Get a tattoo — if you don’t want a career
A YOUTHFUL, spur-of-the-moment decision to get a tattoo can damage people’s career prospects for life, a study has found.
Research presented to the British Sociological Association found that no matter how intelligent and articulate job applicants are, if they have a visible tattoo, most would-be employers will secretly rule them out as looking “dirty” and “unsavoury”.
Even employers who do not have a personal objection to body art will think twice about taking on someone with a tattoo because they fear it could damage their corporate image.
But the study adds that those stuck with a tattoo from youth could turn it to their advantage — as long as they want to become a prison officer.
And it concludes that a small number of types of tattoo can be seen as conveying a positive image, such as regimental insignia for military veterans.
In a paper being presented to the association’s annual conference on workplace issues, Dr Andrew Timming of St Andrew’s University School of Management set out findings from a series of interviews with employers about perceptions of body art.
He spoke to a cross section of managers from organisations including a hotel, bank, city council, prison, university and book seller.
Most said that tattoos carried a clear “stigma” for employers, with several expressing strong views on the subject.
“It was surmised that customers might project a negative service experience based on stereotypes that tattooed people are thugs and druggies,” said Timming.
One male manager interviewed said: “Tattoos are the first thing they [fellow recruiters] talk about when the person has gone out of the door.” A woman added: “They make a person look dirty.”
Timming said bosses’ concerns were usually based on perceptions of what their organisation’s clients might think.
“Hiring managers realise that, ultimately, it does not matter what they think of tattoos — what really matters, instead, is how customers might perceive employees with visible tattoos,” he said.
“The one qualification to this argument is there are certain industries in which tattoos may be a desirable characteristic in a job interview, for example, an HR manager at a prison.
But he added that some images were easier for employers to forgive than others.
In many cases flowers or small animals might just be acceptable for some, whereas those most likely to prove a definite turn-off included spider’s webs on people’s necks, tears tattooed on their faces, guns and sexual imagery. — ©