Too Pretty for The Boys’ Club?
A recent study published in The Journal of Social Psychology found that women who are considered to be attractive are often not considered for traditionally masculine jobs.
The survey, which asked participants to rank an applicant’s ability to perform a specific job based on pictures alone, found that while attractive women had an advantage in jobs with a “feminine” typecast, like secretarial positions, they were seen as less suitable for jobs like prison guard, tow-truck driver, mechanical engineer and director of security.
In a statement, lead researcher Stefanie Johnson, an assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado, said “In these professions being attractive was highly detrimental to women. In every other kind of job, attractive women were preferred. This wasn’t the case with men which shows that there is still a double standard when it comes to gender.”
The report also stated “We found that attractiveness is beneficial for men and women applying for most jobs, in terms of ratings of employment suitability. However, attractiveness was more beneficial for women applying for feminine sex-typed jobs than masculine sex-typed jobs.”
The new study comes on the heels of a variety of other recent reports on appearance and the workplace — one which suggested that women who dressed “provocatively,” felt more productive at work.
Another, conducted by Newsweek, found that among nine employee characteristics, hiring managers ranked “looks” as the third most important trait. Newsweek also reported that 57 percent of the 202 hiring managers surveyed felt that unattractive candidates typically have a tougher time landing a job — even if they are well-qualified for the position.
What do you think about all of this so-called “beauty-bias?” Let us know in the comments section.
For more on the role looks play at work, check out:
Provocative=Productive, New Survey Says
Professional, Not Provocative, Equals Productive, Say Employers
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