Employers are more likely to hire people they fancy, researchers claim.
Employers are more likely to hire people they fancy, researchers claim, as they find "leisure pursuits, background and self-presentation" are more important than skills.
Women in the workplace have fought a long battle to prove their skills, experience and CV are the only keys to their success.
But their efforts may have been in vain, as a study find good looks, a winning smile and a little gentle flirtation may be the key to securing a job after all.
Bosses would rather hire someone they find attractive and enjoy spending time with than the perfectly-qualified candidate, it has been claimed.
They would rather employ someone “who will be their friend or maybe even their romantic partner”, with whom they feel a “spark”, researchers have suggested.
A study, conducted by American sociologists, has found interviewers at banking, law and management consultancy firms consistently prefer applicants they “feel good around”.
More than half of employers claim attractiveness, the right social background and how candidates spend their leisure time are the most important considerations when hiring, it is claimed.
Dr Lauren Rivera, from Northwestern University in the United States, found interviewers often put their personal feelings of comfort, acceptance and excitement first.
Half of those studied ranked “cultural fit” as the most important criterion at job interview stage, meaning they were more likely to hire someone with the same “leisure pursuits, background and self-presentation” as current staff.
"Of course employers are looking for people who have the baseline of skills to effectively do the job,” she said.
"But, beyond that, employers really want people who they will bond with, who they will feel good around, who will be their friend and maybe even their romantic partner.
“As a result, employers don't necessarily hire the most skilled candidates."
The study, based on 120 interviews and published in the American Sociological Review, is the first investigation of its kind into whether shared culture between employers and job candidates matters.
研究人员称，雇主更倾向于雇佣自己喜欢的员工，因为他们觉得“消遣方式、社会背景以及自我表达方式”比技能重要得多。
职场中的女性为证明她们拥有的技能、经验及简历才是她们取得成功的关键已经斗争已久。
然而，她们所付出的努力都可能是徒劳的。研究表明，美丽的容貌、迷人的笑容以及适度的调情举动或许才是稳住工作的关键。
研究还发现，老板宁愿雇佣那些有魅力、更喜欢与之在一起的雇员，也不愿招聘完全合格的求职者。
研究人员表示，老板宁愿雇佣那些“可能成为其朋友、甚至情侣”的雇员，因为与他们在一起会有种“来电”的感觉。
美国的社会学家进行的一项研究发现，银行、律所及管理咨询公司的雇主无一例外青睐那些让他们“感到舒服”的求职者。
研究表明，超过半数的雇主都认为吸引力、合适的社会背景以及求职者的消遣方式是他们招聘员工时最首要的考虑因素。
来自美国西北大学的劳伦•里维拉博士发现，雇主往往会把个人的舒适、接受和兴奋的感觉放在首位。
半数受调查者将“文化契合度”列为求职面试阶段最为重要的衡量标准，这也就是说他们更倾向于雇佣与现有员工有着相同“消遣方式、社会背景以及自我表达方式”的员工。
她表示，“当然，雇主也希望雇佣那些具备可以有效完成工作的基本技能的人”。
“不过，除此以外，雇主确实也想雇佣能相处融洽、让他们觉得舒服、可以成为其朋友甚至情侣的人”。
“所以这样一来，雇主不一定会雇佣最有能力的求职者”。
该项研究取材于120名受访者的采访实录，并发表在《美国社会学评论》上。它首次以独特视角探寻了雇主与求职者间文化契合是否重要这一问题。
in vain: 徒劳，无效