Are people hired based on their looks?

I must admit, I do discriminate on looks when hiring employees.

If you are beautiful - you will not be hired.

Dont need any distractions for myself, my other staff or clients, I just want the job done well. People who arent so good-looking work much harder, have more dedication and are used to taking abuse.

“Companies who hire people based on their looks will eventually end up losing a lot.”

Wise words. But it should say, companies who dont hire with their heads will end up losing a lot.

I've encounted this before, I wonder if the HR reps where all middle age men? It does come down to company image and also the HR's image, if HR hires a good looking person it makes them look good. Big companies always seem to do it.

Are people hired based on their looks?

Is this a joke? As if we all don't know this.

I would say yes, depending on the role and client/customer exposure they get.

Too ugly and too beautiful are certainly reasons people don't get hired. Very beautiful to very normal are reasons people do get hired. Basically, if you are really ugly, you got the worst of it. And if you are normal leaning toward attractive, you have it the best.

Case in point: I work with a teacher who is gorgeous. It is very difficult for me to judge her personality and skills because I am in such awe of her. I look at her and I just want to scoop her up in my arms. Its not very condusive to working, at least not at this stage. If I had an affair with her I think it would be great across the board for me, but other coworkers might get jealous. And if the affair ended after I had my fill, it would be good for me, but maybe not for her and our positions would be reversed as she would be uncomfortable with me maybe.

I haven't seen the AKB48 vs Not So Cute Girls nor the Tokoro Joji hosted program. Were the NSCG brainy and social? What positions were they applying for? Mickey D's? Entry level clerics? I am wondering if the NSCGs were brainy but lacking social skills (smiles, exuberance)? Some girls (and also guys here and in the states) make me wonder how the heck they got in college. They don't seem intelligent. This is not based just on looks. I overhear them chatting and the grammar/subject matter/opinions make me cringe. I think a better experiment would be to pad the resume similarly (Todai/Kyodai graduate, same certificates/licenses, etc), have the girls dress similarly (perhaps this was done? basic black skirt, white blouse), same weight (why does being slightly overweight equal not so cute? are you telling me there are no skinny not so cute girls?) and have them undergo a test (checking English/Korean/Chinese level for instance. Have the models fail spectacularly and the brainy ones score a perfectly.) and an interview.

I went to an interview recently where all of us had to yell out "ohayogozaimasu", "irashaimase" and "arigatougozaimashita". The interviewer told us before, during and after that session those without loud genki voices may not be offered a job. There were some girls who were embarrassed and didn't really give their all. I wondered if they wanted the job and whether they would be turned down.

I'm a plain Jane and I wish I were a brainiac but I more often than not landed jobs in the states based on my skills and work ethic. Here I submit my resume (I like your background!), ace the telephone interview (We've got good rapport!) and fail the face to face.

Never mind getting the job, in Japan, your looks decide if you even get an interview; what other reason is there for having to attach your photo to your resume?

I once applied for a job with the MIchiko Koshino fashion store in London. They wanted a photo on the resume, but as I'm no looker, I attached a picture of Brad Pitt hoping that the they'd see the funny side, and, well, long story short, they didn't.

Sadly I would have to agree this is at least partly true in my experience. In my younger days (not that I am that old now!) I was - how can I put this politely? - a pretty attractive individual. I had done some modelling in my uni days, didn`t seem to have any problems landing relationships etc etc. I worked in IT and nailed every job I ever applied for. Back then it was a far more male-dominated place, and I only ever remember one job interview from a woman - I got that job too, but that was (it turned out later) because she loved getting more women into IT.

I could not possibly have been the most qualified for the role (I had dropped out of univerisity) and didn`t have any professional qualifications although I did have a lot of experience. I still think looking back though I was paid WAY too much for what I was doing.

HOWEVER - my experience is also once you are through the door you then have to prove yourself, and if you cant, as a minimum you wont be promoted, and you are likely to eventually face ridicule. Don`t know about JApan though - it seems here once you are in, yu are in, especially if you are an attractive female.

I was good at what I did back then but still had to listen to the odd jibe of being a blonde in IT, and always had it in the back of my mind was I really hired for what I can do?

I agree with what some other people have said - if you fall in the middle of the spectrum you are fine, but super-hot or super-not you may run into problems.

As for Kaminarioyaji - I agree that the photo on the resume here seems to be for one reason only, but if anyone else has any other views on it I would love to know. Does it "personalise" the details somewhat?

Oh yeah! The photo with the resume is the standard here. I always smile in the photos and the HR people invariably comment about that and hire me.

