When are companies going to get over tattoos? If the army doesn't care why should they?

Question

ALL sorts of people have them and they don't affect work or work ethic... It's really no different than a blonde leaving work one day and coming back the next as a redhead...

It says something about your character if you won't hire the best person just because you don't like their style... (and not something good!)

Answer 1

It's one of the things that people are allowed to discriminate against, like discriminating against guys with long hair. As for someone "not being comfortable" just because someone has a tattoo, well, that person needs to get a grip and get over their self.

I once worked for a place that wouldn't hire guys with long hair or tattoos. Then they hired this 'dream employee" with his hair cut the way he should, no earrings, etc, dressed like choir-boy. And I was LMAO when he stole thousands from the company.

Like it or not, tattoos and hair length are NOT a sign of their character or integrity.

Answer 2

Depends on the profession and the company. Not all companies care. The more creative-oriented the company, the less they'll care. The more corporate, the more likely they'll care.

The army is not quite comparable to Wells Fargo Bank or General Mills in terms of the culture, so hard to use the army reference and convince anyone. Unfortunately, tattoos create an image that some companies find inappropriate. And to your hair example, if a woman went home a blond and came back with green hair with blue stripes, that might get her in trouble, too.

As the others said below, it would be a different story if you could cover up your tattoos and they didn't hire you anyway (i.e they asked if you had any, you said yes, they didn't hire you).

Employee-employer relationships are like dating- what causes problems doesn't have to make logical sense - it matters that both parties are comfortable with the decision since it is costly when it goes wrong.

Answer 3

Not sure where you get the idea that the Army doesn't care about tatoos. They're a bit more liberal than some of the services but there most certainly are limits! Here's a link that outlines current policy.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/a/tattoopolicy.htm

It's as much about the "corporate culture" as anything else. Companies want employees that fit the company image.

If you're working at the local "head shop" then stapled, shashed, scarred, branded and tattooed fits the image and is welcome, even expected. If you work for a conservative stock brokerage, then anything visible would probably get you a trip to the door, or a nice "thanks for your time" at the interview but nothing more.

When an interviewer is interviewing a prospective employee, the resume usually has answered the question, "Can they do the job?" or you wouldn't even be there. The interivewer's real task is to answer the question, "Will this person fit in?"

The job may have an impact as well. The company that I work for is pretty liberal when it comes to the IT staff and most production workers that do not have contact with customers or the general public. However, managers and sales staff are an entirely different story.

Like it or not, that's the reality of the world.

Answer 4

As a person who has hired people, I usually bypass a person with a tattoo because they are not professional in appearance.

If they are able to be covered up, that won't make a difference, but a tattoo can put another person in an uncomfortable position. So we want people who are able to work well with others.

A tattoo is the same to me as a person who wears a button or a t-shirt with a saying on it Is that tattoo appropriate for that work environment?

Answer 5

If it can't be covered up for a job interview, then there's a reason you aren't getting hired. If you have to deal with customer, associates, business partners, etc, then a visible tattoo will be the death of your career. On the other hand, if you're unwilling to cover a tattoo for an interview, you don't deserve the job.
I work with a lot of people that have tattoos (at a very professional place) and it's no big deal.

Answer 6

Depends on the size of the tattoo, where it is and what it represents. Many people get offended with tattoos and do not patronize places with workers with tattoos. That is why companies are reluctant to hire them.

If I was doing the hiring I wouldn't hire someone with tattoos all over. One or two small ones are okay but not all over.

Answer 7

I think it's a form of discrimination. So what if I have a tattoo... (Yes, I do have one). Having a tattoo and/or body piercing does not dictate what kind of person I am. Also, we're in the 21st century. Lots of people have tattoos these days.

So what's the big deal?

Answer 8

i have tats, body brands and piercings. also was in the military. my tats are conservative as in places on the body that is not seen unless i had my shirt off. eventhough i am a truck driver i still represent the company in which i am leased to so i don't want to pull up to some large company such as walmart and them seeing the tatoo naztman or one of my freaky looking body brands as it may make them feel uncomfortable. instead of waiting for me to back to the dock so they can unload me they may be wandering what i'm going to steal. lol. on the other hand if i worked in a music store i would fit right in with all my piercings and tats showing. your not gonna run a day care and when the parents drop their kids off in the am your standing there looking like you just came in from some punk rock concert. depending on the environment you work you represent your place of business and a owner of a company is more focused on keeping a customer than making them think his running some freak show. and for your info. in the military if you join with tats and brands it is ok. they will take pictures of them and they can be used to identify you if you were to be killed but on the other hand after taking the oath if they really wanted to press the issue u can be brought up on charges of defacing government property as now you belong to the government. that is where the term G.I. comes from (government issue). that is why i learned to keep my tats conservative. i always wanted them in the military but i had to be careful where i had them. as far as the hair thing. i don't think a real estate agent showing up with hot pink hair with green streaks in it is going to sell to many home to hard working people who is looking to spend their hard earned money. "think before you ink" it affects you more than the fact that it will be permanent.

Answer 9

No one seemed to be against me getting a tattoo of our corporate logo.
I think is has something to do with what its a tattoo of.