Below is feedback from the employers on Body Art.
We defined body art as eyebrow, nose, tongue and lip piercings, visible tattoos and alternative hairstyles/color.Does your company have a formal policy regarding body
art
(as described above)?
Accounting - Yes - we prohibit any facial piercings. Ag Processing - Yes - due to food safety and safety of the employee.
Education / K-12 - No, however I have overheard teachers and principals indicate a concern over body art. That which can be covered is certainly more acceptable. Some children are worried or concerned about that and some parents are overly conservative.
Engineering - Civil/Construction - No, not yet.
Engineering - Construction - Yes. If an employee were representing the Company or in their normal job routine would be in direct contact with the general public and/or customers or potential customers of the Company, would their body art be considered offensive and have a negative impact on their ability to do their job? If the answer to this would be yes or would have a negative impact on their ability to do their job, then the Company would address this issue with the employee.
Engineering - Manufacturing - Not that I know of.
Healthcare - Jewelry should be kept to a minimum. No body piercing, other than ears, may be displayed. For example, pierced objects in eyebrows, tongues, cheeks, lips and other visible areas are not permitted.
Hair must be kept neat and colored to a shade that occurs naturally (black, brunette, blonde, auburn, gray, etc.). Beards and mustaches must be short, neat and trimmed. Immoderate hair styles or colors are unacceptable for business.
Health Insurance - No.
Hospitality - The handbook states that "Employees are expected at all times to present a professional, businesslike image to customers, prospects and the public. Radical departures from conventional dress or personal grooming and hygiene standards are not permitted. Hair should be clean, combed, and neatly trimmed or arranged. Shaggy unkempt hair is not permissible regardless of length. Sideburns, mustaches, and beards should be neatly trimmed. All jewelry should be in moderation and of professional nature."
Information Technology - We are currently developing a policy due to the increase in body art.
Marketing - No.
Retail Merchandising - The fashion industry is quite lenient on this type of appearance modification. Some companies do have dress codes that would ask that facial piercings be removed for work. Hairstyles and color would be more acceptable depending on the company.
Does your company have an informal policy regarding body
art
(as described above)?
Accounting - We have not formally addressed the hair color issue, but I can tell you it would hurt your chances to come in with pink hair and lots of visible tattoos. This is a professional environment and our employees must adhere to this image. Education / K-12 - It should be (as is clothing) unobtrusive and inoffensive to others.
Engineering - Civil/Construction - No, not yet.
Engineering - Construction - Yes. If an employee were representing the Company or in their normal job routine would be in direct contact with the general public and/or customers or potential customers of the Company, would their body art be considered offensive and have a negative impact on their ability to do their job. If the answer to this would be yes or would have a negative impact on their ability to do their job, then the Company would address this issue with the employee.
Engineering - Manufacturing - Our company is more conservative and you do not see people wearing body art in the office.
Healthcare - No.
Health Insurance - No.
Hospitality - Yes, anyone in a public position must remove tongue piercings and as many as possible or all facial piercings as possible. Tongue piercings must be removed to ensure better verbal communication between guests and staff. No tattoos must be visible.
Information Technology - Yes, we do not allow individuals to wear body piercings at work and we prefer to have other forms of body art covered in the work place.
Marketing - No.
Would you recommend to a student to remove/cover their body art before meeting with a recruiter (i.e. info meeting, career fairs or interviews)?
Accounting - Definitely, and do not plan on wearing it to work.Ag Processing - Yes --- that first impression is so important.
Education / K-12 - Yes if it is excessive. An eyebrow (single) or small earrings (even multiple) are not as concerning.
Engineering - Civil/Construction - Certainly for an interview or for a site visit to a prospective employer.
Engineering - Construction - I would recommend that a student consider the job or career that they are considering. A job or career with the greatest exposure to the greatest number of people (general public, co-workers, customers or potential customers) might have the greater importance of trying to neutralize the impression or perception that body art or excessive body art may have on those people.
Engineering - Manufacturing - I would recommend a long sleeve shirt to cover tattoos and remove visible piercings other than earrings. In some professional settings I could see body art being acceptable, but in a recruitment meeting you just don't know if the recruiter will treat a student differently.
Healthcare - Definitely.
Health Insurance - Yes. First impressions go a long way. If we are looking for professional people, body art would not be considered professional.
Hospitality - Yes, would highly suggest it. All Management positions are high guest contact positions. Professionalism is important no matter where you are located. Most industry Recruiters consider if the body art is not visible during the interview then it should not be visible while at work. If there is an issue, the candidate should ask and clarify the policy.
