Research on workplace dress codes has found that a majority of black job candidates worry that “dressing like themselves” or wearing their hair “naturally” will result in discrimination at work.
The report by Creative Access, a social enterprise which helps under-represented groups to access the creative industries, also found that:
- Almost half (43%) of respondents said they had never had any guidance on what to wear for a job interview or when starting a new job.
- The vast majority (82%) of candidates said they would welcome guidance on what to wear in those situations.
- Over half (55%) said they found the common dress code of “smart casual” confusing.
- Almost a third (27%) of people from minority ethnic groups felt pressured to change their hair. More specifically, a third felt compelled to change their hair texture (32%), with more than one in 10 choosing to wear a wig for interviews (15%).
- Almost half (48%) of those from lower socio-economic groups found it more difficult to decide what to wear/how to style their hair compared to 36% of those from wealthier backgrounds.
Even when a minority ethnic candidate has landed a job, however, the report found that the potential for discrimination based on clothing and hair style choice continued. For instance, more than one in 10 workers with afro/kinky hair (14%) were not confident about bringing their personal style into the workplace, believing it would have a negative impact on their career.
To address these findings, the report’s authors recommend that interviewers are given “unconscious bias” training to help them become more aware of any biases they may have. They also recommend that employers provide clear instructions and expectations to workers by providing guidance on appropriate clothing for certain workplace scenarios, such as meeting clients. This might necessitate a prohibition on strappy tops, short shorts or political/slogan logo tees and recommend that employers make this clear at interview or in new starter packs.
Over 2,000 people were surveyed by Creative Access on their experiences in interviews and the workplace to explore the experiences of different ethnicities and socio-economic groups.
To read the report in full, click here.