A recent survey from staffing firm Office Team, a Robert Half company, finds employees are confused about what to wear to work. And if people who work for a company don’t understand what’s appropriate, job candidates are apt to have even more difficulty decoding a company’s dress code.
Survey Findings
Nearly half of men, 48 percent, responding to the Office Team survey are at least sometimes confused about whether their apparel is OK for work, while 31 percent of women face the same dilemma.
Workers 18 to 34 years of age are most unsure if their clothing is appropriate, with 54 percent citing it as a concern.
Approximately one in four respondents, 23 percent, say their company policy isn’t always clear about what attire is acceptable.
How affected are employees by dress code confusion? Among workers 18 to 34 years of age, 59 percent express an interest in wearing a uniform. Fifty-six percent of employees in this same age group express a preference for formal dress codes.
Nevertheless, 86 percent of employees report they like casual dress codes because they can wear comfortable clothes.
Policy Specifics Required
But what is “casual”? Moreover, how does it differ from “business casual”? Unfortunately, these terms are often subject to individual interpretation.
Recognizing the problem, some employers have implemented policies that include clothing specifics. The best among these policies also include what not to wear.
Yet, even this level of detail may not be enough. A company cannot, for example, dictate that clothing must be age-appropriate, even though this is typically a fashion consideration and may speak to professionalism. Likewise, it cannot consider body type when setting standards. Specifying hem length for dresses and skirts, and saying that clothing cannot be too tight sometimes helps address issues that might arise.
A good rule of thumb when establishing dress codes is the more information the better.
Job Candidate Research
However, while employees are privy to what-to-wear information, job candidates usually are not.
This can leave the candidate who is preparing for an interview scouring the company website, looking for clues about the dress code. And alas, the website may create further confusion.
At one company’s website, there is a photo of employees wearing T-shirts with the company logo. Is this what they wear to work, or is it a photo of a one-day event, like a company anniversary? At another website, employees are sitting outside at a picnic table, attending what looks like a meeting. They are dressed as if for a picnic, in shorts and T-shirts. But is this an on-campus work meeting, or is it some kind of business retreat?
Industry, which was once indicative of what to wear, may provide little insight. Many formerly conservative industries, such as financial services, have adopted more relaxed dress codes in recent years. A recent Robert Half Finance & Accounting survey finds that 61 percent of financial services and accounting firms now offer a somewhat casual dress code, defined as khakis and polo shirts or sweaters, and 13 percent of companies allow jeans and T-shirts.
Casual Fridays have also become common in workplaces across all industries. Meanwhile, many companies have separate summer dress code policies.
Recruiter Responsibility
It’s enough to make a candidate’s head spin.
In order to alleviate confusion, the recruiter should provide information about the company’s dress code, in as much detail as possible, prior to the candidate’s interview. If there is a written policy, share it. Also offer examples of what employees, especially those with whom the candidate will be interviewing, wear to work.
These may sound like superficial details. They aren’t.
Clothes may not make the candidate but they contribute to a first impression. Help the candidate you’ve recruited make a good one.
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Paula Santonocito, Contributing Editor for Recruiting Daily Advisor, is a business journalist specializing in employment issues. She is the author of more than 1,000 articles on a wide range of human resource and career topics, with an emphasis on recruiting and hiring. Her articles have been featured in many global and domestic publications and information outlets, referenced in academic and legal publications as well as books, and translated into several languages. |