Today a press release landed in my inbox about being judged on appearance at work and not being taken seriously by your colleagues. I was quite surprised by the outcome of this research and I am (of course) curious how you experience this.
Now that I think about it a little longer, I have to say that I also had a period at work when I didn't feel taken seriously. Not so much by my colleagues or by my employer, but by a number of customers. Years ago I worked as a business unit manager in IT and from this position I mapped out many processes at customers.
Work processes at government agencies that had to be mapped, improved and subsequently implemented in the software. A field in which many men mainly serve as discussion partners. There have been times where I have not felt taken seriously by the man in question the moment I walked into the office. Until I opened my mouth, haha. I don't think it's because of my appearance though. More because there are not many women in such a position in government agencies.
Anyway, research by Acties.nl shows that it is quite common that employees are judged on their appearance at work and that they are therefore not taken seriously. Tsss…. Here come the numbers!
The willingness to take work off the hands of handsome colleagues is almost three times higher among men (29 percent) than among women (ten percent). I hardly dare to say it, but this doesn't surprise me at all. Typical male behavior, right? By the way, men in their thirties are the most sensitive to this with no less than 38 percent.
Look, I understand that you dress neatly for certain functions. A good basic wardrobe is therefore wise! And I also understand that your boss thinks it is something that is not completely according to the guidelines. But that this also applies to the appearance that is really bizarre. Then why shouldn't you be taken seriously? One is simply blessed with a handsome head and the other less so. But of course that says absolutely nothing about how you carry out your work. And it's completely ridiculous that more is done for someone with a good head than for another!
The research shows that good-looking colleagues in the workplace do not necessarily have it(er) easier. For example, no less than 21 percent of the working Dutch state that they find it difficult to work with an attractive colleague. Thirteen percent also say they take a handsome colleague less (quickly) seriously. When it comes to an unattractive or 'ugly' colleague, this percentage is only eight percent.
Men are once again leading the way in this regard. They are more sensitive to appearances than women. 14% of the men appear to be less likely to take a handsome colleague seriously. For women, this percentage is also just over 10%.
Not only a deviant appearance but also a bad taste in clothing can have a negative influence on your image among colleagues. For example, slippers in the office are not done and a certain appearance at work is expected from flight attendants, for example. A poorly dressed colleague is less likely to be taken seriously at work and sometimes even make up plays a role. Clothing and make-up also play a greater role among the highly educated (18%) than among the practically skilled (8%).
Do you have experience with not being taken seriously? And what do you think is causing that?
