During a job interview, there are several things about a prospective employee that's put into consideration before hiring, and such include qualification, composure, skill set, and physical appearance. However, the physical appearance part of such consideration has raised eyebrows over the years as to whether it's fair or not, and in this article, I'll be sharing a well-detailed explanation of what physical appearance is and if it's worthy of being a yardstick to consider before hiring an employee or not.
So to start with, like I said above, I'll be starting my understanding of what physical appearance is, and thereafter, I'll delve into my take on whether it should be relevant during the interview or not. So without further ado, let's get to the focal point.
Physical appearance is a person's physical trait, outward look, and the like, and such includes our facial expressions, composure, body shape, neatness, clothing, and the like. Each of these usually serves as a pathway into knowing feel details about whoever comes for interviews, and while still on the definition, I'd love to give an in-depth explanation of all that I think is encompassed in physical appearance.
One of the things that make up our physical appearance is our body type, such as our height, weight, and the like; also, skin color, scars, tattoos, piercings, hair color and styles, clothing and accessories; hygiene such as neatness of nails, hair, and clothes; physical fitness is another aspect; the same as facial expression, body language, and even health conditions are some of the key things that make up our physical appearance, and humans usually consider these in different conversations so as not to sound offensive and to know if such a person aligns with our preferences.
Now, with all of these being said, I believe many of us here would have one of those reservations about why we think physical appearance matters during an interview and shouldn't be shrouded under the carpet. In truth, they're right, and I can't help but agree with them. However, I won't be picking sides today. Instead, I've shared positive reasons why it should be upheld and why it shouldn't, and in the end, we can also treat and consider each prospective employee based on the nature of the job.
Why should physical appearance be considered?
During an interview, the physical appearance of a prospective employee should just be considered because of the following points of view:
Brand representation: in all honesty, the major reason why employers bring in new intact is so they can represent the brand in the best way possible, and there are some positions that usually have some physical criteria being looked out for before employment, such as customer care representative, receptionist, gym instructor, and the like.
While the first two positions I mentioned always required being beautiful or handsome, they also required intelligence, confidence, and a good aura. You can't apply to be a gym instructor without being fit; the customer won't trust your capacity, and that's why employers won't hire you for that position if you lack the physical appearance that indicates you're not bad for their brand representation.
Attention to detail: a physical appearance such as your choice of clothing, accessories, and color combinations can play a huge role in helping employers decide if to hire you or not, and that's because it can also indicate how you'll replicate the same attention to detail in your work and show how responsible and observant you can be.
Health and safety: Jobs have different criteria and requirements, and in cases of ones that require using ones energy, carrying of items or stressful activities, the health considerations are looked into during an interview. You can come to be employed in manual labor, for example, and have a critical injury or the like and expect to be employed. It's not discrimination on the part of the employer, but they're considering such a person's safety and capacity.
All of the above and several others are reasons why I feel it's ideal to consider physical appearance during an interview for the benefit of both the organization and the prospective employee. Other reasons why this is considered are that such a person is decent and responsible when they've got different tattoos and piercings, which is something that doesn't fit into some professions. Still, each of these should be considered fairly, so it won't be deemed discrimination.
Why shouldn't physical appearance be considered?
While physical appearance is okay and should be worked on by people if it's one that can be done without it being stressful and affecting their productivity, I still believe these few points show why physical appearance shouldn't be a yardstick to consider during an interview.
Irrelevance to job performance: While many like to consider physical appearance and quote words like dress the way you want to be addressed, it's still worth noting that good physical appearance in any aspect doesn't guarantee productivity, so employers should focus more on vetting candidates based on their experience, qualifications, and skills.
Discrimination: As humans, we are bound to make mistakes and take things to the extreme, and that's why considering physical appearance during an interview can lead to some judging a candidate based on their age, skin texture, race, disability, and the like, and these can even be dangerous for an organization if the candidate realizes that's why they're turned down, which can lead to a court case, an investigation, and legal actions that dent the reputation of the organization.
Pressure on candidate: When it becomes obvious that physical appearance is a big consideration before employment, many candidates can go to different lengths to lose themselves legible for the job, which can be as far as wearing a weight trainer to hide their obesity, bleaching their skin to meet the skin tone requirements, begging, going into debt, or stealing to purchase expensive dress accessories that meet the company standard; this is unfair and can go on to limit the productivity of such candidates when employed due to the stress that comes with maintaining the newly adopted physical appearance.
In conclusion, with awareness of the benefits and disadvantages of placing priority on physical appearance during an interview, it's worth noting that this must be done with fairness and keen consideration, depending on the nature of the job. When it's on health and safety grounds or brand representation, this might be understandable, but in others it's more difficult, so employers should know when to draw the line during an interview about whether to consider physical appearance or not.
Thanks so much for your time. I hope you enjoyed the read. Have a wonderful night of rest and stay blessed.
Thumbnail designed on canva
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
Thank you for sharing the well-explained content.😊
You're welcome.
😊
This is just brilliant! I love how you stated the different angles one could look at this from. Dressing matters for me but when it comes to other aspects like disabilities, I think there should be some exceptions because that is something that no one plans for.
Well, people will still do what they want but these are brilliant ideas to help make a good decision.
That's so nice and thoughtful of you to say, see me blushing 😊.
Indeed we all have our preferences and that's why these considerations varies based on the nature of the job or interviewer, however it's always good to be fair in our judgement, because physically appearance such as good looking, dressing and the likes doesn't guarantee productivity.
Thanks so much for your feedback.
You’re welcome grandpa 🥰, I really enjoyed reading through your thoughts on this matter.
That’s right, how we appear doesn’t guarantee what we can give but to be on the safer side it’s just better that we match our appearance with what we can give so we don’t end up missing opportunities due to some people’s shortsightedness 🤓.
You’ve presented a balanced and comprehensive perspective on the role of physical appearance in job interviews. However, it's equally important to recognize the potential downsides of prioritizing physical appearance. Nice post!
Yea it indeed has it Downside and that's why it's best to be fair and know when we shouldn't consider such as a necessity.
You have a great view that could help any employer when taking decisions based on employment. As much as physical appearance is great criteria, skills should be dominant, in other words, striking a balance
Absolutely correct, striking a balance is the best way forward for both parties and I hope this is imbibe going forward.