Handsome men rejected for competitive jobs: study

LONDON — Handsome men are seen as more capable, and as such are more likely to be hired by managers in workplaces that reward team performance as they are perceived to help further a decision maker’s own success, according to research by UCL School of Management.

In competitive departments however, like sales for example, good looking men are discriminated against as they appear threatening to their colleagues.

The same effect does not apply to women as female attractiveness was not found to be associated with competence.

Author of the study, Assistant Professor Sun Young Lee, said she believed this was because physical stereotypes interact with gender stereotypes.

As a result, managers may make hiring decisions to serve their own self-interests and organisations may not end up getting the most competent candidates, the study showed.

Dr Lee warned organisations to take heed of this in recruitment processes.

She suggested engaging external representatives to improve the selection outcomes. Also, making managers more accountable for their decisions so “they’ll be less motivated to pursue self-interests at the expense of the company,” Dr Lee said.