Looks matter: four in five senior managers say image has great impact on their decision to hire
Bosses seem to place greater importance on the image of staff, as compared to the managers and people who report to them.
According to a survey by the Singapore Chapter of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI Singapore), 75% of senior management, compared to half of lower management feel projecting a professional image is “very” or “fairly” important even for non-customer facing roles such as those in finance, operations, or HR.
Also, nearly 80% of senior management say that image has a great impact on their decision to hire. This is significantly higher than the views of lower management, where just over half say so.
Overall, senior management also give greater weight to image when assigning staff to meet clients or give presentations. This also applies to staff giving internal-only presentations.
Nearly half (47%) of senior management believe image affects their decisions when it comes to promoting a staff, compared to only three in 10 in lower management. Nearly all (95%) senior management executives are more likely to say image has “great” or “some” impact on salary increments and bonuses, compared to about eight in 10 of lower management executives.
“What this means for middle managers and employees, is that looking and behaving professionally is essential at all levels, and needs to be cultivated early,”said Pang Li Kin, President of AICI Singapore. Being polite and courteous, looking fresh and clean, and being clear and confident in one’s speech are hallmarks of a positive image.
