During an episode of "House" the other night, a young, female doctor asked Dr. House, "Why did you hire me?"

The irreverent, pill-popping doctor's straight-faced response was, "Because you're exceptionally good-looking."

As unsettling as that is to hear, it's unfortunately true much of the time, although people may not realize they base their decisions about people based on their looks -- or at least don't so readily admit to it.

"Almost from the moment of birth, each of us is judged -- silently, unconsciously and nearly instantly -- on the basis of our height (or lack of it), our weight and bulk, the shape and symmetry of our facial features, the length and style of our hair, our mode of dress, our grooming -- everything that goes into the mix of qualities known as 'physical attractiveness,'" says Gordon L. Patzer, an expert on the subject.

In his book, "Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined," Patzer describes ways in which physical appearance affect career success.

For example, according to Patzer, scientific studies show that exceptionally good-looking people are more likely to get hired for just about any position when competing against average-looking candidates with the same qualifications. "Even seasoned HR pros who sincerely believe they are able to ignore such superficialities as an applicant's (physical appearance)" fall prey to it.

Patzer also says research shows that physically attractive men and women tend to have higher-level and higher-paying positions than their less attractive counterparts -- with earnings of between 7.5 percent and 15 percent more.

Height affects pay as well, according to Patzer. Citing one study, he claims every inch more than average a man is earns him an annual paycheck bonus of $789. Tall men also enjoy more promotions than shorter men, says Patzer.

Although beauty can be an advantage, it also can work against women when they seek jobs associated with masculine qualities. A Rice University study found that beautiful women never win out for jobs like driving a tow truck when they are competing against less attractive women (and all women lose out to men).

And if the hiring manager is a woman, the more attractive female candidate will also lose out against less attractive ones for jobs that require face-to-face contact with clients. Male employers, however, tend to decide the other way.

"Although people in the workplace are often judged by their looks, which generally benefits people of higher physical attractiveness, people are not defenseless," says Patzer.

Small actions, he says, can make a big difference. "Physical changes with significant consequences can involve improvements related to grooming, hair style, eyewear, cosmetics, and the proper fit of clothes, as well as physical fitness. At the same time, improvements in interpersonal styles, personality, self-esteem or self confidence, and even status in the form of qualifications such as additional education achievements, actually increase a person's physical attractiveness."

Dawn Anfuso is a South Bay, Calif-based business writer and former Managing Editor of Workforce magazine. If you have workplace or job-search questions, e-mail Dawn at dawnanfuso@yahoo.com. Writers will remain anonymous.

Source: Daily Breeze. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. Powered by Yellowbrix.

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