Did you (kaminarioyaji) ever doubt the Japanese having a sense of humor?

Did you (kaminarioyaji) ever doubt the Japanese having a sense of humor?

No, Japanese have a great sense of humour, but for certain hirers back in my home country, it's the sort of stunt that may just bag you an interview; but I could never see that happening here.

"In Japan, of course, skills are important too."

Of course! But not more important, apparently.

"Are men who marry women only for their looks truly happy and satisfied?"

Of course not. She has to be able to cook! Seriously though, she has to be warm-hearted and honest and loving.

Moderator: Readers, stay on topic please. This discussion is not about marriage.

Whats with the Korea scapegoating that Japan seems to use whenever a topic on cosmetic surgery comes up?

Do they think nobody in Japan has had a nip and tuck? Or does it make them feel better to say those things so it makes them feel above the Koreans aesthetically because their precious little faces have never been touched by the knife?

After talking about AKB48 and Japanese TV shows (which is rampant with surgically enhanced people), they make comparisons to Korea out of the blue, even though both countries have parallel attitudes and practices when it comes to plastic surgery.

In Japan it certainly is a factor factored in to the hiring process.

If you're good looking in Japan, you can have a very big advantage over others in many fields. We all know people can be very superficial all over the globe but I think Japan and Korea takes the cake when it comes down to peoples looks. They can give so much weight to this factor it's crazy.

azninvasion, nonsense. 50% of Japanese women in their 20s have cosmetic surgery? Yeah right. But that's the rate in Korea, according to an article I just read. Google it. Not only women, but a lot of the men are getting it now too.

It is extremely ironic to see some people here talking disparagingly about this, when they leave crude commentary on other articles with pictures (or sometimes, with no pictures...which they complain about...), mostly of young women. Amazing to behold the hypocrisy, really.

This happens to some extent all over the world, in every segment of society. Yes, in Asian countries it seems far more magnified, but don't tell me it doesn't happen in your own home countries either. I don't agree with it, but that's life.

I had a professor (American) who told me that I shouldn't be worried about getting a job in the future, because of my looks. I remember being quite shocked at the time as I was always trying to be the good student rather than the hot chic back in college. So, the story may not only apply to Japan.

This certainly isn't an issue where I work. My office is about 90% female, and every last one of them is a late-thirties, unmarried, unmarriable, lipless, titless personality-bypass. The lack of physical appeal is matched only by the total lack of business acumen, and a bizarre belief that 27 degrees is cold. Seriously - in a room with 80 women in it, there not one worth a drunken lunge at. Whoever hires in this office has no interest whatsoever in good looks.

Of course I was hired because I'm superb at my job. The fact that I'm an irresistible fanny-magnet is purely coincidental.

I had a teacher at school who said i should be very worried about finding employment due to my looks. He said i would have a better chance attending interviews wearing a pink balaclava and a yello leotard. Maybe this is why i am self employed.

Haha, of course! Everybody knows this acumen already!

BTW they are the ones who get elected too!

I thought it was weird when I was asked for a pic on my resume. I didnt care to be hired (I was bored at home) My skills were way to technical for what they wanted :P

In the end, this is all about finding marriageable "beauties" for the male staff in a company. Pretty sick if you ask me. Who cares about your skill sets, we are gonna hire you cause we expect you to marry the dude sitting in the corner one of these days. Sad.

@azninvasion you sound Korean. Well, Korea IS the cosmetic surgery capital of the world. Where else in the world can you find all sorts of people from ordinary joes to politicians going under the knife just to look good? No, Japan doesn't have 'parallel attitudes and practices' as Korea. Plastic surgery is rampant and socially accepted in Korea, anything from double eyelid surgery to jaw-grinding to nose enhancement. I find it funny that you're trying to deny this. No wonder actresses in those sappy, cliched K-soaps start to resemble one another after a while.

@Ivan LOL, you just made me spit my cuppa all over the keyboard.

Young women in Japan are hired primarily for their looks. Of my 4th year university students, invariably the ones who find jobs first are the best looking. There is no relationship between their academic performance and grades. I've been astounded to see some of the poorest students who seldom attended classes hired by top firms. Diligence and intelligence are of little utility to my female students unless they are also cute. My good women students fair much better in smaller and regional companies. However, women are still hired to be decorations in far too many Japanese businesses. Professors at top level universities have told me their women students have more trouble than mine find jobs because employers fear they have too much confidence and intelligence to stay subservient and make tea.

I think it depends on who is doing the hiring.

