Almost everyone, including women, has attended an interview before. Interviews are essential as they help one discover some things about themselves, and their potential. There are times, however, when the opposite happens. Some interviewers take this as an opportunity to judge and criticize Individuals based on their appearance alone. This process is even worse for women as they are judged for the length of their skirt or dress, their makeup, hairstyle or jewelry. It is such a shame that most of these observations has little or nothing to do with the post.
I remember attending an interview, where, before I was even greeted, the interviewer went straight to judging my hairstyle (afro). He even asked me to consider combing it or changing the hairstyle entirely. I was confused as I did not see how my afro had anything to do with the post.
It is not right to always assume that someone’s hairstyle or their whole presentation can interfere with how well they do their job. Of course, there are times when it can, but not always. Women feel pressured to conform to certain hair standards in order to be taken seriously.
Just last week, there were varying opinions about a tweet where an interviewer confessed to not offering someone an opportunity just because the interviewee had a tongue piercing. There should not even be a debate about it, unless it was clearly stated by the company’s policies, of which according to the tweet, the employment decision was made by an individual based on their views on tongue piercings.
Unfortunately, there are certain types of stereotypes about women which makes employers to judge women before getting to know them. I was curious to know if other women had ever gone through something similar to what me and the lady with the tongue piercing had gone through. I was shocked by the number of responses which I received.
To begin with Triphonia Kampeni, Lilongwe, Malawi," I remember the interviewer asked me why I left my previous job. I told him the reason and he appeared not convinced. He then called me a liar and accused me of leaving because I was lazy, just like most women.”
Seconded by Monica Kuthembamwale, Blantyre, Malawi, "The interviewer before even greeting me made corny comments about my artificial long nails. He asked me how I would be working and serving customers with them. My nails have never prevented me from doing my job before. I just had them done the previous day as it was my birthday."
All these responses highlight the bias which women face during interviews. Women are often subjected to criticism and judgement based merely on how they look and not necessarily their ability to do their job. Malawi's interview standards limit women's clothing options, (length and color of clothes) and even hairstyles. According to shrm.org, sometimes women fail to freely discuss their achievements during interviews to avoid being labelled 'braggarts'.
Employers should recognize their biases when making employment decisions, in order to create a diverse workplace that values skills over looks. Women should feel empowered to wear their hair in a way that makes them comfortable, rather than conforming to beauty norms.
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