Information Technology - Yes, you have one chance to make a first impression. Although having body piercings will not be held against you, it may be harder for you to present yourself in a professional manner and sell yourself as a hard working and successful person.
Marketing - Yes. Everyone has their own prejudices and judgments despite how unfair that can be. If you show up with body art, they will automatically make a judgment based on their own experiences. That automatic judgment may be incorrect and short sighted and therefore, could damage your chances for an objective shot at whatever career, future you want. Why risk it when you can avoid it.
Retail Merchandising - I would recommend that they be quite conservative for job interviews and career fairs. Often the recruiters are going to form an impression based on appearance and they may not be very accepting of extreme body modifications.
General comments/suggestions?
Accounting - Keep in mind the company you are working for. If it is a professional environment, chances are you will hurt your chances by wearing facial piercings, wild colored hair, or many visible tattoos. If things can be covered up or taken out for work, that is fine.Education / K-12 - Think of your Grandmother or Great Grandmother.
Engineering - Civil/Construction - First impressions are extremely important. While body piercings or body art probably shouldn't influence an employer---they most likely will. In conservative and professional industries, employers will worry about what their clients might think. I would strongly advise students to consider the "culture" of the organization where they are applying for work. If their personal individuality doesn't fit the culture---then remove it or cover it up.
Health Insurance - Body art is a personal expression. I do not have anything against body art, but I also feel that when an individual applies or interviews for a position in a professional environment they should look the part.
Hospitality - Some areas of the US are more open to other forms of body art. What should be considered is where is the position located? In Fargo for instance males wearing fingernail polish is not considered professional. In LA, it may not even be noticed.
Information Technology - If you are not sure what the company's policy is on body art, always go conservative and remove or cover that area.
Marketing - In past employment situations, people have lost out on opportunities because the principal of the company was completely against body art. Even if the person was highly qualified and made it through all rounds of interviews - the candidate was axed by the principal if he saw anything unusual (he refused to hire a woman that had a pierced nose).
First impression of a female student you encounter in a recruiting environment with body art?
Accounting - No.Ag Processing - If it is tasteful it is more acceptable.
Education / K-12 - Depends on amount - for a sign language interpreter - NO for an art teacher - that which is non-distracting - WHY NOT?
Engineering – Civil/Construction - In our profession, we would be concerned about what our clients might think---so it would generally be perceived negatively.
Engineering – Construction - First of all, a little body art for a female is not considered to be a bad thing. The type of body art, the excessiveness of body art or the content of the body art is what could cross the line that would give a negative impression or perception of that student to recruiters or representatives of companies.
Engineering – Manufacturing - It depends on whether the body art is complementary to the person's appearance. If the student is, otherwise, dressed professionally, I don't mind an extra piercing.
Healthcare - Ok, except would need to talk about what is acceptable in our company.
Health Insurance - Not negative, they can still be a good candidate. It may give others an unfavorable impression though.
Hospitality - Would re-evaluate if the person was the best fit for the position. Would wonder if she is ready for a Supervisory position and whether the staff would respect her.
Information Technology - My first impression would be that that this individual likes to express themselves. Unfortunately, they would have to work harder to convince me that they are a professional, hard-working person. Of course, the type and tastefulness of the body art would make a huge difference as well.
Marketing - Depends on the level of art, if it is minimal then I think free-spirit, daring, risk-taker. If it is excessive then I think insecure and needing to deal with personal issues.
What type of body art would you consider acceptable in a recruiting environment for a female?
Accounting - Earrings (2 holes max), belly button rings (not exposed), hidden tattoos.Ag Processing - None that is visible.
Education / K-12 - Earrings would be the most acceptable.
Engineering – Civil/Construction - Discreet tattoos. However, if they are discreet, I probably would never know about them.
Engineering – Construction - Some body piercings, small tattoos or tattoos that are covered, hair coloring that would not be bold or very distracting would not be considered a problem for most employers.
Engineering – Manufacturing - I would rather not see any facial or tongue piercings.
Health Insurance - One face piercing.
Information Technology - I think nothing more than ear and potentially nose piercings are acceptable.
Marketing - Extra ear piercing. No visible tattoos.
Retail Merchandising - Small tattoos in rather inconspicuous locations would not be offensive to me unless the picture or words themselves were in poor taste. Multiple ear piercings are quite acceptable. Eyebrow and other facial piercings are less acceptable to me personally.