Visible body modification in hiring practices

Abstract

Due to increasing competition for jobs, employers are able to select from a large pool of candidates. A tattooed person may experience negative social consequences, including negative perceptions because of tattoos and piercings (Resenhoeft, Villa, & Wiseman, 2008). The research question was, "What are the attitudes of human service professionals regarding body modification in hiring practices" The authors hypothesized professional attitudes would adversely affect the ability of a person with visible body modification (VBM) to find employment. The site of the nonrandom pilot study was in a small Midwestern town. Participants were N = 16 professionals in the human services professions. Survey data was statistically analyzed using frequencies, mean comparisons, and a reliability analysis, but findings did not support the hypothesis. Human service professionals responded that within parameters, individuals with VBM would not be discriminated against. Family study practitioners need to increase awareness that commonly held stereotypes are inaccurate. It is recommended that future research include a larger and more diverse sample to generalize to the attitudes of professionals in other fields.