Two career experts explained why a jobseeker's appearance could make or break an interview after a woman went viral for claiming she wasn't offered a job because she hadn't "put enough effort" into her appearance.
"As bad as it sounds, a jobseeker’s appearance is everything, especially if you’re interviewing for a position that is client or customer facing," Labor relations expert Jason Greer of Greer Consulting told Fox News Digital.
"Consider this, from the perspective of the employer: You are an agent of the company, meaning you represent the company in every aspect of your life," he added.
The subject was hotly discussed on social media after a woman's bizarre job interview story went viral. A New York-based TikToker claimed she was told by a recruiter that she didn't land a role at a company after a strong interview due to not "putting enough effort" into her appearance for the VP of HR role she was interviewing for.
"My question is, does not wearing makeup, for women, to job interviews or to jobs, make it seem like they aren’t putting in as much effort or care into the job?" she posed.
Jessica Kriegel, Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture at Culture Partners, told Fox News Digital that these stories are rampant on social media. However, determining what hurt these candidates in the interview process can be hard to pinpoint.
"There are versions of this everywhere. Is the candidate wearing the right clothes? Is their hair ‘right’? Is their weight? Height? All these things can influence leader opinions," she said.
Greer also found the woman's story believable, confessing he had to turn down candidates who showed up to interviews poorly dressed or with prominent visible tattoos.
"Understand this, interviewers are assessing more than just your ability to do a job. They are consistently thinking, ‘Is this someone who will fit into the work environment?’ and ‘Is this someone who our internal and external customers will like?’" he explained.
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Image doesn't just mean how you look, Greer says. As an employee, everything you do represents the company you work for, including your social media.
That's why he advises jobseekers to keep their private lives — including interview experiences — offline.
"My second piece of advice is, stop posting everything online!" he said.
"Recruiters spend an inordinate amount of time researching the social media of prospective job candidates. If a recruiter or hiring manager comes across a social media post where someone is discussing the advice a recruiter gave them about not wearing makeup or whatever the case may be, then they will likely be less inclined to extend an interview request because the job candidate demonstrates a surprising lack of maturity as well as an inability to accept constructive feedback," Greer said.
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The bottom line is to get the part, you must dress the part, both experts said.
"My best advice is to take the constructive feedback to heart and show up in a better light for your next interview. Dress for the job that you want," Greer advised.
Kriegel added that jobseekers who recognize biases exist and rise to meet these hidden expectations will stay ahead of the competition.
"If you want to play in the game, you have to play the game," she said. "Dress for the job you want. Ask yourself what belief do I want this person to hold about me? Then create the experience accordingly."
