Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Pierced For Success?: The Effects Of Ear And Nose Piercing On Perceptions Of Job Candidates’ Credibility, Attractiveness, And Hireability, John S. Seiter, Andrea Sandry

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

This study examined the effect of body piercing on perceptions of an employment seeker's credibility, hirability, and attractiveness. Participants (undergraduate students and managers) viewed a photograph of a job candidate who wore either no jewelry, an earring, or a nose ring, and then rated dimensions of the candidate's credibility, hirability, and attractiveness. Analysis indicated that although the candidate's attractiveness ratings were not affected by the type of jewelry he wore, his credibility ratings decreased when he was wearing jewelry, and his hirability ratings decreased when he was wearing a nose ring. These results and their implications are discussed.