The Tribune

By Ian Ferguson

Employers have for many years seen the benefits of hiring front-line employees who have a high degree of physical beauty to welcome and serve their patrons. Studies continue to demonstrate that people are more inclined to purchase goods and services from individuals who they feel are attractive and present themselves well.

For the human resources professional, though, this sourcing and recruiting of ‘sexy’ individuals is a daunting task, particularly in a small labour pool. It is daunting because many of the physically-attractive potential hires are often void of even basic skills, and are not blessed entirely with grace, professionalism or technical competencies. Today, then, we examine the benefits and pitfalls of hiring for beauty.

When you walk into some business establishments, it becomes quite obvious within moments whether or not the employer has made some effort to secure the service of ‘eye candy’ in hosting his or her guests. One of the often unspoken requirements of many front-line jobs, particularly in tourism-oriented establishments, is that the person should have a beautiful smile and a pleasant manner. Essentially, this means that the person should be pleasing to look at and, in some lines of work, should be appealing enough to make a pass at.

Employers know that when you hire for beauty you open your company to a potential increase in sales, since many customers will want to engage the beautiful person serving them. While these statements perhaps makes the consumer base seem rather superficial, the truth is that much of this behaviour occurs in the subconscious, and most of us are not even aware it is happening.

Attractive sales girls will tell you quite candidly that in order to secure best sales scores they must be at their best in appearance, sometimes adding the extra frills to capture the eyes and attention of those purchasing.

The ‘not-as-attractive’ sales lady will tell you, perhaps reluctantly, that she has to work a little harder with make-up, eye catching hair styles, and more revealing clothes or fragrances to captivate the prospecting customer.

Some companies have gone as far as to explicitly warn their team members not to exceed a certain dress size, and to wear make-up and clothing that enhances the appearance since there is a direct correlation between how you look, how you serve and how customers buy.

Perhaps there is a little psychology at work, too, as we consider the topic ‘eye candy at work’. Beautiful people are typically more confident individuals who have received a great deal of affirmation and attention, which leads them to be more outgoing, sociable and extraverted. This serves the front-line sales and service business quite well, as these are necessary traits.

While we cannot discourage employers from identifying the ideal profile of their prospective employees, we warn them to balance physical looks with skill and ability, plus the positive attitude the individual must have to successfully serve their guests

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.