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Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

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Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#31

Post by therobot24 »

cpncrunch wrote: post #18
thret wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you, I was about to say the same. I hate wearing suits, but I wear them for weddings and funerals and interviews because that is one of the clauses in the social contract.

Not really. Their CEO is pictured wearing either a casual sweater, or what looks like a clubbing or gameshow presenter outfit: http://medcitynews.com/2012/02/scheduling-software-company-o... http://www.onshift.com/blog/we-have-coolest-tech-leader-clev... Seems like they're being a bit hypocritical, as her outfit was just as professional as his. Overall, I think they probably just have some asshat of a manager. Most c…

> gameshow presenter outfit

You mean a suit? Cause the photo definitely has him in a suit jacket.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#32

Post by omonra »

scott_s wrote: post #23
dudul wrote: post #3

"If I had been a man would it have mattered what I was wearing?" Pretty obviously yes. One may think it's stupid but this company has a dress code and wants its employees to look put together period. Also, based on her post I would say the company was pretty good at reading her personality. I have rarely seen someone who is yet to graduate but already has such deep feeling of entitlement. I guess her parents have tol…

If the other programmers indeed do wear tshirts and jeans, as she reported, then I don't think it's accurate to say that the company has a dress code. Her attire is appropriate for a tshirt and jeans culture.

Interview attire != what you wear once you have the job

It's like dating - what you wear on the first date is not what you can expect your spouse to expect/tolerate once you are living together.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#33

Post by Grue3 »

When has a company ever described the reasons for not hiring you in such detail? I've been rejected like 50 times and not once was a reason given other than "we're searching for a candidate of another profile". Which I guess is a great way to avoid discrimination lawsuits. If this article is true, OnShift has the dumbest recruiters ever and I hope they get what's coming for them.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#35

Post by cpncrunch »

therobot24 wrote: post #31
cpncrunch wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Their CEO is pictured wearing either a casual sweater, or what looks like a clubbing or gameshow presenter outfit: http://medcitynews.com/2012/02/scheduling-software-company-o... http://www.onshift.com/blog/we-have-coolest-tech-leader-clev... Seems like they're being a bit hypocritical, as her outfit was just as professional as his. Overall, I think they probably just have some asshat of a manager. Most c…

> gameshow presenter outfit You mean a suit? Cause the photo definitely has him in a suit jacket.

A black suit jacket and black T-shirt. Not exactly standard male business attire.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#36

Post by runamok »

bunderbunder wrote: post #29
scott_s wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the other programmers indeed do wear tshirts and jeans, as she reported, then I don't think it's accurate to say that the company has a dress code. Her attire is appropriate for a tshirt and jeans culture.

Perhaps. Playing devil's advocate, though: I've worked plenty of places where some individuals can get away with t-shirt and jeans but the overall business tends toward business casual, and there is still an expectation that you get dressed up for a job interview. Personally I think that's entirely acceptable. It's not a double standard, it's simply a policy that acknowledges that there are different social contexts.…

I always dress for an interview one step above the "norm" as a nod to the formality of the occasion.

So if everyone dresses in jeans and a t-shirt I might wear slacks and a polo or jeans and a button down shirt. If they wear business casual I'd probably wear a suit (though probably sans jacket).

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#37

Post by runamok »

Grue3 wrote: post #33

When has a company ever described the reasons for not hiring you in such detail? I've been rejected like 50 times and not once was a reason given other than "we're searching for a candidate of another profile". Which I guess is a great way to avoid discrimination lawsuits. If this article is true, OnShift has the dumbest recruiters ever and I hope they get what's coming for them.

That's what stands out to me too. Which HR 101 class did they miss to make a statement like that to the interviewer?

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#38

Post by gregor7777 »

EliRivers wrote: post #7
gregor7777 wrote: post #5

What's the female equivalent to "always suit up"?

A suit. It's basically the same as a man's suit, except that you may swap out the trousers ("pants") for a matching skirt, and no tie. As such, the blouse typically leaves the top button undone.

Gotcha. Figured there was something similar for women. Always suit up.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#39

Post by kyriakos »

its considered acceptable for a candidate when called for an interview to ask about the required dress code. I did this many times and worked well.

You don't know who will be present at the interview, e.g. it could be upper management and therefore you should dress accordingly. Asking beforehand also helps make sure you don't overdress which could make you feel uncomfortable during the interview and have a negative impact.

Re: Female programmer denied job because of her 'unprofessional' attire

#40

Post by swamp40 »

"These are the reasons she cited: 1) I 'looked more like I was about to go clubbing than to an interview.' 2) I 'had a huge run in my tights' 3) I was late."

I'm going to make a giant leap of faith here and suggest that the person who denied her the job was probably a female.

I simply cannot envision a guy telling a girl he wasn't going to hire her because of a run in her tights.

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