Many companies are using new techniques to attract modern day society. One of these techniques is revising their hiring practices. Instead of hiring based on intelligence, or skill sets, they desire employees with “the look”. Companies want people that represent their product or brand. In the article, “Going for the Look, But Risking Discrimination” by Steven Greenhouse, the store Abercrombie and Fitch hire people with a “classic American” look. However, there are many problems that can arise with this. Marshall Cohen, a senior industry analyst, claims that companies are forced to do what is necessary. I disagree with this statement. Companies that hire based on looks are risking more they assume.
When going into a store, one would expect that the employees would know what they are doing and are reliable. When companies hire based on looks, they do not realize that although the person may look astonishing, they may not have the competence to complete the job. The person may be the most gorgeous person on Earth, but they may not have the skill set required for the job. For those who...
Today’s job seeker has tough competition. In the textbook reading “Judging by the Cover” by Bonny Gainley, she argues that job seekers ought to be careful when they make personal choices that initially will affect their chances of entering the workplace. People have a need to be accepted by others just the way they are, but many of us were taught as adolescence that we should not judge a book by its cover, yet people judge others solely on their personal appearances. That goes for businesses as well, “[t]he bottom line is that businesses exist to make money. Whether it seems fair or not, generally employers do care about the personal appearances of the people they hire because those people represent the business to its customers” (5). Maybe
If an employee felt that they were selling confidence and not just clothes, and they may feel as if their task significance is higher. The differences in personality between the employees greatly influences their perceived level of task significance. The fourth aspect of the job characterization model is autonomy, or the degree to which a job allows an employee the freedom and interdependence to schedule work and decide how to carry it out. Nordie’s have very low autonomy, as they have to follow strict outlines, and do not have much say in how much and how often they work. Employees feared being given “off hours” in which their sales per hour would drop due to customer inactivity. Additionally, the employees are required to carry out their work in the Nordstrom stores, and the employees are even told to look a certain way. Cindy Nelson, a former Nordstrom employee, claims that becoming a Nordie requires one to acquire a “certain look”. If employees feel as if they must look a certain way to effectively do their job, this may result in added stress that can have a negative effect on their overall job performance. The last element of
Currently television networks and stations require a set appearance and weight standards for news reporters, newscasters, weather forecaster. Our society looks at the news and weather to see not only the news and weather but the persons. They believe that physical attractiveness and pleasing body image have long been known to have marketplace advantages. Therefore many organizations set appearance standards for their employees, because they think that will project a particular image and as well as a favorable working environment. (Harvey & Allard , 2012, p. 231)
In today’s job market, there are many reasons an individual could be turned down for employment. According to Deborah Rhodes, author of “Why looks are the last bastion of discrimination”, appearance should not be one of them. Rhodes is a law professor at Stanford and holder of numerous titles for her outstanding work in legal matters. She is also the author and co-author of over 250 articles (Directory). In this article, she addresses an issue with profound impact on today’s society. She proposes that appearance discrimination should be included in anti-discrimination laws in addition to what is already accepted and legalized in today’s workplace. While it is a seemingly “silly” concern, it is actually quite valid. There has been many a concern over discrimination. That is, discrimination based on race, color, gender, and others of a similar nature in the work environment.
All human beings are conscious of their appearance. Society conditions the individual to meet distinct appearance criteria and sets forth an image that is deemed “attractive”. This struggle to fit norms, known as lookism, is discriminatory in its nature. Defined in 2000 by the oxford dictionary as “’prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of appearance’”, this new “ism” has risen to the surface in recent years (Ambrosetti 52), showing the prominence of its affects. Human beings construct circumstances that rule their realities. Gender, ethnicity and culture are all cultural constructions that have no true meaning once removed from society. That being said, lookism is biases of identification that influence one’s
In “The man behind Abercrombie and Fitch.” An interview conducted by Benoit Denizet-Lewis displays a glimpse into the life of Mike Jeffries and his views of his company only hiring “good-looking” people and targeting “good-looking” people to wear his clothes. This has been done in order to force his audience to recognize that the issue of acceptance one’s peers and exclusion of a community mentioned by Mike Jeffries, is a result of cultural perceptions and individual self-image. Denizet-Lewis skillfully shows that while Jeffries remarks of not wanting the “not-so-popular” kids to shop in his stores, it poses a question to consumers asking what change in our attitudes will come or if there will be any change at all. Thus comes the issue of how consumers today have a shift in the reasoning behind why one buys clothing and the motivating factors that influence one to buy certain clothing. Denizet-Lewis also demonstrates the different messages that controversial advertisements and statements affect different groups of people and how what they project is really what people desire, though deemed by many people as unacceptable or inappropriate. The author also examines how in the news media, the image has become more important than the message and how images have taken precedent over actual issues and character. As a result of this, various communities have formed by the construct of selling to “beautiful people” and how popular appeal has become an extension of a person.
