Let’s Talk about the Three A’s: Age, Appearance, and
Attitude
While probably not politically
correct, the fact is the Three A’s — age, appearance, and attitude — have a
major impact on the plight of the older, unemployed worker. If people think
that these characteristics don’t really matter when evaluating an applicant’s
chances of success in finding a job offer, they are mistaken. Studies have
shown that, for better or worse, personal appearance and the ability to
communicate clearly and convincingly are probably the two factors that predict
best as to whether a person will ultimately land a job.
First let’s talk about age. There
are a number of reasons companies discriminate against older workers – some of
them based on financial reasons and others grounded in deeply held biases
lacking empirical support. On the financial side, employers are often worried
about paying older, and likely more experienced, individuals higher wages.
Obviously, the longer people have been in the workforce with greater education
and job knowledge, the higher they expect to be paid for their talent and
expertise. Hiring a younger person lowers a company’s labor costs. There is
also the widely-held notion that older workers are more likely to get sick,
costing a company money in the face of fast-rising, healthcare expenditures. On
the other hand, there is the misconception, unsupported by hard data, that
older employees take more sick time. The opposite has been proven to the case
as more mature employees are less likely to call-off sick and abuse personal
time to take a long weekend or recover from a late night of partying.
Besides economic considerations
there are prejudices about older employees and their ability to contribute in a
changing world. Many companies feel that with increased reliance on technical
skills, especially the use of computers and social networking tools, older
workers are from another era and age – more specifically, the Stone Age. While
those who entered the workforce before computers were so prevalent might be
behind the learning curve, computer skills and being savvy about social
networking tools can be learned, often quickly and inexpensively at a local
community college.
Among the issues biasing employers
against older applicants are the concerns surrounding personal appearance –
another unmentionable, taboo topic in today’s politically correct
climate. Whether we approve or not, studies have shown there is a bias in
favor of thinner and more athletically fit applicants versus those that are
overweight. In sum, attractiveness, in general, plays a significant part on the
selection process. Despite all of the statements that appearance is on the
outside and it’s what’s on the inside that counts, the fact remains that
personal appearance has a great deal to do with whether a person is hired, or
even called back for a second round of interviews.
Does appearance matter? Well, it
depends. For jobs where there is a high degree of contact with the public or a
company’s customer base, it can be more of a factor than some would like to
admit, especially when first impressions count in furthering a company’s cause,
like getting a foot in the door for a sales rep. For example, my cardiologist
looks like an Olympic high hurdler leaping over desks and examining tables as
he sprints into the waiting area to greet the tall, leggy blond offering the
latest samples of the her company’s cholesterol-reducing medicine. However, for
jobs that would be classified as individual contributor roles, physical
appearance is not terribly relevant. Unfortunately, job interviews involve
making favorable first impressions, and hence no matter how isolated the
position being advertised, the ability of the applicant to impress an
interviewer is an important factor in getting hired.
Finally, there is the matter of
attitude. Angry, resentful, and bitter job applicants do little to help their
cause. All too often the interviewer or HR representative at the company gets
the full brunt of the applicant’s anger and annoyance with their raw deal from
a previous employer along with the natural frustration of a person’s prolonged
job search. While at the end of the meeting the candidate might feel relieved
and momentarily purged, the poor company representative is bewildered, not
knowing what to think.
In other instances a person’s
attitude is primarily a reflection of their sense of defeatism over the whole
job search process. There is no question that it is a grind. A hang-dog
attitude that fails to inspire a sense of energy and optimism in the employment
interviewer will likely lead to a self-fulfilling prophesy and another
rejection letter or rebuff by email or voice message. It should come as no
surprise that one of the leading causes of burnout with any activity results
from trying so hard to succeed with little return for one’s efforts. Thus, it
is important to find ways to keep your spirits up and maintain a positive
attitude in the face of rejection.
Counterproductive attitudes can also
be apparent when an applicant makes it clear that the job being offered is far
beneath the person’s experience level and expertise. On other occasions, bad
attitudes emerge when older workers find themselves being interviewed by people
the same age as their children, and their resentment is palpable. Remember, it
is not the fault of the interviewer or the entry-level HR rep that he or she is
young. It obviously becomes a red flag to a potential employer if the job
candidate cannot seem to get along with younger coworkers. Finally, it is
easier said than done in terms of maintaining your cool when the applicant
draws interviewers or HR reps who are arrogant, disrespectful, or harboring
obvious signs of ageism in their attitudes.
Of course age, appearance, and
attitude are not all unrelated to each other. The older worker may or may not
have made an effort to stay fit. Moreover, those same effects of aging and
appearance also hurt one’s self-esteem and adversely impact a person’s
attitude. Furthermore, extra weight or graying (or no) hair make a person look
and feel older. Finally, feeling defeated and depressed can add years to your
personal appearance and also lead to unhealthy behaviors like overeating. In
other instances, there are even unhealthier behaviors, like alcohol abuse which
deteriorate appearance and take its toll.
While no sure-fire ways exist to
eliminate all of the effects of aging, appearance, and attitude, there are
proven techniques that can mitigate their impact. The key, of course, is to
maintain a level of self-discipline to feel better about your appearance and
have a healthier and more productive attitude, which, in turn, will allow you
to be viewed as a more viable job candidate. In the end, the onus is on
you to show that you can contribute to an organization’s survival and growth in
a period of difficult economic times.
Stephen A. Laser, PhD has over 30
years of experience as a business psychologist. He founded and manages a
Chicago-based consulting firm specializing in advising clients on hiring
employees. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Laser has been a guest speaker to
various groups of unemployed individuals, typically over the age of 40, and
previously taught courses in business psychology at Northwestern University,
Roosevelt University and the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Dr.
Laser is the author of Out-of-Work and Over-40: Practical Advice for Surviving
Unemployment and Finding a Job. He is a regular contributor to The Weissman
Report, has written articles for top media outlets and industry publications
and has been quoted as an expert by BusinessWeek.com, CBS MoneyWatch, Huffington Post, Black Enterprise
and the Chicago Tribune. For more information, please visit www.laserassociates.net.
Source
of images: Photospin.com
No comments:
Post a Comment