Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

Research indicates that some judgments developed in the course of an interview are often affected by factors of which the interviewer is completely unaware. We think we know why we like or dislike an applicant, but we don't, not completely. We unconsciously judge people by their physical appearance all the time. For example, we believe that a person with a square jaw has great determination, a person with red hair has a hot temper or neatness of dress indicates careful job performance.

Along similar lines, research has indicated applicants who are physically attractive are more likely to:

1. get hired

2. offered a higher salary

3. judged to have greater talent

4. judged to be more intelligent

5. judged to be more honest

In the final analysis, physical characteristics do not correlate with performance: LOOKING THE PART IS NOT ENOUGH. If you are not consistently on the alert, you might unconsciously base an important hiring decision on superficial physical characteristics that have no relationship with job-related skills, knowledge, and abilities. Never Judge a Book By Its Cover.