Choosing the right employees can improve the efficiency of other human resource practices and avoid various problems. Outback grasp the concept that selecting the right employee is critical as it plays a direct role in improving the efficiency and avoid problems. Their belief is if they can reduce or eliminate time spent on personal matters, it could then spend more time focusing on the customers. Outback realize that there is too much competition for Outback Steakhouse or any business to risk having mediocre employees. Selecting the right person for the right job can mean success or failure for a company. In fact “ With the Human Age accentuated by demographic shifts such as aging workforces, worsening talent mismatches, the collaborative power of fast-evolving technologies and the need for companies to do more with less, discussion panelists agreed th...
.... "The Beauty Industry Promotes Unrealistic Beauty Standards." Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers, 2007. Rpt. in The Culture of Beauty. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
There were days that CEO’s and other high professional people choose to not dress formally and that does not mean that they are immature. Steve Jobs was the CEO of Apple and he choose to dress informally and that does not mean that he is immature and drove his business into the ground. Steve Jobs is actually the reason for the success behind the growth of Apple. The rhetorical theme that he uses in this part of his essay is ineffective and demonstrates his inability in reasoning. People began to question Epstein’s article because of him comparing two eras that were created by two different set of circumstances. So people now dress to appear younger to relieve themselves of all the stress that is created from the competitiveness that many face every day. Dressing is not a legitimate way to measure someone’s
are not even chosen based on talent anymore, they are hired based on the right look; it is
Employment discrimination legislation has evolved to include race, disabilities, sexual harassment of either gender, and age. In lieu of this evolution and an increasing trend toward equality for all individuals in the workplace, the time has come for the protective reach of employment discrimination law to cover ugliness. While the proposal may cause titters at first, evidence exists that discrimination based on looks (or physical appearance) occurs in the workplace. An investigation was conducted by ABC’s 20/20 news program in 1994 that sent two men and two women into the workplace to secure the same jobs (Sessions 1). The individuals were coached to act in a similar manner during the interviews and took with them resumes with matching education and experience. The only difference was that one of the men and one of the women was superior in physical attraction to their counterpart. The results demonstrate whether intentional or not, looks discrimination does play a role in the employment process “In five cases out of five, the more attractive woman got the job; in three chances out of three, the more attractive man was hired” (Sessions 1).
Glowing caramel tan on flawless skin, voluptuous breasts and butt on a stick-thin model, long lashes, silky hair with volume, 5’7 or taller, white perfectly aligned teeth under big lips, a hairless body, and on top of all that the latest fashion produced by designer brands that leave little to the imagination. That’s the American beauty perception for women in a nutshell. Men? Biceps, broad shoulders, large chest, six-pack abs, whatever screams manly and won’t scare off the ladies. However there young girls who go crazy over pretty, metrosexual boys nowadays. At least these beauty standards are possible to belong to different races. As expected of the melting pot America is.
I would like to begin with the fact that women have always been known to dedicate their time to beauty. Those who are devoted to their appearance most often believe that beauty brings power, popularity, and success. Women believe this, because they grow up reading magazines that picture beautiful women in successful environments; not to mention they are popular models and world famous individuals. Beautiful women are no longer just a priority for most advertising, but we have become a walking target for the working class employers. It is documented that better-looking attorneys earn more than others after five years of practice, which was an effect that grew with experience (Biddle, 172). We cannot overlook the fact that it is always the most popular and most beautiful girl who becomes homecoming-queen or prom-queen. While these are possible positive effects of the "beauty myth," the negative results of female devotion to beauty undercut this value. These effects are that it costs a lot of money, it costs a lot of time, and in the long run, it costs a lot of pain.
Managers should understand an employee’s skills and abilities to make an informed decision on whether or not to hire him. Once hired a manager uses skills and abilities as a deciding factor for an employee’s job placement within the corporation. Secondly, an evaluation of an employee’s personality helps the manager in his leadership approach of that employee. Thirdly, perceptions can be the deciding factor of whether or not a candidate is hired and or promoted. An individual perceived as fitting in may be hired to negotiate business deals. Particularly, if the individual shows a favorable attitude through actions and deeds and has strong values and behaves
While having the right skills for employment is imperative to obtaining a decent job. Displaying your job skills in America’s competitive job market can be challenging. One stigma can be perceived that long-term jobless people have been sitting around and not really wanting to work. (Daly, Hobijn, and Kwok 2015) Or the perception that they would not take a lower paying job, and if they do, they will leave as soon as they find a higher paying one. Some companies have clearly barred the underemployed or long-term unemployed from certa...