"You're Beautiful; You're Hired!"
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It is none other than the infamous Abercrombie & Fitch store, affectionately known to some as Abercrombie & Filth. Having only ever frequented its older sibling stores in the US, the hype over this flagship London store’s widely reported ‘Look Policy’ (i.e. only employing visually pleasing sales staff) and bare-chested male models greeting shoppers at the door, I put down to just that. Hype.
But I can now assure you that there is fact behind the fiction (with the exception of the bare chest myth, though it was a rainy morning and a touch chilly). The HR department seems to have raided the local modelling agency for out of work models looking to fill some downtime. It certainly solves the mystery over the permanent snaking queue of customers at its door, in the style of nightclub entry beyond the velvet rope. Indeed, bar the beer goggles and entrance fee, the experience is not dissimilar: darkened corridors, strategically dimmed spot lighting, club music with a heavy bias to the bass, and a surplus of young people.
It made me wonder: do beautiful people make better sales people? And if so, what sort of uproar would be wreaked if investment banks implemented a similar ‘Look Policy’ in their job spec when doling out sales roles? I daresay placing an equities/FX/derivative order is not too different from buying a T shirt/sweater/shorts - the choice is abundant, sizes vary and there’s always (usually) an option to return or exchange.
The only notable difference is that a portfolio manager can’t ask his sales person to try on his trade and parade around in it before buying.
Here Is The Writer : Mrs A
Mrs A is a soon to be ex-banker, currently on baby leave. She endured eight years in the City as a stockbroker before a timely exit to deal with matters of a maternal nature. Just as she began debating the merits of 'to return or not to return', the R word laid to rest that dilemma. Now she revels in the relative safety of being able to watch the credit crunch from the removed perspective of a civilian, while continuing to harbour her closet handbag habit. Click here to read more on her blog.
Article Comments & Ratings
Paul England 4th Aug, 9:45pm
Our appearance is the last bastion of unregulated prejudice. I know there are HR departments where we only hire nice looking persons is the truth although it is never writen in any policy documents. What woud you say if someone told you that "you did not get a job because we don't hire the homely?" Yes a beautiful person has a hiring advantage.
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