If you look at the predominately female professions in Japan (nursing, kindergarten teaching etc) you notice that the girls in these fields can be beautiful, but are equally as likely not to be. I used to work at a kindy, and the girls there ranged from stunning to average to minging.

Interestingly the head teacher was a female (who was responsible for the hiring process), so perhaps that is why. They were all excellent teachers though.

Another company I worked for previously, and also the one I work at now, had a female company director and I have generally found the same thing. Female recruiters are generally less swayed by looks. On the contrary, they are more likely to hire ugly girls.

@IvanCoughalot 03:27 PM JST - 11th June

This certainly isn't an issue where I work. My office is about 90% female, and every last one of them is a late-thirties, unmarried, unmarriable, lipless, titless personality-bypass. The lack of physical appeal is matched only by the total lack of business acumen, and a bizarre belief that 27 degrees is cold. Seriously - in a room with 80 women in it, there not one worth a drunken lunge at. Whoever hires in this office has no interest whatsoever in good looks.

Hahahahaha.... wish I am working in your office. I sure would feel right at home. You've inspired me to give up my Marilyn Monroe poster. Do not need to worship it anymore.

BTW, would you like to have my MM poster? It will make up for what you lack in your office landscape.

Howard Stern (love him or hate him) said it best when he uttered these words: "Being a hot chick is the most important thing in the world"

As I predicted, some commentators are going nuts over this, but I firmly believe this is not a Japan only thing. I believe scientific research has proven that human beings for the most part are visual creatures and architect the majority of thoughts and assumptions of others through first impressions. Furthermore there is the 90/90 rule in which a person makes 90% of judgements and assumptions of another person within the first 90 seconds of meeting someone. In the case of a job interviews I feel that the personal interview is a appraisal of looks and behavior. Is the person professionally dressed? Has good posture? Speaks eloquently? Makes intelligent comments? Has solid business analysis skills? I am not sure if the experiment made it so university students and models were similarly classified in experience and education, but for sure the models should be trained better in the looks and behavior department as I listed in above (perhaps minus the intelligent comments and business analysis I suppose). In that respect I could see why the models would be picked frequently but I really wonder what kind of recruitment process these people went through. For my interviews at multinational firms we had so many steps with grilling skill analysis interviews and tests it made my head spin! The article itself is vague so I guess I won't comment further.

Did you (kaminarioyaji) ever doubt the Japanese having a sense of humor?

That is reminiscent of the MIB line: "No, ma'am. We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor that we are aware of."

Of course when equally talented people are compared for a job, the one who is more attractive will be hired. In some cases, the more attractive person will be hired despite inferior skills. That is true the world over. One may not like it; one may rage and complain over it; but it is a fact, and it will not change, not in our lifetimes, not in our grandchildren's lifetimes.

Fortunately, I'm considered attractive; I've been compared to Richard Gere. Fortunately, they've never seen me with my shirt off - I'd never dare to be a Weiner.

And furthermore, I'd rather spend time with a picture of MM than any of the halfwitted harpies I have to spend my working hours with. I'd rather spend time sitting alone in the dark, crying, than looking at their lipless, witless, titless futility.

My situation is a little different because I work for the U.S. Army but I definitely feel that I am taken more seriously now that I have lost 35 pounds. I feel that a lot of higher ups in the U.S. military associate fat with lazy. Not that I wasn't taken seriously before, but I think I have more cred with the military being in better shape.

Taka

Go to most Japanese restaurants and you will see the good looking people up front and the ugly/older ones hidden working in the back.

Depends on the industry imho. I work in a highly technical industry, never had a good looking woman as a colleague, off course the office's receptionists are like models.

At genjuro

@azninvasion you sound Korean. Well, Korea IS the cosmetic surgery capital of the world. Where else in the world can you find all sorts of people from ordinary joes to politicians going under the knife just to look good? No, Japan doesn't have 'parallel attitudes and practices' as Korea. Plastic surgery is rampant and socially accepted in Korea, anything from double eyelid surgery to jaw-grinding to nose enhancement. I find it funny that you're trying to deny this. No wonder actresses in those sappy, cliched K-soaps start to resemble one another after a while.

You have to admit when an article about plastic surgery comes up such as this one, Japan has enough cases of plastic surgery themselves so they do not have to point to Korea as a reference if they want to talk about it. Yes, Korea plastic surgery is common, but it is not the plastic surgery capital of the world. Your emotionally fuelled reply has made you stray from fact and turned into finger pointing.

Double eyelid surgery to jaw-grinding to nose enhancement is also practised in Japan. At no point in my comment did I deny Koreas plastic surgery rates. You may want to read a comment before replying on it genjuro.

