Physical Appearance & Work
Feb 17th, 2009, in Opinion, Society, by RossRoss finds fault in employers’ obsession with physical appearance.
The Camera Cannot Lie, But…
As a change from railing against Islamonutters or other categories of undesirable, perhaps I could provoke discussion of a phenomenon which I have noticed over my years here
when job-seeking.
I refer to the way a significant number of recruitment ads demand a recent photo from applicants.
Only last Saturday in the Jakarta Post there was some school in Bali (oddly unwilling to identify itself) which required such snaps from those who might aspire to be teachers of English Literature. What possible relevance has one’s physical appearance to a knack for explaining Shakespeare?
We had a History teacher in high school who was nick-named ‘Caveman’ because of his ravishingly ugly countenance, but he was a great guy, who kept us all interested. We also had a Maths teacher known as ‘Dolly’ who was (once upon a time) a real looker, but nobody looked forward to her classes. Looks don’t matter if you know your stuff.
I am often offended by employers who bar applicants under thirty years old (though I would be equally indignant were their freedom to be stupid restricted by Big Brotherly anti-discrimination laws) but I can just about figure out their reasoning. It is arguably true that younger people have more energy and/or ambition than us over-30 dinosaurs. And they are too eager for promotion to be stroppy!
But one’s fizzog is surely not a disqualification for anything, unless of course one is recruiting bar-staff for Falatehan, where a pretty face is an undoubted prerequisite in the eyes not maybe of bosses but of many customers. And on the ‘pretty’ issue, I do suspect some Carrefour HRDs may have a photo-requirement, as their shop assistants are generally much cuter than rival supermarkets’.
But the frequency of this demand for office work and educational centres baffles. So what’s the answer to the riddle?
I’ve asked all kinds of folks and disturbingly it has been suggested that the photo is a way to weed out applications from what are inexplicably defined as ‘kampungan’ types (which snobby locals claim to be able to identify by appearance) or maybe jilbab wearers, or non-wearers, or, in the schools arena, non-whites.
Having in the past taught English here with several very effective ‘Afro-American’ instructors, I have to say any such simple-minded discrimination would likely work to an educational institution’s detriment, but if any employer really wants his company to be lily-white….well, it’s up to him, but he really ought to have the guts to say so.
Let’s have some input, please!
55 Comments on “Physical Appearance & Work”
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Indcoup used to say Sogo, weekdays, not that I ever read Indcoup….I once saw a shop attendant in Matahari, TP, sby, who was possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…she just stood out from all the ordinary beauty there…
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Achmad Sudarsono says:
So what happened, Seksi Mr. Patoengs ?
Batik Keris in Plaza Menteng, Jakarta said to be good.
Also Sarinah, if a bit sleepy.
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Nothing much to report, I gaped at her, she walked past in amongst a group of other shop girls going for their break I guess….she was aware of my gaping but semi-ignored it….anyway I can’t help thinking about what sort of a husband she’s got….
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schmerly says:
@..Patung.
anyway I can’t help thinking about what sort of a husband she’s got
Maybe YOU could be the lucky man!!!
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I hope you used some of my seksi tricks to pick up babes, Mr. Patoengs…
Surely, they could even help Schmerly.
Hubba-da-hubba-da-hubba-da-vrrrrrooooommm !
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Yea Patung you could use some Axe aftershave, if you like the smell of cats pee! and use some old chat up lines from the sixty’s, that should get you an old ibu2!! if that’s what your into like some others are.
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Mike Oxblack says:
Totally agree about KFC. They’ve definitely got a policy that compels them to employ spotty bloaters of indeterminate sexuality.
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Farah says:
@ Rob
Why i stay ? could you guarantee that in new place where i work there’s no such harassment ? As far as i know, its a man world, take it or leave it right ? This is field work, not comfy 19 floor conditioned room with large window with Jakarta view. In other jungle this kind of harassment will happened too anyway.I need the money to pay my own bill, and its good money, so i did what ever i could to over come it.
Just telling what i see, what i hear, what i feel. -
Kinch says:
If you guys knew Farah like I know Farah, you’ll keep (your own) firm grip on it and not harass her :D… The woman has teeth.
