[ad_1]
- Melissa Weaver was turned down for a job as vice president of human resources at a tech company because of her appearance.
- Recruiters said Weaver didn’t put enough effort into his image during the video interview.
- Weaver wore no makeup but said she wore a blazer, collared shirt and gold earrings.
This article is based on Melissa Weaver30 years old, working in human resources. After a recent video interview for a human resources job at a technology company, The New Yorker was disappointed to learn she didn’t advance to the next round. When Weaver asked for feedback, the recruiter responded in an email reviewed by Business Insider that she was “concerned that you were not putting enough effort into your appearance when you were interviewing for the VP position.” For the sake of brevity and clarity, The following content has been edited.
Last December, I was laid off. When I started looking for a new job, I wanted to make sure it was one where I felt like I had a lot to contribute. I found a job opening on LinkedIn for a VP of Human Resources, which I thought was ironic considering what was happening.
I looked at the job description and knew it was consistent with what I had done before. I researched this company and its core values and again this is very ironic. Then I applied. The recruiter reached out and said my background matched their requirements.
The interview was conducted via video. I wore a black blazer and a collared shirt, both ironed. I wear small gold earrings. I had my hair blow-dried and my nails were beige. Everything I do is consistent with business attire. But I wasn’t wearing any makeup and I figured it was no big deal. But obviously, it was for her.
I thought the interview went very well. I have great answers to questions. Coming from a recruiting background, I know how to talk to people. It was supposed to be 30 minutes, but it was closer to 40 minutes. By the time the call ended, I was really optimistic.
worried about my appearance
A few days after the interview, I received an email from the recruiter saying that I matched their requirements in terms of experience and that my values aligned with theirs, but they would not be moving forward. I decided to seek something back. She wrote back and said she was concerned I wasn’t putting enough effort into my appearance.
My reaction was a bit of shock. First, someone will write this in an email. But more importantly, in 2024, this is still happening. I am passionate about the company and I know I would be a good fit for this position. I can only assume she was concerned that I wasn’t wearing makeup since I was already doing other things. So it’s really confusing to hear that because I didn’t do it, that I’m somehow less qualified, or that it seems like I’m not that passionate about the job.
I don’t like wearing that much makeup for various reasons. 1. Cosmetics are too expensive. Cosmetics are a multi-billion dollar industry for a reason. It’s not something I enjoy doing either. I have a lot of friends who are happy to spend 45 minutes to an hour doing their makeup. This is their zen time. Support them, but I’d rather invest in my skin care products. My dermatologist and I are on a first-name basis.
I grew up in the South in a culture where you had to wear a face covering to go to the grocery store. My mom and I joke that there are probably women whose significant others have never seen them without makeup. At night, they take off their makeup, put on new makeup, and go to bed. For everyone.
I dressed up.
In my TikTok comments about this experience, people would say things like, “I’ve actually heard that I wear too much makeup for interviews.” Or, “I shouldn’t wear red lipstick because it’s too strong. ” One woman said that when she started wearing makeup, she got more assignments at work. For others, it’s weight loss. In 2024, it’s incredibly frustrating that our appearance is somehow related to our ability to work. Many people use makeup to enhance their features. But it’s a little crazy to think that’s a requirement.
I dressed up for the interview. Dressing well shows that you are passionate about the job and take it seriously. This applies to both men and women. So, when recruiting, I never judge whether a guy wears makeup or whether a guy has long hair, as long as it’s well-groomed. I did have someone show up to a film interview in pajamas once. In that case, I thought, “For a senior position, I’m not so sure about this.”
In fact, makeup is only suitable for women. Men shouldn’t use foundation or contour or anything else. But gender-specific stuff affects the character in a certain way, and that’s not good.
If this comment was coming from a man, it might be more shocking because I’ve worked in recruitment and no male colleagues have ever commented on a woman’s makeup. Maybe, the problem for women is that they wear it themselves so that they expect it from another woman.
I don’t think this experience will necessarily change the way I approach job hunting because I want to be part of a company that has a supportive culture and doesn’t have the expectation that women have to wear makeup. Making sure the company has an inclusive culture is very important to me.
Recruitment is the face of the company.
I don’t think it’s necessarily fair to judge an entire company based on one person, even though the recruiter is often the face of the company, or the first face you see. So that’s something to be aware of. I don’t think I could learn all that I wanted to know about a company culture based on the first person I met, or even the first few people. That’s why I like a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews with different people. While some may find this tiring, I appreciate it because you really get a feel for the many different people in the company.
What I’ve always loved about working in HR is that it’s a people-oriented role. That’s why I want to find an employer with an inclusive culture and where I can contribute to it. It’s about women supporting women and men supporting women. It gave me a better understanding of what my passion is and I want to make sure I bring that to the company.
I didn’t write back to the recruiter because I didn’t think it would make a difference. Several people encouraged me to forward her email to the company’s HR director. I don’t know if I will. You are also worried about being hacked.
HR work can be demanding, but at the end of the day, I love it. I love working with people. So I knew this was the lane I wanted to stay in.
I didn’t create TikTok to bash the company or anything like that. I never wanted it to be a crusade. I just want to hear what people have to say and if it sparks a conversation then I’d love it. Many of the comments I received were supportive and pointed out the double standard. The fact that a lot of them were encouraging me made me feel positive, and just because one recruiter feels that way, it’s not the opinion of the majority.
[ad_2]
Source link