The Hidden Currency of Hiring: When “Merit” Secretly Means “Attractive Enough”
Saturday, August 30, 2025.
My fascination with human behavior at work has caused me to notice how hiring managers love to say, “We only care about qualifications, and hire accordingly.”
It’s a noble sentiment, right up there with “I don’t judge a book by its cover” or “I only eat potato chips in moderation.”
The problem? None of those claims survive contact with real life.
Erotic Capital: Not Just for Dating Apps
Sociologist Catherine Hakim (2010) coined the term erotic capital—a kind of social currency that bundles together looks, charm, energy, presentation, and that indefinable spark that makes people pay attention.
Think of it as the five-part cocktail that shapes how you’re judged in both love and LinkedIn:
Beauty: the raw genetics—symmetry, clear skin, decent bone structure.
Social attractiveness: warmth, empathy, the “you seem nice” factor.
Sexual attractiveness: charisma, confidence, body language that says you know what you’re doing.
Liveliness: humor, optimism, energy—the kind of vibe that makes a meeting less painful.
Presentation: grooming, clothes, the subtle difference between “Zoom casual” and “did you just wake up?”
It’s not just about being hot. It’s about being socially magnetic.
The Polish Experiment: What People Say vs. What They Actually Do
In a recent study (Archives of Sexual Behavior), researchers Wojtaszczyk and Syper-Jędrzejak (2025) asked 471 adults to imagine meeting someone new, interviewing a candidate, or evaluating a coworker.
They found:
Friendliness and warmth came out on top. People swore that empathy and optimism mattered most.
Presentation mattered. Clean shirt? Groomed hair? Congratulations, you just gained points.
Beauty and sex appeal? Supposedly less important. Especially in hiring scenarios.
In other words: “I would never hire someone just because they’re attractive.” (Cue laugh track.)
The Pretty Privilege Problem
Here’s the snag: decades of research say beauty absolutely affects hiring.
A meta-analysis of hiring studies shows that attractive people are more likely to get the job, the raise, and the corner office (Hosoda, Stone-Romero, & Coats, 2003).
We’re so biased that we instinctively associate beauty with competence and intelligence—even when résumés are identical (Langlois et al., 2000).
Men, predictably, gave more weight to sexual attractiveness; women leaned toward warmth and presentation (Wojtaszczyk & Syper-Jędrzejak, 2025).
So yes—social warmth matters. But physical beauty still lurks in the hiring room, quietly tipping the scales while everyone insists it doesn’t.
Why You Should Care (Even If You Think You Don’t)
Hiring bias is sneaky. Nobody thinks they’re doing it, which makes it worse.
Attractiveness isn’t just “genetic luck.” Humor, energy, and presentation all count—and those are controllable.
Fair hiring needs guardrails. Structured interviews, anonymized CVs, even standardized evaluation rubrics help keep unconscious bias from running the show.
The Bottom Line
Meritocracy is a beautiful idea. But when someone swears they “only hire based on skill,” remember: people also swear they floss every night.
Attractiveness—whether it’s warmth, charisma, or old-fashioned bone structure—still sneaks into the equation.
The question isn’t whether it matters. The real question is whether or not we’re honest enough to admit it.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Hakim, C. (2010). Erotic capital. European Sociological Review, 26(5), 499–518. https://doi.org/10.1093/esr/jcq014
Hosoda, M., Stone-Romero, E. F., & Coats, G. (2003). The effects of physical attractiveness on job-related outcomes: A meta-analysis of experimental studies. Personnel Psychology, 56(2), 431–462. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2003.tb00157.x
Langlois, J. H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A. J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., & Smoot, M. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 126(3), 390–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.3.390
Wojtaszczyk, K., & Syper-Jędrzejak, M. (2025). Erotic capital: The role of attractiveness in employment and private life. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03134-1