And those 'sappy cliched K-soaps' have been very successful when exported.

Im sorry that you have a personal vendetta against Koreans. Going through your comment history I see you like to define them as:

Koreans - Uncouth, loud less than the Chinese but coupled with inferiority complex toward Japanese + backward(dog-eating)culture place them high.

yawn Yet another prefab, run-of-the-mill K-Pop group imitating what J-Pop has been doing for decades. Nothing new here.

I am sorry that Korean culture is just not enough for you or that Korean plastic surgery means so much to you emotionally that you feel the need to post such derogatory comments repetitively

I am also sorry that your distasteful sentiments on the Chinese have resulted in emotionally fuelled nasty comments on the same note.

Looks do matter when hiring for sure.

PS. The only thing that didnt sit well with me was the random comment they felt the need to incorporate.

For me personally, I do not care what people have to do. I think we can all agree that looks can be a factor of influence for jobs.

So if people want to get plastic surgery (I dont care where they are from) because they think it will help them get ahead or open employment prospects, then, more power to them.

Who am I to say that is right or wrong. I'm not going to put my moral code onto anybody else because that is just beating a dead horse.

being polite, just a curiosity, why do you assume people will be offended when you point out that people get surgically enhanced? Why is it so taboo for you?

Whether a Korean or Japanese goes under the knife it is none of my concern or business but I dont know why you are so invested in the topic.

ivan, you should consider yourself lucky for not having to be distracted by good lookers like the rest of us :)

bicultural - Good one.

Sad but true.. at least in Japan.

Old news, in every country.

Everybody should already know this.

How's that song go?

"If you want to be happy the rest of your life.....

"get an ugly girl and make her your wife...."

@azninvasion wow, I'm flattered you went to the trouble of looking at my previous posts. Desperate for a rebuttal much? I just find it funny you bend over backwards to defend Korean culture in a Japanese news site. Doesn't matter how much denying you do, Korea is known for its plastic surgery and is a popular destination for many Asians for a cheap tuck and lift. Sorry if that blemishes the all-natural, perfect image you have of Koreans and Korea that exists in your head. But hey, whatever makes you happy and sleep better at night. KP!!

azninvasion I think when the article mentioned Korean politicians in particular, it was more of a dig at some of the facially-challenged politicians (and PMs) that Japan has had over the years. Rather than a spiteful remark that Koreans have too much cosmetic surgery, it looked to me like a spiteful remark that Japanese politicians should have a whole lot more of it. Personally I agree. But far be it from me to suggest that anyone is ugly, as that would just upset JTs mods.

And the article is totally true about ugly women only being hired by women who don't have to suck up to a controlling and arrogant boss, regardless of ability. It's also true about beautiful women getting every chance that the rest of the populace can only dream of. It's also true that often those beautiful women cause major embarrassment to their employers with their total incompetence. But the whole world already knew all that, and although it never hurts to be reminded of cold, hard facts I really think this article is too honest for it's own good - it's all too obvious.

@azninvasion wow, I'm flattered you went to the trouble of looking at my previous posts. Desperate for a rebuttal much? I just find it funny you bend over backwards to defend Korean culture in a Japanese news site. Doesn't matter how much denying you do, Korea is known for its plastic surgery and is a popular destination for many Asians for a cheap tuck and lift. Sorry if that blemishes the all-natural, perfect image you have of Koreans and Korea that exists in your head. But hey, whatever makes you happy and sleep better at night. KP!!

I never denied anything. You seem to find a lot of things funny. A persons body does not constitute a beautiful heart therefore I do not care whether anybody has surgery because it is not my business nor my country. I just think you were too one sided.

And I'm confused by your point. How does having cosmetic surgery blemish somebody? They are the same person?? But if you think differently that is superficial and no way to be with people. The image I have of Koreans and Japanese I never think of looks but I know they have warm character. Do you judge people based on their face? It sounds like you think anybody who has had work done is sub-par or a second grade citizen; thats shallow. But based on your other (less hateful) previous posts and I know you are not shallow.

My only point was that this article could have incorporated Japanese examples instead of an international one because there are more than many sufficient local examples. A suggestion for the journalist for maybe a little bit more balanced reporting- just that one point, (this article is beautifully written however.)

I love Japan, why do you think I spend time on japantoday.com? But again, balance is important and I believe I am free to criticise especially considering this is a site intended for international people. You might like to cool it with the explicit Anti-Korean/Chinese sentiment in your posts though. You might not like the countries, but I can promise you there are very interesting people from those countries that it would be a pity not to know due to prejudice. Not everybody is a dog eater or are unrefined in basic manners (your words) you know.

