‘Pretty Privilege': 20% Of Job Seekers Denied Jobs Based On Looks

Forbes

18-05-2025

During graduation season, thousands of fresh job seekers are going into their first interviews, but many are already feeling judged before they even speak. If you think looks don't matter anymore when you're applying for a job, you're dead wrong. It might seem shallow, but looking the part is still important in corporate America, according to a recent study that found your appearance is more likely to land the job you're applying for. It's called 'pretty privilege'--the notion that your looks can help you snag a job.
There's a social media meme called 'face card' that describes people so attractive that they don't have to pay for anything, can score the best seat in the restaurant and get more hits on dating apps than an ordinary person.
I can see you rolling your eyes, and mumbling that such a perspective is superficial and lame. Perhaps so, but unfortunately, science-backed research shows that 'pretty privilege' or beauty bias is a real phenomenon. And how you look can detrmine whether or not you snag your dream job.
According to a 2022 study in the Harvard Business Review, certain physical features and accessories from profile pictures, give candidates an edge in hiring outcomes. When a candidate applies for a job online, a coat and tie, glasses, couture or a beard can make a big difference in whether they get hired. When a job seeker 'looks the part," as inferred from profile photographs, they have a better chance of nailing the position, according to the study.
A more recent 2025 study of 2,000 people found that 56% of respondents believe 'pretty privilege' affects how people are treated at work, with 56% saying that having the face card means being treated better. Other common answers include better customer service (43%) and educational opportunities (20%). Nearly 20% claim they've been denied a job because of how they look. And 75% agree that society has more respect for good-looking people.
On the flip side, 80% of respondents claimed to have faced at least one challenge due to being good-looking, with being objectified (20%) and facing additional pressure to always be pretty (20%) among the most common problems identified.
Decades of research show that employers still judge applicants based on their appearance. Almost one-third of hiring managers find it difficult to ignore visible tattoos when considering job applicants. Visible piercings are a distraction for 28% of employers, and 25% admit they can't overlook how a potential employee is dressed for an interview.
Overall, 90% of employers confess that having a professional appearance is an important aspect of successfully navigating the hiring process at their company. Attractive employees are more likely to get hired, garner more promotions, earn more money and climb the career ladder quicker and farther. Plus, attractive bosses get higher performance ratings by their employees than ordinary looking managers. Some experts say we tend to attribute more positive traits to attractive people, and it's this attribution more than sheer beauty that wins them the golden ticket.
As the summer hiring season approaches, Marina Klimenka, co-founder of Luvly, shares practical tips on how to spot look-based bias in interviews and what to do if it happens to you.
"The moment you enter the room or log into the call, your debutante ball has started, so watch the interviewer's face very carefully," Klimenka asserts. She says you can read a sudden raise of eyebrows or a strained smile as a subtle sign that the interviewer has certain expectations about your appearance.
She suggests you not call it out, but instead, just take note of it. And if the interviewer spends most of the interview speaking vaguely or steering away from your experience, she predicts you've likely hit a bias wall. She suggests that if you know for sure, you can just breathe out and move on without internalizing the awkwardness as your fault.
When the hiring manager compliments you during an interview, Klimenka recommends listening closely. She advocates that if the recruiter constantly compliments you more on factors unrelated to your role or competencies, pay attention.
"Sure, compliments are always flattering," she adds. "But if that's all they're commenting on, and not your cases or skills, it means your look is doing the heavy lifting in their eyes. It's proof they're reacting to your packaging more than your substance. But you shouldn't ignore it. Just politely redirect the conversation back to your experience. That's it: no conflict, no drama."
If you're not getting call-backs, and you start thinking, 'Maybe I should change my hair, tone down my style, lose the piercings or swap the blazer,' Klimenka advises that changing your appearance won't fix a lookist, and a biased hiring system. 'Instead, you should stay on business and be sure that your main advantage is your expertise, and it's all that should matter,' she explains. "Some companies genuinely want what you bring, and that should be your main focus. Your goal isn't to be digestible but to be respected."
Klimenka advises that, after every interview (or even during if possible), write down what you're asked, what feels off and any comments about your looks, age or other unprofessional responses. She insists that you have evidence to decide whether it's a pattern or a one-off chance happening.
"It'll also help you decide if you have to escalate it or withdraw your application altogether from the interview process," she adds. "Bias always thrives in silence if you let it slide. Your notes become both evidence and a reassuring validation that nothing is wrong with you, especially when you are being underestimated."
When you have a certain look during an online interview, it pays off in spades, but it can also pose a source of bias in the hiring process. It's true that interviewers draw conclusions from how you appear, but success isn't always about your natural-born attractiveness.
If you want to send a signal that you're on top of your game and up to the task, you don't have to get Botox, a makeover or face lift. But it's important to remember that three pieces of advice never go out of style during for a job interview: regulate your anxiety, don't lie on your resume and put your best foot forward with how you look to combat the 'pretty privilege' bias that many interviewers have.