Social psychology literature has long held the proposition that beauty affords advantages in many areas of life, including the job market. Previous studies have generally shown that attractive job seekers are more likely to be hired for a job, and more likely to receive job promotions once hired.
Study authors Margaret Lee and colleagues propose that there may be a time when being attractive actually works against a job candidate. Specifically, they suggest that when a manager is hiring for a less desirable position, they will be propelled by the goal of choosing someone who will be most satisfied with the job, and this goal will override their bias for attractive candidates.
“We propose,” the authors say, “that decision makers predict that attractive candidates would be less satisfied working in jobs that are relatively less desirable, leading to discrimination against them.” Read more via PsyPost