Majority of the professionals in the Middle East region believe looking good at workplace is the key to career advancement as 'there is a correlation between being well-groomed and growing professionally', according to a survey.

Personal appearance is of importance to many employers and employees in the region during a job interview, said leading jobsite Bayt.com in its recent ‘Influence of Personal Appearance on Hiring Decisions’ poll.

Over 80 per cent of the respondents said well-groomed professionals were likely to be more successful in their careers as 'there is a link between appearance and success.'

Looking the part may also have a major impact on the success of a job interview, according to 76.4 per cent who believe that employers make a decision based on a candidate’s physical appearance.

Good personal grooming and style shows an interest in the position (as stated by 27.5 per cent), as well as being demonstrative of good character (stated by 24.8 per cent).

“Quite clearly, personal appearance is of importance to many employers and employees in the region. It would seem to have a major influence on decisions to hire candidates or not, while good grooming may continue to have an impact from within the workplace, affecting the possibilities of promotion,” remarked Suhail Masri, the VP of sales, Bayt.com.

“Bayt.com specializes in gathering information that is vital to the success of job seekers, employees and employers across the MENA region. We seek to empower the people of the region by providing them with the essentials that will allow them to live the lives that they wish.”

Despite the emphasis that respondents place on being presentable in the workplace, only half of the poll’s respondents (47.3 per cent) say that their company has a dress code.

Of these, 46.4 per cent claim to have not been informed of it when joining – they found out later by themselves. A majority of the respondents (60.2 per cent) agree that it’s most important to look happy, well groomed, energetic and confident at the office, though looking fit and healthy is also a boon.

“If your office has an agreed-upon dress code,” Masri says, “then you should have no problems. But if it doesn’t, it's up to you to get it right. Always remember that understated elegance really makes a difference. When starting a new job, always keep in mind that how you dress will tell your boss and others in the organization how you see yourself and how you approach the job.”

Most poll respondents (75.8 per cent) said that they do enjoy looking after their appearance and dressing up for work, with western formal-wear being preferable for 62.4 per cent. Three in 10 (29.1 per cent) wear informal clothes or dress casually, with just 8.5 per cent opting for ethnic or national dress. Showing off tattoos or piercings is considered taboo by 51.9 per cent, said the survey.

About 63.5 per cent of professionals believe their colleagues judge them on the basis of their personal grooming and cloths, while 22.7 per cent believe otherwise, said the survey.

Over 75 per cent believe well-groomed professionals enjoy better professional growth (49.4 per cent of these say that it influences advancement to a ‘large extent).

"Despite the high correlation between personal grooming and professional success, this does not mean spending an exorbitant amount in keeping appearances," said Masri.

“In fact, 48.5 per cent of professionals say they spend only a moderate amount of their income on grooming and clothes. For landing a job and getting a promotion, a professional should always try to ‘look the part’,” said Masri.

"In a conservative business climate, appearances do matter. In other environments it isn't as important. However, it does make sense to dress your best for the interview, regardless of the dress code at the organization," the expert stated.

Masri stated that making the right impression at work isn't hard if one keeps in mind three basic rules: "First, presentation does count. Second, a casual office environment doesn’t mean that you have to dress carelessly. Finally, dress as you want to be seen: a person who takes their job seriously, is professional, and upward-bound," he added.-TradeArabia News Service