How much does what candidates wear to interviews tell you? Or do you even care?
When I first moved to DC and began interviewing around, my sister told me I needed to dress more
conservatively. Not that I was showing up in a bustier and fishnet stockings… I save those goodies for the weekend. I generally look like I have stepped out of a Banana Republic advertisement for their suiting line… Yet still, she said I needed to keep the suit but wear less makeup, less jewelry, and just be less trendy. People in DC are very conservative, she quipped. And apparently, in the business setting, she seemed to think that I looked a bit out of place. I refused to give in though – I would not compromise my fashion sense just to get a job. Who cares about furthering my career! I’d rather look good…
Sitting on the other side of the table and from a recruiter’s perspective, I don’t know if I’ve ever thought any less of a candidate who was fashionable. I might have looked them over with envy if they had great heels or a banging suit on… but looking good is never to one’s detriment. Showing up sloppy though… that’s another story.
I’ve done most of my recruiting in Seattle and DC, and a little bit in London, too. I’ve recruited for both the public and private sectors and at every level of the organization from file clerk to C-suite. Each city and sector, and the various industries I’ve been in, are very different from one another. Different cultures dictate different norms, so I hear… but I don’t buy it. White collar job? Have a white collar on. I expect candidates to show up for interviews in a suit. [Tech candidates, you’re the only ones I’ll exempt… I still expect a collared shirt at minimum though. Granted, I’ve never done start-up or high-tech… the expectation for interview attire is most definitely different there. I’m still not sure if I agree. ]
If I greet you in the lobby and see anything less, I will absolutely have a difficult time getting past that. I don’t expect you to be dressed to the nines with perfectly shined shoes, sparkly cufflinks or a designer handbag/attaché case – this isn’t a date. But I do expect you to arrive dressed to impress because otherwise, how am I to know that you care? I want to know that you put some thought into your ensemble because making a good impression matters to you and you are the kind of guy/gal who thinks about details.
So, wipe off the crumbs folks. Make sure you haven’t any major spots, check for spinach in your teeth. Sloppy dress = sloppy work. I think there’s something to that.
You are so right! It truly is about looking professional, touches of personality are good but candidates should let recruiters focus on their skillsets and attributes.
And it carries over into your “business casual” too -you’re always projecting your work ethic so once candidates get the job, invest in some reasonably casual yet “I’m on the job” clothes if your office is relaxed about dress.
K.
This past week I spent sometime in Southern California. I happened to be working out of a Hampton Inn and would occasionally go sit in the lobby for a change of view. California Pizza Kitchen was having a job fair there duing my stay. As I sat in the lobby I watched the candidates come and go. I was somewhat taken aback by the lack of what I would call “interview wear.” No one came in a tie or dress, let alone a suit. Almost everyone was wearing jeans. Some were neat, others not so neat.
I asked a couple of the CPK recruiters about it and what they expected. They said they realized in that situation that they would not get “interview wear” and they were looking for neatness. Since they have a three round interview process that is all they wanted on the first step. If someone got invited for round two then they expected a different level of dress. Based on some of the candidates I saw I am not sure they will get that. Based on appearance I am not sure they will be able to staff their store, at least the front or public side of the house. But then it was Southern California. lol
I agree with you that neatness is what counts, but candidates do need to consider how they dress in terms of the job/industry/corporate culture, etc. As an executive recruiter, one of the things I cover with candidates before they interview with my client is how they should dress for the interview (to match the culture/position). The way a candidate dresses is another one of those – if it’s right, no one notices, but if it’s wrong, it’s a distraction and can knock someone out of consideration.
I can think of a particular example where a candidate came to our office to interview with me for a sales position in the consumer products industry. She arrived in a full length fur coat, covered in David Yurman jewelry, carrying a huge Louis Vuitton handbag, and rocking 4 inch heels. She had experience in a similar type of role, but the only thing my colleague commented on after she left was how she dressed, and that she looked “expensive”. That’s not what clients want out there selling their detergent. While her photo would have looked great in Vogue or any other fashion magazine, her look likely wouldn’t play well sitting in the lobby in Bentonville, Arkansas at Wal-Mart waiting to meet with a Buyer.
It’s fairly common for clients to comment on how a candidate dressed for an interview – and usually when they do it’s because something was a distraction or “not right”. So the rule of thumb should be to investigate what is appropriate for the industry/position and dress accordingly. And if a candidate prefers to dress a certain way that is not in line with “the norm”, then it’s likely there are other factors in play that make the culture/position not an ideal match for them either.
I dug the post and the comments – here’s my two cents…
My HR shop serves a software company, similar in some ways to the Microsoft climate that JLee linked to. We recently went to an “all casual, all the time” policy. Jeans and sneakers any time you want it…
Couple of observations – first from the candidate front. Want to blow a candidate away? Tell them you are casual (like us) or biz casual (like many of you) as a precursor to the interview – and watch them flop around and ultimately, make bad choices. Better to tell them nothing and see who they are and the decisions they make as they interview.
Also, even if I’m cool with biz casual for the interview, you can’t do multiple interviews and not have someone point out that candidate didn’t bring his A game from a dress standpoint. Someone always holds you not wearing a suit against you – but it rarely works the other way.
Now for me – I helped bring the casual dress code in, and I’ll be darned if I can get comfortable in jeans and Adidas Monday through Thursday. When I wear it, I just don’t feel as professional grade… Scary….
I really like the photo in this entry specifying proper dress. It’s good to juxtapose what is proper versus improper visually. What is the original source?
Some time before, I needed to buy a good car for my firm but I didn’t earn enough money and could not buy anything. Thank God my sister adviced to get the credit loans from banks. So, I did that and used to be satisfied with my consolidation loan.
That is a huge difference, but much of course depends on the seriousness of the company and the human resources department.