Personnel selection and body art. A mix-method study on tattooed job candidates

The present research aims at deepen the influence of body art during the selection process. In details, we considered tattoos as a specific kind of body art and their relation with prejudice. According to literature tattoos can significantly affect the interview process and future work life. We implemented a triangulated methodology conducting 2 series of focus group interviews with a sample of tattooed and not-tattooed job seekers and online interviews with recruiters; in addition, a sample of 360 students in economics and psychology, who could probably become recruiters in the next future, were invited to fill in a questionnaire where they were asked to evaluate a job candidate resume where we had manipulated the picture (with and without tattoo). On the side of future recruiters, the results suggest that visible body art can potentially be a real impediment to employment, even if this effect is reduced for job applicants seeking non-customer-facing roles. Some relevant implications concern the tattoos’ social perception in the workplace and self-management of tattooed candidates. The novelty of the present study resides in the still partly unexplored job candidates’ point of view and in the Italian dataset: this is the first study to investigate this issue in Italy.