​​Is Face-ism Ruining Your Work Life?

Being attractive can make you more successful.

Studies have consistently shown that employees who are perceived as being above average in the looks department are more likely to get hired, get promoted and get better pay. One Harvard study found that pretty or handsome people earn around 10% more than their below-average-looking peers. The theory is that people equate beauty with intelligence, productivity and competence, and thus assume attractive people would be better employees.

More recently, researchers have been digging into why we judge competence from a quick glance at a person’s face. The phenomenon is called face-ism, and it might be affecting your career more than you think.

What is Face-ism? 

Face-ism is a term used to describe the act of making split-second judgments about people based on their facial features without knowing anything about their character, values or morals. 

We’ve all been guilty of making snap judgments, like when we see a new co-worker enter the office and instantly decide that we’ll be besties. But, instead of judging someone based on their body language, the clothes they wear, or some X-factor that we can't define, face-ism is about judging others for facial features that they can’t change or control.

What is Your Face Telling the World?  

Although you want to seem trustworthy and competent to your employers, what if your facial features are telling them something different? It’s a deeply unsettling thought, but researchers have been studying the effects of face-ism in the workplace and their findings are alarming.

What makes a face trustworthy?

In a study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, researchers generated neutral-looking faces and asked 21 participants to rate them for trustworthiness. They found that people rated faces with high inner eyebrows, prominent cheekbones and wide chins as being trustworthy.  

Faces with low inner eyebrows, softer cheekbones and narrower chins don’t seem to evoke the same level of confidence in others.

Using fMRI scans to "see" brain activity, the researchers found that as the "untrustworthy" features of the faces increased, the response in the right amygdala of the participants’ brains also did. This part of the brain is associated with fear and anxiety, which means that when someone sees a face they deem untrustworthy, it can trigger feelings of unease and discomfort.

What makes a face competent? 

Another study found that a baby face (think large eyes and rounded cheeks) is associated with a perceived lack of competence and dominance. Masculine and mature faces were deemed more competent and dominant.  

These findings were confirmed in another interesting experiment. In this study, researchers altered the faces of U.S. politicians to make them seem more or less baby-faced, and then asked participants to rate them according to strength, dominance, honesty and other traits. Politicians with more baby-face features were viewed as being more honest, but the downside was that this reduced perceptions of their power. 

Could this explain why women, and especially younger women, report having to work harder than their male colleagues to prove themselves? Researchers still have a lot to figure out about face-ism, and they haven't made any clear links to sexism or any other forms of bias. But the fact that we do seem to make judgments about people’s character from their faces alone is problematic indeed.

The Problem With First Impressions   

As with other “isms,” face-ism is harmful. When we infer something from a person’s facial features, it usually happens within a split-second, in a process known as “thin-slicing.” This fast process relies on two essential part of the brain: the fusiform gyrus (which perceives others’ faces) and the amygdala, the fear-processing center that we mentioned earlier.

The problem? Thin slicing does not involve areas of the brain that are associated with compassion, empathy and fairness. Instead, it activates the same parts of our brain that kick in when we’re sizing up a potential enemy. This means that first impressions can be misleading, and we definitely should not be relying on them to make important decisions about people.

But face-ism isn't just about first impressions, it can also create a feedback loop. When you judge someone's character based on their facial features, it triggers you to find evidence why your initial judgment was correct. You may come down much harder on someone you perceive as being incompetent than you would on a person you think is trustworthy. You know what they say: you’ll find what you’re looking for! 

So, What Can You Do? 

Although you can’t control face-ism, you can take steps to have a healthier, happier workplace and alleviate its harmful effects. Here are some tips: 

• Challenge your perceptions. The best way to do this is to ask questions! If you catch yourself making a snap judgment of someone and running with it, shift your focus so you ask the person questions instead. By getting to know them better, such as by sharing stories, you’ll better evaluate their character. A Princeton study has found that sharing stories with each other builds empathy. 
• Surround yourself with people who are compassionate and open-minded. This will help you to cultivate the same feelings within yourself. Stay away from highly critical or judgmental people whose negativity can rub off on you! 
• Suggest personality testing for your team. Taking tests such as Truity’s Emotional Intelligence Test, Typefinder or Enneagram Personality Test with your team, and sharing your results, can provide you all with a greater understanding of everyone’s strengths, values and skills. One of the benefits of personality testing is that it makes you more accepting of others. 
• Invest in continuous learning. Not only will this help your superiors to see you as indispensable in the workplace, but it will motivate you to concentrate more on your skills and self-growth instead of on things you can’t control. 

Final thought

Face-ism can shape how others see you. While these snap judgments can feel like a career roadblock at times, you can shift the focus to what truly matters: your authenticity, voice and values. Plus, by becoming more aware of the snap judgments you make in the workplace, you're taking the first step to helping create a more inclusive and fair environment. First impressions are not lasting impressions when you choose to challenge them.