Physical appearance remains an asset at the workplace

An advantage with a doubling impact

When a person is judged physically attractive, people tend to attribute other positive qualities to them. (Envato Elements pic)

PARIS: Kahlil Gibran wrote that “beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” However, it’s a safe bet that the Lebanese-American writer never had to confront the “beauty privilege”, which brings many workplace advantages.

A recent American study highlights a striking link between physical attractiveness and professional success, particularly among young graduates.

Published in the journal Information Systems Research, this study asserts that being perceived as physically beautiful can have a lasting influence on career paths.

MBA graduates who meet today’s beauty standards not only earn higher salaries than their less attractive peers, it’s also easier for them to attain prestigious positions.

To reach these conclusions, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California studied data from over 43,000 MBA graduates, using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.

They were able to observe the evolution, over a 15-year period, of the link between physical appearance and professional success.

It turns out that, on average, graduates deemed attractive enjoy a “beauty premium” of 2.4% on their annual earnings, ie, around 2500 US dollars more than their less physically privileged peers. And for the top 10%, this bonus climbs to over US$5,500 a year, generating considerable differences over the course of a career.

Beyond salary, the impact of appearance also influences career opportunities.

Fifteen years after graduation, individuals perceived as attractive are 52% more likely to hold prestigious positions. However, this advantage varies from sector to sector.

Professions involving a great deal of social interaction, such as consulting or management, place greater value on physical appearance, while its impact in technical fields, such as IT or engineering, are much less pronounced.

“[The study] shows how appearance shapes not just the start of a career, but its trajectory over decades. The findings reveal a persistent and compounding effect of beauty in professional settings,” explains Nikhil Malik, lead author of the study, in a press release.

The root of the beauty premium

So, what’s at the root of this “beauty premium”? Psychologists attribute it to a phenomenon known as the “halo effect.” Theorised by American psychologist Edward Thorndike, this effect describes a cognitive bias that influences one’s perception of a person on the basis of a single characteristic, whether positive or negative.

When a person is judged physically attractive, people tend to spontaneously attribute other positive qualities to them, such as intelligence or kindness, even in the absence of concrete evidence.

This mechanism can act like a self-fulfilling prophecy: a person who is considered beautiful attracts more positive attention, which in turn favours self-confidence, leadership skills and extroverted behaviour. All traits particularly valued in the professional sphere.

Implications and concerns

This “beauty premium” raises major ethical questions. While attractiveness may seem to offer advantages, it should not overshadow the importance of competence. Especially as the benefits of beauty vary according to gender and age.

For example, men perceived as attractive often see their salaries rise rapidly, whereas for women, this effect manifests itself more gradually, as economist Eva Sierminska explained in a scientific article entitled “Does it pay to be beautiful?”

Furthermore, the appearance of individuals who are extremely beautiful is not always perceived positively in the professional sphere. This kind of physical appearance can raise concerns and provoke negative emotions in those who are less physically privileged, which can then become an obstacle to being hired and to career progression.

There is also a danger of beauty being conceived of in cliché terms, such as associating beauty with a lack of intelligence.

In other words, even people considered very beautiful can be penalised by their appearance in the world of work. This underscores the importance of companies reviewing their recruitment and talent management practices to ensure that looks never determine an employee’s value.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of physical appearance on professional success, particularly among young graduates. However, it also underscores the need to re-evaluate our assumptions about beauty and its role in the workplace.

FAQs

* What is the “beauty premium”?
The “beauty premium” refers to the additional benefits that physically attractive individuals enjoy in their careers, such as higher salaries and greater career advancement opportunities.
* How does the “beauty premium” vary across different sectors?
The “beauty premium” varies across different sectors, with greater emphasis on physical appearance in professions involving social interaction, such as consulting or management, and less emphasis in technical fields, such as IT or engineering.
* What is the “halo effect”?
The “halo effect” is a cognitive bias that influences one’s perception of a person on the basis of a single characteristic, such as physical attractiveness, leading to the attribution of other positive qualities to that person.