What is Beauty Bias? Causes and Steps to Prevent it

Organizations worldwide have to fight various types of biases, be it gender, race, or disability. However, beauty bias is one such topic that never gets talked about. The reason for this is that beauty bias intertwines with other biases, such as gender or race. Also, few studies can accurately gauge the effect of beauty bias and whether it is discriminatory toward other employees.

However, beauty bias is also deeply linked with stereotypes, where any case can be viewed with suspicion. And this is what makes it very difficult to diagnose. So, what is beauty bias, and how does it affect hiring?

What is beauty bias?

Beauty bias occurs when a person is viewed as more capable professionally just based on their looks. This bias creates a halo effect, where a person considered aesthetically pleasing is seen as hardworking and talented compared to others.

One reason beauty is considered important is that many professions require employees to be attractive. Roles such as models, new anchors, and clothes that require a lot of public exposure have been dominated by people with good looks.

However, this beauty bias becomes a problem when it transcends into other jobs where looks may not be necessary.

Also Read: Why is Governance For System Bias Important For Recruitment?

Why does beauty bias exist?

One of the main questions that one can ask is why there is beauty bias even in jobs where a person’s physical looks are not necessary.  The reasons are fairly simple: beauty is often linked with good imaging. One example of how far an organization can go to have good-looking people is the Chinese Navy. Back in 2006, news agency Xinhua reported that the Chinese Navy was looking for good people. The reasons touted by the Navy was that since their vessels visited other countries, it was necessary for them to be good-looking to create a positive image. 

And this is the exact reason why beauty bias exists because it creates a positive image. In fact, it usually creates a halo effect which makes it very effective. The Halo effect can be defined as using a positive element in one area to influence another area.

So, it is a person’s beauty which in effect creates a positive image that they may also be talented at their work. What makes beauty bias even more prevalent is that most of the time it is subconscious or unconscious. 

Also Read: What is Racial Bias in Interview? How to Prevent it

How does beauty bias occur in hiring?

Apart from minute differences, the hiring process is similar all across the world. First, CVs are analyzed and selected based on their capabilities, skills, and their previous jobs. However, CVs also contain the candidate’s photos, and this is the first step where beauty bias can seep into the system. However, the chances of beauty bias increase when candidates come for interviews, which may be either face-to-face or over a video call. Here, the chances of beauty bias increase further as the human factor is involved.

In fact, even after hiring, beauty bias can come into play during regular working hours, especially during appraisal time. However, while data on racial or gender discrimination is easy to find, doing the same for beauty is altogether a different story.

Moreover, beauty like race or gender is not a fixed standard but is dynamic that can change from person to person.

Also Read: The Secret to Hiring Success: A Comprehensive Guide to Applicant Screening

How to prevent beauty bias

Now that we have established that beauty bias is hard to detect, how do we solve it? While there is no perfect solution to prevent it there are certain steps that can prevent or at the very least minimize the bias associated with attractiveness.

Blind resume 

While it may not have been the aim of the person who created blind resume, they are the perfect tool to eradicate beauty bias even though on a limited level. As mentioned earlier, the hiring process starts with filtering CVs. And it is here that blind resumes play a vital role. Blind resumes hide the physical characteristics of an employee which includes name, gender and photo.

Eliminating such details ensures that the recruiters are not affected by any bias including beauty. While beauty bias could come at play during interviews using blind resumes at least gives a fair chance of selection for every candidate.

Educating recruiters on beauty bias 

The first step to fight any bias is to acknowledge that it can affect anyone/. Recruiters are also professional but, at the end of the day, are humans and are prone to mistakes. Also, beauty occurs most of the time subconsciously, making it hard for them to act upon it. 

Therefore, educating recruiters that beauty can generate bias is the need of the hour. Doing this will ensure that bias can be effectively countered. 

Also Read: What is Gender Bias in Hiring? Solutions to Prevent it

Use DEI hiring practices

DEI which stands for diversity, quality and inclusion is used by companies to ensure people from various backgrounds are hired. Researches have shown the absence of DEI policies makes the employee of a company homogeneous. Implementing DEI policies in a way force companies to go out of their way and hire people from diverse backgrounds.

Can AI solve the beauty bias conundrum? 

We have already mentioned that the human factor is the biggest cause of why beauty bias enters into a system. However, if we could minimize this factor, would it lead to better hiring practices?  Well, the answer is yes.

And it is here that our state-of-the-art interview intelligence platform BarRaiser elevates your hiring to the next level. With our product, companies get our AI Interview Copilot that allows companies to seamlessly integrate Artificial Intelligence during interviews. It tells the interviewer what questions to ask, what topics to discuss and to ensure that the interview does not stretch for too long.

Using our services, organizations are guaranteed to experience quality hiring. Our AI tool also creates reports on both the interviewers and the interviewee. This ensures that there are checks and balances on both parties. 

We also provide interviews as a service for companies that do not have the human resources to train their staff on the tool. We have a talent pool of 1500 + recruiters that are highly skilled on our tool providing for a seamless experience.

Companies that want to train their staff on our tool can use our interviewer training program. Under this, we’ll train your hiring staff on our interview platform to ensure they can handle the entire tool on their own.

FAQs

How does beauty bias affect diversity in hiring?

Beauty bias can undermine diversity by favoring attractive candidates, often leading to less diverse workforces that may not reflect a range of backgrounds and perspectives.

What role do blind resumes play in minimizing beauty bias?

Blind resumes help eliminate beauty bias by removing personal details like photos, names, and gender, ensuring that hiring decisions are based solely on a candidate’s qualifications and experience.

How can recruiters overcome unconscious beauty bias?

Educating recruiters on the existence of beauty bias and how it impacts decision-making can help them become more aware and take proactive steps to prevent it from influencing their hiring process.

What are the risks of beauty bias in professional environments?

Beauty bias can lead to discriminatory practices, creating an unfair hiring process where candidates are judged based on appearance rather than skills, potentially resulting in less qualified individuals being selected.

Can AI reduce beauty bias during interviews?

Yes, AI tools like BarRaiser’s Interview Copilot can help eliminate beauty bias by standardizing interviews, focusing on skills and qualifications, and ensuring interviewers assess candidates objectively.

Why is beauty bias harder to detect than other types of discrimination?

Beauty bias is often subconscious, making it difficult to recognize and address. Unlike gender or racial bias, beauty bias is linked to stereotypes that influence perceptions of a candidate’s abilities without being overtly acknowledged.