Fictional film character Derek Zoolander may approve, but if offering a dating site that only ‘attractive’ people can use didn’t seem risky enough, one controversial website is now trying their hand at recruitment services.
Fictional film character Derek Zoolander may approve, but if offering a dating site that only ‘attractive’ people can use didn’t seem risky enough, one controversial website is now trying their hand at recruitment services.
As reported last week in Lighter Side, where a UK-based woman claimed to be too attractive to work, beauty really is in the eye of a beholder. Now BeautifulPeople.com, a dating site for ‘attractive’ people only, has expanded into recruiting.
Proclaiming “an attractive face is always a great first impression for any business”, the new offshoot of BeautifulPeople.com allows members to engage in both sides of the recruitment process: posting job ads and browsing through the ‘attractive’ applicants.
The website functions through a voting system, in which potential members must be voted on by the community before being granted access to the site. “The vote is fair and democratic,” the website states. “BeautifulPeople does not define beauty, it simply gives an accurate representation of what society's ideal of beauty is as decided by the members.”
The website has accrued controversy for its system before, and this latest feature is sure to cause more. Greg Hodge, managing director of BeautifulPeople.com, said in a statement that ‘honest’ employers will admit that good-looking staff is a benefit. Hodge went on to explain that attractive people make better first impressions, impress clients and earn more.
Is it discrimination? Although ‘attractiveness’ is not mentioned in any Australian anti-discrimination acts, elements that are often equated to it are – predominantly age and physical disfigurement, with ‘physical features’ mentioned in the Victoria Equal Opportunity Act 1995.
