“Visible tattoos in the service sector: a new challenge to recruitment and selection”

In a study by Andrew Timming he began by interviewing 25-hiring managers in-depth and visibly tattooed applicants. This was carried out to explore and test the prejudice surrounding body art and body modification in the public service sector. The study focused on the impact visible tattoos had on the chances of employment. The results of this study showed that visible tattoos had a significantly negative effect on employment chances. That being said the employer’s prejudice was mitigated by the position of the tattoo, the type of industry the position was available in, the proximity the position offered had on the customers and the nature of the tattoos themselves. The employer’s prejudice against tattoos was largely driven by the hiring manager’s perceptions of the customers expectations in regard to appearance in the workplace.