In addition to a resume and references, they all wanted a head shot. Kim, who grew up in England and graduated from college there, had just moved back to her native South Korea. She chalked it up to cultural differences and submitted a no-frills, passport-style snapshot. Blatant discrimination based on looks is banned or at least discouraged in many countries.
Facing intense competition for jobs with benefits, many applicants feel compelled to enhance their appearances for an edge. Some resort to dermatology or plastic surgery. Han Jeong-ae, a member of the National Assembly, recently introduced a bill that would fine employers who ask for a photograph or inquire about appearance, birthplace, marital status or the education of family members.
She said job applicants should be judged solely on their skills — and not be forced to endure the cost and stress of getting that perfect photograph.
The bill passed a legislative committee late last year, but it is stalled amid opposition from a key business trade group, the Korea Employers Federation. The group argued that appearance matters in the workplace. Indeed, white-collar firms, government offices and the service industry routinely ask applicants for photographs. Even the Ministry of Employment and Labor once tweeted a link mentioning plastic surgery that also encouraged job seekers to mind their looks.
Although unemployment rate here is low, the rate for people younger than 29 is in the double digits. But reality being what it is, she visited a dermatologist in hopes of improving her chances of landing a good job. Such concerns would be troubling at workplaces in the United States, said Tom Spiggle, a Virginia-based employment lawyer.
