If you had an interview for an executive position, you might decide to cover up the tattoo on your arm. While you felt your tattoo said something about you, in an interview setting you probably wanted those sentiments to go unspoken.
Sound familiar?
At least one study published in recent times showed no correlation between employment level or salary and having tattoos. This held true whether the tattoos were visible or whether a person had one tattoo or many.
Unfortunately, a recent study conducted by YouGov with 1,075 Singaporeans found that close to half (47 percent) of the respondents said they would be less inclined to hire someone with a tattoo, even if he/she was qualified for the position.
And it gets worse: Seven in ten surveyed (70 percent) believed that certain professions were unsuitable for people with tattoos.
Interestingly, half of those who did the survey said that tattoos should not have any bearing on an individual’s employability. Five percent of respondents even claimed they were likely to hire an applicant with tattoos.
Apparently, face tattoos were most likely to affect a candidate’s chances of being hired, according to 87 percent of those polled. This was followed by neck (73%), hand (61%), arm (59%), and back (11%) tattoos.
Even though being inked certainly has become more mainstream, with one in ten Singaporeans sporting tattoos, different people responded differently. Some viewed tattoos negatively, some were neutral, while others saw them as a plus.
Whatever the case, we’d say it’s your ability and skill that matters, not your appearance.
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