HUMAN RESOURCES: Dress for Success

In the 1990’s dot-com era, under relentless pressure from their younger counterparts and in an effort to shed the perception that they were old-fashioned, many companies began adopting “casual Friday” dress. This was a challenge for die-hard professional dressers (PDers) like me. For whatever reason, I was more productive, more pumped, and more efficient when I dressed the part of a professional consultant – even if I never saw a client or left my desk for the entire day. Eventually, however, after attending board meetings where I was the only one wearing a suit, and my bank’s branch manager work a t-shirt to work, I gave in and made the transition to a more casual style of dress.

To this day, however, I still believe that I perform better when I feel better and, I hate to admit it, but I still feel better dressed up. Apparently, I’m not alone in this thinking. According to a new survey by OfficeTeam, a California staffing service, most employees feel that dress does, indeed, make the man or the woman. More than 80 percent of surveyed professionals said a person’s work attire affects his or her professional image. A 2003 survey by No Nonsense, the pantyhose manufacturer, found that 70 percent of executives said that workplace dress affects an employee’s productivity, while 63 percent said that wearing more professional clothing makes employees advance faster in their careers.

If you believe that dress does impact image, then it’s imperative that you develop a specific dress code for your employees. (If your employees are perceived as unprofessional in their image, this will reflect on the image of your organization.)

Your dress code should be appropriate for your business, your culture, your workforce and your industry. This doesn’t mean, however, that just because 75 percent of your industry dresses like slobs that you should, too. Remember the old adage – you never get a second chance to make a first impression? It’s true. Every business should strive to ensure their employees look and sound better than the competition.

The dress codes we’re writing for employee handbooks today contain very specific “do not even attempt to wear these” lists that consider workforce characteristics and often include such items as (for ladies) sheer blouses, low-cut tops, cocktail or spiked shoes, items with sequins or excessive beads, and skirts that are shorter than 2 inches above the knee. For men, the “prohibited” list usually includes shorts, sockless shoes, and baseball caps and visors. For both men and women, most policies prohibit athletic and beach-wear, exposed undergarments, low-cut or excessively baggy pants, clothing with holes, tight or suggestive clothing, leather clothing, tennis shoes, overalls, and visible or offensive clothing and tattoos (judgment call on management’s part). Some policies prohibit body ornaments, although it may be necessary to make a religious accommodation.

Clearly, these lists are not all inclusive and any dress policy that you implement should address the following: (1) accommodations based on medical conditions (i.e., a skin condition that precludes a male employee from shaving) or religious faith (i.e., the wearing of a turban for Hindu and Sikh employees, a head scarf for Muslim employees, or yarmulke for Jewish men), (2) any special requirements based on safety standards (including jewelry and headsets, among others), (3) any special uniform provisions, and (4) general grooming standards related to cleanliness, neatness and, don’t forget, everyone’s favorite – hygiene.

When developing your dress code, be mindful of uniformity – that is, whatever standard is required of men should also be required of women. Also, be sure to include consequences for non-compliance and then follow-through with them in a consistent and non-discriminatory fashion.