Did you ever see the old Twilight Zone episode The Eye of the Beholder? It’s a classic. The episode is set in a hospital and is focused on a woman whose face is completely bandaged. The doctors and nurses talk in hushed voices about this being her 11th procedure to help her look “normal.” You never see their faces either until the dramatic climax. The bandages are removed revealing a very pretty woman, however the medical staff’s reaction is one of horror – and we are ultimately horrified when we get a load of them. The hospital staff is revealed and they all have crazy pig snout noses and very disfigured and disturbing faces.
The episode concludes with these words:
Now the questions that come to mind. Where is this place and when is it? What kind of world where ugliness is the norm and beauty the deviation from that norm? You want an answer? The answer is, it doesn’t make any difference. Because the old saying happens to be true: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this year or a hundred years hence, on this planet or wherever there is human life, perhaps out amongst the stars. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A lesson to be learned— in The Twilight Zone.
So what happens when the eye of the beholder is a recruiter? A beautiful resume doesn’t always land a candidate a job. We all have heard and experienced first hand – whether on a job hunt or in hiring mode – that that an engaging smile, firm handshake and tasteful clothing matter for that critical first impression. However, how much does beauty really matter when a candidate walks through the door?
NEWSWEEK recently surveyed hiring managers and job seekers about the role of beauty in the workplace. The results? Looks matter. Do you agree with these findings? Be sure to let us know.
54% of hiring managers advised spending as much time and money on looking good as perfecting a resume.
Two thirds of business managers said they believe some managers would hesitate before hiring a qualified job candidate who was significantly overweight.
64% of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on looks when the job requires an employee to be the “face” of a company at retail stores or in sales.
57% of hiring managers believe the unattractive have it harder at work; while 68% believe that looks impact the way managers rate job performance.
47% of all hiring managers said that they believe some women are penalized for being too good-looking in the office.
Cue the freaky Twilight Zone music: I was just telling my kids about that episode a few days ago. That one still creeps me out!
It still creeps me out too! It’s definitely one of the most memorable Twilight Zone episodes ever. I have to admit though, that my all time favorite comes from the movie made in the 80′s – the episode with John Lithgow: “There’s a man on the wing of this plane!” That being said (and a mental note to go to Netflix) – I have to admit that I was surprised by some of the findings, especially 68% of hiring managers believe that looks impact the way managers rate job performance. Not so good.
Annette, you know that original episode had William Shatner in the plane (I’ve got all the episodes at home–nerd alert!). – j