A study from two sociologists reveals an interesting pattern regarding perceptions about how men and women earn promotions, make more money and get ahead at the office. It seems that attractiveness at work pays dividends for young professionals from ages 24 to 32. How men and women go about achieving this attractiveness differs though.
The research found that good looks play a role in how someone advances through a professional life. People who exhibit more attractiveness at work find it easier to land a job, have more positive performance reviews, earn more income and move up the career ladder faster than people who are less attractive. A person's job status may depend on how long someone prepares for work in the morning.
Women's looks depend on how well-groomed they are, which correlates to how much time women spend getting ready in the morning. Curling hair, putting on makeup and using the right hair products might all contribute to a woman's attractiveness at work. Men also need to use appropriate beauty products, but they get ahead both on natural good looks and applying the right amount of products to make them look and smell pleasant.
Jaclyn Wong at the University of Chicago and Andrew Penner at the University of California, Irvine, authored the study. They say that attractiveness leads to 20 percent more income over less attractive coworkers. Grooming accounts for 100 percent of women's looks, but only half of men's good looks. The sociologists examined the responses of 14,000 people who took a nationwide study.
The authors say their research shows that the premium employers place on attractiveness varies greatly with whether someone is male or female. However, both sexes view attractiveness at work with the same importance. Although women make less money than men, the income discrepancies were the same for men and for women; less attractive men make less money than attractive males.
On one side of this study, researchers note it may be easier for women to earn a promotion based on good looks because it depends less on perceptions of natural beauty and more on cosmetics. The other side is the notion that attractiveness at work plays a sexist role in that women need to look good to get ahead. The study's authors believe women spend more time on beauty routines because they have more options in terms of makeup, hair products, skin creams and other aids. Men have less socially acceptable means of looking attractive; men at work typically do not put on makeup or shave their legs.
Grooming and looking good are part of the interview process, as candidates try to get any possible edge — and this attitude seems to be natural, considering the highly competitive nature of getting a job. However, previous studies are mixed about the advantages of attractive people in terms of professional fulfillment.
Researchers have yet to determine why good looks matter at the office, but the study suggests that both women and men should strive for attractiveness at work when trying to advance their careers and earn more money. Time spent in front of the mirror may be well worth it.
Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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