@dammit Yeah; it was just a comment in passing that I wrote but it had to turn into multiple comments; the other posters' comments went too past the line.

The past few exchange of comments between myself and genjuro makes it sound like I have taken some offence of epic proportions to the journalist but this is not at all! Just a observation in passing.

But in regards to genjuro that was very unfortunate.

I know some people in Korean movie biz, and they say all the younger Korean actresses have been tucked and nipped somewhere.

shall i put it out there that, traditionally, female members of staff are put there as wife candidates for the men? in which case, this is understandable, if not to be condoned

@Griff

That was put out there a couple days ago, I think.

Of course people are hired based on their looks (and height and weight). But, no employer in the world would ever admit to it. Yes, there are so-called equal opportunity laws and such, but they're purely a facade and so many companies find ways to get around them. Unfortunately this discrimination is a part of human nature, and while there are exceptions to the rule, most people would feel more attracted casually and professionally to people who are good-looking and not fat.

That your looks is a key factor in a job interview is a given, no news there, especially in Japan where "funiki" and "inshou" are more important than anything else.

The really big question is: What are we, ordinary people, doing to try and change this? Look around yourselves at our media-saturated, celebrity-obsessed world that values youth/looks/image more than anything else. Things just didn't get this way all by themselves, we live in the world we live in because so many of us secretly admire those who meet our random notions of what beauty is/should be. Until we really try, really really try to get it into our heads that it's the inside that counts.... well, nothing's going to change. Sho ga nai.

Look around yourselves at our media-saturated, celebrity-obsessed world that values youth/looks/image more than anything else.

Good point. After all, not all of us can look like a Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, or a slim model like a Heidi Klum. But hey, that's what a lot of media, Hollywood and such try to subliminally push upon everyone; that beautiful people are successful, rich, and loved by everyone.

Until we really try, really really try to get it into our heads that it's the inside that counts.... well, nothing's going to change. Sho ga nai.

Try telling that to my fellow expat co-workers at the eikaiwa I work at. Time and time again, I see them chatting up only the good-looking students and customers coming for information, while not even giving a glance at others. It makes me really ashamed as a foreigner. And then, when they see me greeting everyone else (and women who they deem "average-looking"), they give me a bit of a smirk like I don't have the balls to talk with someone beautiful. And to think these guys probably did the same thing back in their own countries. These immature people have never learned that it's human decency to greet and show a certain amount of respect to everyone, no matter how they look.

like some people have said is not a big shocker...I mean unless you live under a rock you will notice that looks do matter, disregarding that people have different taste..people tend to prefer people that in their perspective are good looking, especially in customer service jobs. That is why usually fast food places will have mostly teenagers to tweens working, and if you go into retail stores the same. The very first job I got, no previous experience was in a fast food place, and when they interviewed me they asked if I wanted to work in the front or the back and I told them I prefered to be in the back because well at the time I though it would be hard to speak to people since I am shy..well they first put me to help make burgers but the person that was supposed to teach me told the manager that she should put me in the register instead..and well I became a cashier and it wasn't so hard, and well a lot of guys would hit on me and some would even tell me that the reason they liked going there was because of all the pretty girls and we had guys too but as you could guess they were what people would consider good looking and the girls would usually want to be served by them and well although being good looking is a perk is also a bad thing because people tend to think that you don't work hard for what you get..I cannot tell you how many times I would get tips and every time i would get tips people always had bad things to say like how come she gets tips she doesn't even do anything, or oh I wonder what "extra" services she provided and stuff like that but the people that gave me the tips would tell me your working too hard you should take it easy..since most people didn't like taking out the trash, and surprisingly when I would get the majority of my tips was when I wasn't even attending the people I would just be working and some would be like come over here, here you and don't ever stop smiling, and they would tell me how they liked me because I didn't have a grumpy face like other people working there but to my co-workers it looked like I was never doing anything and I was just getting extra money and they weren't so I would get bullied by the majority of my co-workers...and same thing happened in my second job people started being mean to me once they would notice I would get tips :( even though personally I don't consider myself attactive I would take being less "attractive" so people will talk to me :/ but everyone thinks I'm stuck up

Is Japanese that insecure? Your looks might get you a job and get you a start, but in a long run, it's more about your creativity, hard work, confidence, ethics, relating to people, and improving your skills. Even if you can work hard, but cannot keep up with others, even the good looking ones end up losing their job. The average looking ones can become winners.