Instead of beauty, more self-confidence works

Beauty helps, but beauty alone won't bring a higher salary. But it does give people more self-confidence, which they can sell in a job or in their job search. More attractive people are therefore often more successful, as an analysis of seventy international studies on the subject has shown. Zuzana Havránková, an economist at the SYRI National Institute, looked at this question.

According to scientific studies, attractive people earn on average 5% more than those of average appearance. And for sex workers and politicians, the difference is even greater. „Appearance contributes to higher self-esteem, which can then translate into a better performance in a team, greater assertiveness and higher pay. Research also suggests that looks are important in childhood. Handsomer children get a little more attention from parents and teachers, which also helps them in life," said Zuzana Havrankova, who, in addition to SYRI, works at the Institute of Economic Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University and the Anglo-American College.

In the fields where appearance is not important for work, such as the positions as analysts, researchers or teachers, the influence of beauty on the salary is minimal, while its influence is significant for sex workers and politicians.

„For the average population, then, the effect of beauty usually disappears when we also take the abilities and skills of the employees into account. Both intellectual and social," Havránkova noted.

Researchers are also of the view that the positive influence that a beautiful appearance brings to people at work can be achieved in other ways. „We can easily overcome the influence of beauty with a little extra education and by working on our self-esteem. Attractiveness can also be dramatically increased by smiling frequently often and acting vigorously," she added.

Read more: Beauty and Professional Success: A Meta-Analysis (econstor.eu)

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