Entertainment based businesses can actually get away with murder in this regard. Many of the laws that apply to strip clubs, amusement parks, live theatre, etc are tailored so the business can produce a “theme” without fear of lawsuit. Otherwise you would have 25 lawsuits for age, sex, and racial discrimination every time they auditioned for a new Annie on broadway.
I *think *it’s OK to ask for a *receptionist *to be “physically attractive”, but that’d have to include handsome male applicants also.
[/QUOTE]
You don’t even bother mentioning it. Post an ad and hire the best looking one that is qualified. If you want to give preference to someone with marginal qualifications because you want to look at them, be prepared for disappointment if not loss of business.
I have seen a few managers do this kind of thing and get bit in the ass damn near every time.
Cute does not equal capable, especially in a B2B environment. I have dealt with several sales reps in person who seem to get flustered very quickly when I don’t get all gushy because the batted their eyelashes at me.
“Thats nice, you’re cute, your products are 15% more expensive than your competitor i talked to 3 days ago. Why is it that I should buy from you?”
How old is the person who wrote the ad? Kids today have a habit of saying “sexy” when they mean something is fabulous … or the advertiser is old and trying to look “hip”
Too true. The requirements in what casting directors send to agents, or what gets posted in the various papers with info about auditions would turn any HR person’s hair white. All perfectly legal.
I’d have a hard time believing that - however you maybe right, because unattractive people are probably not a federally protected minority (darn )
)