Clothing, hairstyle, makeup, accessories – a code that recruiters decipher instantly. As soon as they see a candidate, they know whether he will fit into the corporate environment or not.
Our perception of others is subjective, but there are signals that we perceive, if not the same, then very similar. Clothes, hairstyle, makeup, accessories and how we present it says more about us than it seems. By appearance, a recruiter understands a lot about character.
- The contrasting combination of colors creates the image of a dominant, domineering person.
- Pastel colors evoke a sense of harmony and peace. Mint, coral, turquoise tones of clothes and make-up help win over the interlocutor.
- Dark clothes give the observer a sense of solidity and reliability.
… And about what we are striving for.
- It’s hard to see a successful top manager in a woman with curls, dressed in a dress with frills and flowers.
- High-end brand logos, flashy watches and cufflinks, frilly shoes, and the latest phone and tablet carefully laid out on the table suggest that the new candidate’s life is to impress. People with a demonstrative character are not the best managers, especially in production.
- Excessive accuracy in appearance is not only a manifestation of the passion to streamline everything, but also a signal that the candidate may be prone to outbursts of aggression.
Yours or someone else’s
Our appearance signals to others who we are and how we live. The first task of the dress code, publicly or privately existing in any company, is to create an image of the company. Large corporations, especially financial ones, are introducing a strict dress code based on the classic style. This is a sign for the outside world: “we comply with uniform work standards”, “we value organization”, “regulations and clarity of execution are more important to us than creative freedom”.
The most stringent dress code restrictions are for those employees who work with clients.
Everything is regulated, including the color of stockings, the size and number of jewelry, the color of nail polish.
The dress code for top managers is much softer and does not include the wearing of ties and neckerchiefs in corporate colors. This is also a kind of signal: “I adhere to corporate values, but I have more rights and freedom of action than the front office.” In some large IT companies, there is a ban on wearing classic clothes. This is a demonstration that the company values creative freedom, openness and accessibility.
Hit or missed
The second task of the dress code is to bring employees to a single model of behavior. The dress code adopted by the company demonstrates to employees what is expected of them.
If your values are freedom, creativity, innovation, you are not with us, we have blue trousers and skirts, white shirts and green ties. If a worker likes to keep everything organized, an office with tattooed youths in orange boots running down the corridors will not suit him.
If an employee does not fit into the visual code of the company and does not want to change the style, he will be isolated
Let me give you an example: once a very organized and systematic top manager was hired to restore order in the company “we are chaos, freedom and friendship”, who on the very first day appeared at work in a striped three-piece suit and cufflinks. The denim office is sad. After a couple of weeks, the director corrected the eyebrows, the hairline on the forehead and refreshed the manicure. Some ladies shyly hid their hands under the table.
After a couple of months of hesitation, the newcomer began to ask the management team why he was not accepted, and received a delicate recommendation to change three-piece suits at least to casual. The manager did not heed this advice and categorically refused to change the style. He wanted to be a model of appearance and attitude to work. Six months later, he left the company.