themselves.

Jeroen Ducheyne

source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071206124838.htm

Dumb blondes?

‘What is beautiful is good’ or ‘beauty is goodness’ may seem rather superficial sayings, but do they hold a sense of truth? Comila Shahani-Denning, professor at the Department of Psychology, does not think they are all that hollow. As a matter of fact, she indicated that attractive people are looked upon as more sociable, happier and more successful than their less attractive colleagues. Furthermore, good looking people are more likely to get the job or promotion they are after, while their skills could be equally well, or even worse, compared to other applicants. She states that training managers in crowding out this bias is extremely important and a first step towards overcoming discrimination in hiring decisions.

Niels Gheyle

Source: http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/orsp_shahani-denning_spring03.pdf

Big people, small salaries.

Recent survey by YouGov revealed that the majority of obese people earn less than a mere £20,000 a year, which is hardly the national average. Some of them mentioned that their weight had held them back not only professionally, but also during their leisure time. The situation could sooner or later collapse if this subject is not taken seriously in the future. Obese people have less control over their job, leading to an additional amount of stress. As a result their income drops, leaving them with cheaper and unhealthier food. Governmental intervention is inevitable in order to stop this cycle of poverty.

Niels Gheyle

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8337512.stm

Next please.

People suffering from obesity have a hard time finding a job these days, according to recent inquiries by Aziz Corporation. Although no company will admit it, most of the people who take the hiring decisions have a major bias towards obese people. The results were repugnant: more than 70% of the managers see corpulent people as lazy, unmotivated and easygoing. Additional research indicated that companies do not only hire less heavyset people, but also pay them less than their fit colleagues who apply for the same job. All of this could make one forget that obese people frequently work harder in order to compensate for their physical ‘disability’.

Niels Gheyle

Source: http://artikelen.hr.monsterboard.nl/13266_nl_p1.asp