I’m no slave to fashion so this CareerJournal article – Aspire to Become a CEO? You Have to Dress the Part – struck me as being quite superficial when it comes to hiring. The thought that attire could eliminate a candidate seems trivial.
The deep analysis from the article:
“People don’t understand the messages that their clothes send,” says Ms. Waldt, a recruiter with CTPartners. Women sometimes don’t realize how often a tight shirt or a low neckline comes across as seductive. People who meet them are likely to assume the sexual innuendo is intentional. It’s harder for men to goof, but they do — for instance, by being sloppy with untucked or wrinkled shirts or wearing beeping sports watches to staid business events. Sagging socks, dangling earrings and obvious designer logos all send messages that register with the people on the other side of the table.
I truly don’t like this line of thinking in that it strikes me as being focused on the wrong items. We had one customer who flew in a candidate from halfway across the country. His plane was delayed by hours, he missed a connecting flight and got in late for the day. They company took him straight from the airport into multiple interviews. The guy was obviously a bit run down from the difficult day and he hadn’t eaten or had a chance to freshen up.
He didn’t receive any consideration beyond the initial interview. One of the main reasons given to us was the fact that he did not have his cufflinks buttoned and his tie was a bit loose during the interviews.
Yeah, we were flummoxed by that one.
On the other hand, I have seen good candidates show up looking like an unmade bed. The site of this guy was a crushing blow. I knew that interview was over before it started.
In the end, I suspect there is a happy medium here somewhere.