Shauna Moerke is…

Let me preface this by clarifying that I am not talking about presenting a professional, clean, well-dressed appearance. That should be a given people. I don’t want to suspect my candidates of rolling out of bed 30 minutes before the interview. I’m talking about an individual’s general level of attractiveness. This post is not trying to be shallow, just indulgent of my own insatiable curiosity of odd topics.

Now, in general, a person’s level of attractiveness should have no impact on whether they get the job or not. But, consciously or not, it impacts people’s first impression and can push an already well-dressed candidate a few notches up on the good impression meter. Now, If I remember back to all the book learning for my Master’s (which is done by the way! Yay me!), studies have found that attractive candidates do have a slight edge in getting hired. Their attractiveness can actually work against them for promotions once they are hired, but they do have an easier time finding the job in the first place. Right or wrong, that does seem to be reality.

So my question now is: Does that same standard apply to recruiters as well? The impressions recruiters make on candidates will influence their decisions to pursue a position with your company or not. Recruiters are often the first contact for their organizations so we should all be trying make the best impression we can. Does this mean more attractive recruiters have an edge over others? I don’t know but I am curious what others might think. Personally, I think I need to exercise more, and not just because it’s good for my health.