I know, I know. You’re like Obi-Wan Kenobi when it comes to separating looks from credentials in candidates. So principled in your approach, never moved when presented with a slightly less-than-qualified candidate who looks like Brad Pitt (if you’re Ms. Hiring Manager) or Jessica Alba (if you’re a dude hiring manager, otherwise known to the world-at-large as "pig").
Relax my puritan friends. I’m not here to talk about the breaks you gave the attractive young guns in
your department when you hired them. I’m here to wonder aloud once you mentor them into the stars they’re going to become, if they’ll get full credit for the knowledge, skills and abilities they bring to the table. Sad but true – we sometimes discriminate against the attractive, but capable, by wondering if they deserved what they got.
Case in point? Let’s take the topic of the female sideline reporter in football and basketball. For years, you had two versions – the attractive female reporter who really didn’t know what was going on, and the female sideline reporter who knew the game but wasn’t going to end up in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
This just in – there appears to be evolution in play, because now sideline reporters are showing up with looks AND brains. Unfortunately, the male viewership remains primarily focused on the looks dynamic, while female observers wonder aloud whether a female with looks and knowledge of the game is good for women in sports. Why? Because they’re concerned everyone will assume she got to that level because of her looks.
From a recent female-only review of Erin Andrews over at Deadspin, a reportedly attractive sideline reporter on ESPN:
"The position of the sideline reporter is inherently ridiculous, existing only to wear enough outerwear so the viewers at home know what the weather condition on the field is ("You can see from my wet-yet-fashionable hat that it’s raining here in Seattle."), to star in a one-person performance of ‘Totally Obvious Theatre’ ("The jagged splinters of what used to be his femur are causing him some discomfort so we may not see him in the second half.") and to walk backwards while thrusting a microphone into the face of a State Trooper-swarmed coach after the game.
That said, I like Erin Andrews. She does the best that she can with the sh*t that she’s given. And she’s good at it. She knows the game, whether it’s football or baseball or hockey and despite being a Pretty Pretty Princess, she’s not some hollow-skulled ring girl who parades around between rounds and worries whether she’ll need the card that reads "2" before the one that says "3".
It’s also totally unsurprising that she’s parlayed her lustrous mane and ability to look nice in knitwear into endorsements off the field. Good for her. If I could use my jagged teeth and asymmetrical eyes to charm my way into anything other than an extra packet of Polynesian sauce for my McNuggets I totally would too."
That’s a pretty fair analysis, but not the norm. Think about the attractive folks you know who are also very capable professionals. Ever hear anyone question if they flirted their way to the top or make light allusions to that? Ever hear a rumor of an improper relationship? It happens all the time.
For the less than talented, that’s a fair play. For the professional at the top of the performance bell curve, it’s sour grapes. Think about the high end sales professionals you know. A certain level of attractiveness has become an entry-level requirement, but over time, the sales pro usually makes their bones by their ability to close. Still, especially on the female side, you hear references to the "pretty face" all too often.
I know this all to well, of course, from experience. If I had a dollar for every time someone attributed my career success to my looks, I’d be…uh…well…. OK, I’ve never heard that or felt that, but perhaps somewhere someone has said it – then burst out laughing with their friends…
Next time you feel the urge or hear someone’s accomplishments and creditability get cut down due their good looks, take an objective look at their performance. But please…stop staring first… you’re embarrassing yourself…
I understand the issue, I just can’t identify with it. LOL
As a person who has recruited I have received my fair share of crap for “hiring” good looking women for sales, engineering and manufacturing positions in the past. Then later hearing comments about how suprised people where on how smart or capable the hirees were.
Good looks may help to open a door, but they do sometimes make it harder to stay once in.
But like I said, this is an intellectual understanding of the problem, never one I have personally experienced.
I am surprised you didn’t head into the financial show arena with this topic. The Daily Show does a great commentary called “the hot chick and the bald guy” to attempt to explain the difference in “competency requirements” for male vs. female.
I’m glad you brought up this topic. It was odd that ESPN’s Monday Night Football took out two women sideline reporters this year, yet one more was added for College Football on ABC (ESPN and ABC are partners). I think it’s the audience and demographics for these changes.
In MNF, people don’t care about sideline reporters, they want to watch the game and follow their players for fantasy football and that has become successful. In College Football, you get the game and the cheerleader shots, plus college needs added attention since there’s no fantasy leagues plus young men watch college football.
Performance wise, women sportscasters are doing a great job (with looks or no looks). However, being the number one play-by-play announcer for women will prove it’s anyone’s league and we’re not there yet.