Current trends with young people.

Are current "fashion trends" off putting to clients.

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I have noticed that beards, visible tattoos and lobe "gauging" are becoming more popular with younger job applicants.

Firstly they don't bother me, other than "gauging" which freaks me out, and secondly I have little input to the recruitment process, and we have got employees with all of the above.

I also have tattoos, but always made a conscious decision when I had them to make sure none are visible when I wear a short sleeve shirt.

Just curious how other people perceive these things and is it likely to put off some client.

 

Replies (34)

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
23rd Jun 2017 09:44

I like how you started your opening para with "beards"

Middle aged people have 'em too, and some oldies.

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Replying to ireallyshouldknowthisbut:
Tom Herbert
By Tom Herbert
23rd Jun 2017 15:21

And hip young accountancy journalists have them...

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Replying to TomHerbert:
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By Portia Nina Levin
30th Jun 2017 11:48

I thought you just had your head on upside down Tom!

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By Mr_awol
23rd Jun 2017 09:59

I think beards is too generic.

A ZZ top beard, or American hillbilly beard, not great. A nice trimmed beard not so bad.

Designer stubble, particularly when left to day three or four, can be an issue (even though I go for that sometimes).

The firm I trained at had a complaint about a colleague for the 'shabby stubble' look. We didn't lose the audit client and the staff member never changed his look but it was brought up. Mine was raised in a jovial sense when admitting me as a partner (or at least I assume it was jovial as they still let me in!)

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By Duggimon
23rd Jun 2017 10:03

People aren't going to stop being idiots until we stop pandering to them being idiots. While it would be ridiculous to say it would never cross my mind that it might be off putting to some more conservative clients I wouldn't let that influence my decision to hire someone because taking that in to account is condoning that sort of attitude which I absolutely don't.

That said, professional people ought to look smart and professional, I just don't think visible tattoos and piercings are a barrier to that.

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By SteveHa
23rd Jun 2017 10:06

Almost everyone I know, young or old, has a beard (in some cases, I think this even includes the women). I only find them offensive when they are populated with last night's meal.

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Replying to SteveHa:
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By Chipette
23rd Jun 2017 12:55

I tend to shave mine otherwise I get weird looks from clients.

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Replying to SteveHa:
By itp3asso
30th Jun 2017 14:19

Please elucidate .
How do wonen grow beards and precisely on which bodily location ....

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Replying to itp3asso:
By SteveHa
30th Jun 2017 14:37

You have clearly never been to Bolton. Commonplace down there.

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By andy.partridge
23rd Jun 2017 10:10

Depends on the purpose. Some of these things can look smart.

Others, though, signify the applicant screaming 'look at me, I'm an individual' which could raise questions about their ability to conform and fit into a team.

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Replying to andy.partridge:
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By Dib
23rd Jun 2017 13:39

So, do you think people in teams should just be clones then?

Every team that works effectively is a collection of individuals each of whom contributes their opinion and knowledge.

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By Duggimon
23rd Jun 2017 10:17

I have the current and previous year tax rates tattooed on my left and right hands, I get them lasered off and reapplied every 6 April.

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By itp3asso
30th Jun 2017 14:22

[***]! Apple Notes is much easier but there again non painful !!

( and no deletion necessary!)

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Replying to itp3asso:
By itp3asso
30th Jun 2017 14:25

Sirry --- why is the English language and dictionary qualified word M---A--S--O ,,,C...--H::I ;;--S-->>T
being deleted from my post reply!!??

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Replying to itp3asso:
By itp3asso
30th Jun 2017 14:25

Sirry --- why is the English language and dictionary qualified word M---A--S--O ,,,C...--H::I ;;--S-->>T
being deleted from my post reply!!??

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By JCresswellTax
23rd Jun 2017 10:23

PLAN!

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By mrme89
23rd Jun 2017 10:42

If they want to have a big scruffy beard and a tattoo of swastika on their forehead, they have the right to have them. Because in todays world, they are entitled little sh-it-es.

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Replying to mrme89:
By itp3asso
30th Jun 2017 14:30

Do you not ask your prospective shortlisters to send you a polo shirt open necked head and shoulders photo including outstretched arms before deciding to invite for interview? We find this eliminates the scrotes wthout exposing our partnership to claims of unfair candidate selection.

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By rhino83
23rd Jun 2017 10:44

I use to work in a place were the policy was for men to be clean shaven everyday, so some of the women had bigger beards than the men.

The staff we have in the office which have tattoos/ gauging are all perfectly presentable most of the time, however the bosses are conscious which clients they see as we do have some older fuddy duddy clients which would be taken aback by such things.

