Correct tattoo placement for the interview process
Tattoo retrospective
I wanted to update you on my recent thoughts on Tattoos and the interview process. After further reflection and some insight from a close friend of a tattooed son and a daughter, I realized there are some decisions I will not change. Ever. This is not a reflection on the son and daughter or the parents. This is a reflection of my communication style and the decision-making process. My parents gave me a lot of advice and asked me to avoid many things growing up.
My parents forbade me from doing many things, but I plowed ahead and did them anyway. Sometimes, the stronger the stance someone took on an issue, the more motivated I was to resist. Bell-bottom jeans, a lowered Honda with an oversized spoiler and neon lights, and my K-Pop haircut phase. The more they said “no, no, and no,” the more I said, “Watch this.”
Too Strong
I knew I had taken a strong position on the Tattoo and the Interview Process post. It is because I have seen employees of ALL ages and generations (including 20-somethings) interview candidates. Too many had adverse reactions to body art when it came to interviews and first impressions. But not just interviews and first impressions. I saw people do fantastic work, and a tattoo was revealed. Impressions changed completely. Fair? Right? Probably not, but it happens. I was trying my absolute hardest to communicate this. In my effort, some would say I drew a line in the sand. A line drawn in the sand is usually challenging and meant to be crossed. I should have known better. I may have come across so hard-nosed that I lost some credibility. Lesson learned: crow eaten.
I have seen reactions behind closed doors
In my initial post, I aimed to pass along the adverse reactions I have seen behind closed doors. As a corporate and startup HR department leader, I have witnessed managers going crazy behind closed doors. These are reactions that the candidate will never see or hear about, and reactions that ultimately decline candidates. I will no longer run around with my hands waving, screaming hysterically. I won’t shriek like a high-maintenance baby standing on a chai,r circled by cheese-eating rodents. Next time, I will ask that you consider getting your tattoo in a place that will NOT be seen in work clothes. I will whisper it so you are forced to lean in closer to me and pay attention.
Here is where I am OK with a tattoo. Inner thigh, your ass, or below your waist, not on the small of your back – tramp stamp, ass antlers, tramp-too style. Think about your company’s summer parties and what you may be wearing. When I say below the waist, I mean think low-rise jeans – below the waist.
Parents may be cringing
We just went from what was considered a tasteful and symbolic tattoo to less respectful and perhaps downright dirty. When we think of a tattoo on the inner thigh or below the waist, those are not visions of sugar plums dancing through our heads. I realize I am not going to change the decision to mutilate. . .I mean, get a tattoo. I want to work with what I may be able to influence.
If you are going to get a tattoo and are early in your career, please consider getting it in a place that is not only discreet but also invisible to others who may not know, appreciate, or understand the symbolism or importance of your art. More than likely, the person making the hiring decision or who has some influence on your career will be an older generation, and they may not be as open-minded as you are.
I want a tattoo!
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to get a tattoo myself, but I have seen too many reactions behind closed doors. In a down economy, hiring managers get very picky when there are a lot of candidates. The mindset is that “There are plenty of candidates out there; find me someone perfect.”
So, to the young people I offended in round 1, I sit here eating crow. Please think “discreet” when sitting in that parlor chair.
See you at the after party,
HRNasty
nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone who is good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.
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Sarah Shook
May 31, 2012I think both articles show extreme bias against tattoos, not just in the workplace. (You would think about walking out on your significant other if they got a tattoo?!) I myself have 9 or 10 (EEEK!), including one on my wrist, as well as a large one on my inner arm. Now, I work in a professional environment, and I always wear some type of cardigan or sweater to cover the one on my inner arm. As a candidate (and a new employee), one should always be careful of their presentation, and personally I have used makeup specifically made to cover my wrist tattoo until I was sure it was OK to expose it. However, my artwork does not dictate how I do my job, and it has not (so far) offended anyone. They actually tend to be great conversation carriers if they are noticed (even by people who do not usually like tattoos!), but they usually do go unnoticed since they are typically covered while at work (due to the fact that I do try to be respectful of what other people may think, even though, honestly, it shouldn’t really matter as long as I don’t have some design on the front of my face or a naked lady hanging out on my arm for all to see).
I will say, though, that I do not foresee this tattoo in the workplace issue lasting too much longer. I constantly see young professionals well-dressed with a hint of bright color extruding from under their shirt sleeves. The younger generation will be doing the hiring themselves in the not-so-distant future, and there’s a good chance they’ll have tattoos themselves.
So, obviously, I think one should think about the consequences of getting an obviously offensive tattoo placed somewhere for all the world to see; however, I think you are being a little too extreme. But that’s just my subjective opinion. 🙂
HRNasty
June 1, 2012Sarah,
Thank you not just for stopping by but commenting and adding some perspective. I absolutely agree with you, and do feel that the tattoo in the work place issue will be a thing of the past. Soon younger generations will be interviewing and making decisions. What I am trying to convey here is that not everyone is going to react as favorably to the tattoos or piercings and if there is one thing I don’t care to see is a perfectly qualified candiate get nuked for the wrong reasons. English isn’t the first language, they don’t dress as well as they could, they talked about the wrong politics in the interview process, they had an extra piercing in the wrong place. All of these things have no bearing on whether the job will be done, but there are decisions made on these “impressions”. I have seen a number of people go into an interview with the attitude that “tattoos” don’t matter and what I am trying to convey is that to a silent minority, they do. I wish more places were like where you work, but until then, I believe that if you want the very best possible shot at landing a job or getting a promotion, “cover up”, which is sounds like you are doing.