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Berlian Biru says:
Asking why a person stays on at their job no matter how bad the conditions is rather fatuous in this current economic climate chaps is it not? Do you think that well paid jobs for Indonesian women grow on trees?
As regards the pretty air hostesses (and I pause to consider how we all poo-pooed Farah’s allegations that certain gentlemen might have a sexist attitude to women in the workplace but then recount how much we hate seeing munters working in service industries) the reason behind Qantas’ high quota of oul’ biddies is probably the same as with most big “national” carriers. These women would have been hired decades ago and given that they were often working for big publicly owned airlines they would have the same pension and union rights as civil servants and would therefore be virtually unsackable, whereas the new budget airlines can hire pretty young things on temporary contracts for little more than the minimum wage. For my money the sadly defunct Adam Air had the sexiest girls with Lion Air coming a very close second (man you’ve got to love the big thigh high slits on those dresses).
As an example of how state run airlines seem to never have decent looking stewardesses one should examine Cubana, the state airline of Cuba. I mean you could pick twenty girls at random strolling the Malecon in Havana and you’d have a beauty pageant line up, but leave it to a Communist government to hire the only ugly girls in Cuba to staff their airline.
Ross if you’re now claiming that Matahari girls trump the Carrefour girls well I’ll see you them and raise you the perfume squirters in Pasaraya, my hand I think.
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Ross says:
No, I wouldn’t say so in general terms, but if you have ever seen a flight of swans launching into the sky, you’d find visual echoes in the lunch-hour exodus from Blok M’s Matahari towards the warungs at the back.
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A bit pushed for time yesterday, so felt I ought to review the Pasaraya aspect today – yes, they are highly decorative (a little too much so for my personal tastes, with all those lashings of bedak) but not as friendly as either Matahari or Carrefour girls. But then mayhap Berlian’s demeanour is more ‘cool’ than mine!
Interesting point re Castro’s commettes, though I’ve never risked a flight on a bolshevik airline! -
Mike Oxblack..
They’ve definitely got a policy that compels them to employ spotty bloaters of indeterminate sexuality.
After a while working with all those hormone pumped up chickens, the girls don’t know whether their Arthur or Martha! and the zitts come from all that grease and fat flying about in the atmosphere.
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hary says:
Check out the female employees at any branch of Gold’s Gym lately.
i am tickled to be shown around a gym by young, mini skirts in high heel shoes!!! At home, its buffed ugly, strapping jocks in trainers that do the job.
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The age thing doesn’t bother me so much. What bothers me is the part where employer look for future employees who are between 155-168 cm with proportional weight who is attractive/good looking.
What does looks have to do with the ability to do a job (unless the job is modelling)? -
Your right rima, but we’re talking about a male chauvinist pig dominated society, so I can’t see any change in the next few years, unless en mass brain transplants are carried out!
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How ’bout your society, Schmerly ? Is it “better” than Indonesia ?
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Yes it is especially for women, I was hoping we’d seen the last of you, it’s a bit like finding something unpleasant on the sole of you shoe.
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Oigal says:
In other jungle this kind of harassment will happened too anyway.
Sorry Farah..wrong, it doesn’t happen everywhere! In fact i would venture to suggest becoming rarer every day in international companies.
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Indonesian ladies have a unique beauty which make it one of the prettiest girls in Asia.:)
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diego says:
Señorita Schmerly…,
Were you being harrased by your Indonesian male boss (Bpk. Sugiharto?) when you worked in Indonesia?
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Suryo Perkoso says:
I can just see it now, budhe Schmerly bent over the typewriter in her crisp batik skirt….
Male chauvinist pigs, the lot of you!!
I can see old Schmerly having to get another tourist visa organized to come over and whip your arses.
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Ho!! it’s halfwit moochers, Dopey diego and his chum Bodoh Perkoso the IM comedy act, are you spanking each other yet??
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zekky says:
My Indonesian family is extremely superficial – my dad and cousins dislike (and distrust) “ugly” people including politicians.
The moment they see someone on tv, all they say is “she’s short, he’s dark, they’re fat, she’s got a pimple” etc etc. Interesting to see they’re not the only Indos like this.
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Very nice, Ross.
Anyone care to start a thread on this issue – the best place to meet “shop attendant” gals ?