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By NeilRH
23rd Jun 2017 11:00

I've wondered about this myself, I don't have any of the three mentioned items but I do like tattoos (in general) and beards can be fine if tidy etc. (some people look better with them!), lobe gauging can look a bit "eeww" and just untidy.

I think as long as the individuals overall appearance is appropriate, then fine. A hypothetical question: if it isn't acceptable to wear a shirt/top with a full motif along the sleeve or collar or trousers with such a motif, is it acceptable to have visible tattoos and other artificial adornments? The reason I ask is that I have come across people who seem to believe that because tattoos (etc.) are a personal aspect and virtually permanent on themselves, that somehow they should be seen (literally) differently to wearing clothing with a similar appearance.

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
23rd Jun 2017 11:13

I think top of the list for me for being offputting is sleeve tattoos. If you don't know what they are, Google it and see the images. I just couldn't square that with a professional look.

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Replying to Red Leader:
Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
24th Jun 2017 14:45

I a man with Red Leader on this, a big beard and sleeve may look cool if you are a bar tender in a slick cocktail bar, but not a look you would appreciate on your lawyer or accountant.

I saw the Dad of a guy I went school with yesterday (he will be 65+) and he has recently had a Mike Tyson style tattoo around his eye and face.

I just thought how bad he would look in a care home.

So for me no visable tats if you work in a professional setting and those gauge things look horrendous.

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Replying to Glennzy:
By djn24
30th Jun 2017 12:18

Glennzy wrote:

I just thought how bad he would look in a care home.

So for me no visable tats if you work in a professional setting and those gauge things look horrendous.

I agree with this. I just don't think it looks professional but that's just my opinion.

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By free-rider
23rd Jun 2017 12:59

I have a rather large tattoo on my forearm which is perfectly presentable, but when started with new employer few months ago I admit not to wear the short sleeved shirt as did not know how the colleagues and the Director would react. Now when I know that no one gives a toss about my tattoo I wear short sleeved shirts every day.

Always found it strange that some colleagues/clients find tattoos inappropriate.

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By CptCave
23rd Jun 2017 14:50

I have tattoos and a beard. None of that gauging rubbish though. Never had a problem in my professional life. I always wear a long sleeved shirt (occasionally rolling the sleeves up) as I think short sleeve looks a bit weird.

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
23rd Jun 2017 14:57

Possible justification-A beard can add 30 minutes a week to possible chargeable time, more if one has a tendency to create nicks and have to delay until the bleeding stops.

I grew mine because I am singularly lazy and it has the bonus that whilst all my hair is grey or silver odd bits of my beard carry hints of my natural colouring-even the ginger highlights.

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
23rd Jun 2017 15:31

I am not actually able to grow a beard.
I have hair follicles about 5 mm apart on my face. Last time i grew any facial hair the wife said I looked homeless.

The trend in 10 years will be clean shaven, suit and no tats.

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By Emily.J.Smith
30th Jun 2017 11:44

Interesting discussion from an accounting trainee point of view.
I currently have one tattoo on my back which is easily hidden in a working environment. When I had it done, I was very conscious of where it was going to go to make sure I could cover if needed.
I've deliberately put off getting anymore for how they may look in an interview and how I may be perceived for having visible tatts.

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By Eileen Searle
30th Jun 2017 13:08

Wouldn't employ anyone with ugly tats or face piercings but certainly wouldn't tell them!!!! But a nice beard looks good.

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By SteveHa
30th Jun 2017 13:31

I do have a tattoo, but it's upper arm and covered even when wearing a short sleeved shirt.

I have a short van [***], which is there because I was assaulted some 34 years ago in a nightclub which left some facial scarring. The van [***] helps to cover/distract from it.

Neither the tattoo nor the facial hair have ever caused a problem professionally.

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Replying to SteveHa:
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By SKCOX
02nd Jul 2017 14:23

Ooh, what's the moderated word? Morrison? I believe he's not very tall.

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Replying to SteveHa:
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By SKCOX
02nd Jul 2017 14:26

Or is it the song and dance man from Mary Poppins? You know, [***] van [***].

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By SteveHa
03rd Jul 2017 08:51

It's the latter part of that, though his Richard doesn't feature anywhere. Dick van [***] - worst cockney accent ever.

(really hoping for an extra moderated word - time to hist "Post" and see).

EDIT: Damn. Cocks are allowed but not Dicks.

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By keithas
30th Jun 2017 18:51

I remember a discussion at work in the late sixties about whether female bank employees would ever be allowed to wear trousers in the workplace.
The consensus we arrived at was "not in our lifetime".

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