A New York girl is alleging that she was denied a high-level job as a result of a recruiter didn’t consider her look confirmed sufficient effort.
In a viral TikTok that has been considered over 266,500 instances, Melissa Weaver, 30, mentioned she did all the issues that may be consistent with an workplace costume code in her video interview for a vice chairman position in human assets at a tech firm.
Weaver says she was sporting a black blazer and white button-up shirt — each ironed — styled her hair in a blowout look, and painted her nails a impartial shade.
However one factor she did not have on? Make-up.
@_melissaweaver Does sporting make as much as work make a distinction? #work #company #profession #interview #job #jobsearch #make-up #jobinterview #opinion #recommendation #ladies ♬ authentic sound – Melissa
“I did not assume was an enormous deal,” Weaver penned in an essay to Insider in regards to the incident. “However apparently, it was to her.”
Weaver mentioned she thought the interview went effectively — it even went 10 minutes longer than scheduled — however was shocked when she acquired an e-mail days later saying that although she was “in line” with what the corporate wished by way of expertise and values, she wouldn’t be shifting on to the following spherical.
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As an HR skilled herself, Weaver pushed for suggestions, which is when she was instructed by way of e-mail by the recruiter that the corporate was “involved that you just did not put forth sufficient effort into your look given you have been interviewing for a Vice President position.”
“My response was a little bit of shock. One, that somebody would write that in an e-mail. However extra so, that in 2024, that is nonetheless occurring,” she mentioned. “Listening to that as a result of I hadn’t achieved that, I used to be by some means much less certified or did not look like I used to be as enthusiastic in regards to the job was simply baffling.”
Individuals within the feedback jumped to Weaver’s protection, calling the recruiter’s determination “wildly inappropriate” and urging her to ahead the e-mail to the corporate’s head of HR.
“It is wild she mentioned that in an e-mail to you,” one particular person wrote. “This might by no means be mentioned to a person.”
“That actually looks like discrimination,” one other mentioned. “Not hiring you based mostly in your appears?”
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Weaver didn’t name out the corporate by title.
In response to LinkedIn, Weaver final labored as a Senior Individuals Enterprise Associate at Motion Community earlier than being laid off in December 2023.