Unveiling Lookism in the Workplace: A Call for Awareness and Inclusivity
By: Rachel Jessen, M.Ed., SHRM-CP, aPHR
Before taking a course focusing on diversity principles in my human resource development graduate program, I don’t think I had ever heard of the term “Lookism”. I could guess its meaning but had never studied it as a sociological phenomenon or its implications for the workplace. I think most people know that despite the familiar proverb “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, making a judgement based on outward appearances does happen. Humans often make rash judgments based on preconceived ideas and unconscious bias.
How can lookism occur in our workplaces? To get some general feedback, I conducted a recent informal survey among friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. 92% agreed that among job seekers with similar qualifications, education, and experience, many are likely to be selected to move forward in the hiring process if they are perceived as conventionally attractive while those falling on the other side of that spectrum are not chosen. Other findings indicated that despite having good work ethic and character, employees categorized as overweight or obese are often perceived as lazier (also known as “Weightism”). Conversely, over half of survey participants felt that attractive candidates may be perceived as only having been chosen for their roles because of their looks rather than because of their qualifications or professional merit.
Lookism can impact employees in different ways. In her research on the impact of lookism on employment decisions in China, the University of Arkansas’ Assistant Professor of Human Resource Development, Dr. Yuanlu Niu identified data that job applicants perceived as having unattractive photos were discriminated against (Sims, 2015, as cited in Niu, 2023) and found that women suffer from lookism more than men (Chiu & Babcock, 2002 & Adomaitis et al., 2017, as cited in Niu, 2023). Concerns about lookism can also cause applicants to expend more effort improving their physical appearance over their professional performance and skills. Niu highlights a stereotype known as “what is beautiful is good” which suggests that people attribute physically attractive appearance to other unrelated positive characteristics (Dion et al., 1972, as cited in Niu, 2023). The Halo Effect can also be identified as relevant when employers use the physical attractiveness of an employee as a criterion for employment evaluation (Myers, 1999, as cited in Niu, 2023).
I think most people would admit that job seekers should not be discriminated against based on their looks. However, it’s important that hiring teams and decision makers be aware that unconscious bias may be operating with a subversive suggestion that the conventionally more attractive employee or applicant is a better selection and should get priority. We must all acknowledge our susceptibility toward bias. Humans are so much more than our outward physical appearance. And our looks change over time whether due to age, the environment, changes in health, or personal preferences in how we decide to present ourselves to the world.
I do believe we have made progress. Twenty years ago, job applicants still had to worry about covering up their tattoos in order to get a public-facing role within a company. 75% of my survey participants felt employees with multiple piercings, colored hair, or tattoos should not be judged or prohibited from working in any positions for which they are qualified. Now more organizations realize how valuable it is to have employees who look like the very public they serve. Yes, employees should adhere to the standards of the organization regarding professionalism and dress code. A company’s employees represent their brand. But the organization should also be mindful that they serve a public made up of people with a wide array of looks. This kind of representation does matter.
I recently watched a Netflix documentary about the actor, director, and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone. He discussed how he was constantly told he did not fit the conventional Hollywood look with casting directors even saying his eyes were too droopy. Based on his looks and background, he only got cast as the stereotypical thug or given stage work. Sly decided to write his own movie screenplays with characters he could portray to showcase what he could do. The lookism that Stallone experienced pushed him to find other ways to achieve but for others, lookism can lead to decreased workplace satisfaction and engagement as well as low job performance and commitment. This has a direct impact on areas like ROI, morale, and retention rates. Niu also pointed out that organizations lose out on essential diverse perspectives, innovative ideas, and unique talents that can contribute to their success and competitiveness (Niu, 2023).
IE&D encompasses more than issues regarding race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or age. Lookism absolutely goes hand in hand with ageism, racism, ableism, classism, and sexism. A healthy inclusive workplace is one mindful that beauty is subjective. And cultural worldview can play a role in establishing our notions of what is pleasing to the eye or attractive. In addition, it takes money to buy designer clothes, go to salons for hair and nail care, and to purchase quality skincare. I would like to see more conversations happening around how lookism can occur in the workplace. Is awareness about lookism enough to keep it from happening? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Having conversations about its potential can go a long way in silencing a biased voice when it starts whispering in our ears. We can choose to double check why we are saying no to a qualified candidate and make sure they are not being discriminated against because of their looks. We can make a conscious decision to do our part to build a diverse team of employees who represent the communities we serve.
Interested in learning more about Lookism in the Workplace? Check out these additional resources!
Online Article:
How to Avoid Beauty Bias When Hiring - SHRM Article – by Catherine Skrzypinski, March 16, 2018
Peer-Reviewed Research:
Perceived Entitlement Causes Discrimination Against Attractive Job Candidates in the Domain of Relatively Less Desirable Jobs – by Lee et al., 2017
Books:
Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal Book on Amazon – by Heather Widdows, 2020
The Politics of Lookism in Global Workplaces: Physical and Personal Appearance Discrimination in the 21st Century Book on Amazon– by Cynthia Sims, 2019
Diversity in the Workforce: Current Issues and Emerging Trends, 2nd ed. Book on Amazon - edited by Marilyn Byrd & Chaunda Scott – chapter 12 “Personal/Physical Appearance Stigmatizing in the Workforce by Cynthia Sims”, 2018
YouTube:
A Look at How Attractiveness Affects the Workplace - Newsy on YouTube - Scripps News, 2015
Lookism and Weightism in Relationships, Schools, Work, and Healthcare YouTube Video – by Dr. Daniel Storage, Psychology of Diversity, July 22, 2021
Podcast:
Well Connected by Murad Podcast – Episode “Why is No One Talking About: Judging People Based on Appearance? Let’s Get Real About ‘Lookism’, a Powerful Type of Discrimination Involving Beauty Ideals”, September 1, 2022
Article References
Adomaitis, A.D.D., Raskin, R. and Saiki, D. (2017). Appearance discrimination: Lookism and the cost to the American woman. The Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal, 2(6), 73-92. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1263&context=ny_pubs
Chiu, R.K. and Babcock, R.D. (2002). The relative importance of facial attractiveness and gender in Hong Kong selection decisions. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(1), 141-155. doi: 10.1080/09585190110092857
Dion, K., Berscheid, E. and Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285-290. doi: 10.1037/h0033731
Myers, D.G. (1999). Social psychology, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Niu, Y. (2023). The impact of lookism on employment decisions: Evidence from China. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion an International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-12-2022-0359
Sims, C.H. (2015). Genderized workplace lookism in the U.S. and abroad: Implications for organization and career development professionals. In C. Hughes (Ed.), Impact of diversity on organization and career development (pp. 105–127). Business Science Reference/IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-7324-3.ch005
Stuart, S. & Zimny, T. (2023). Sly. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_(film)