Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it be an issue if she dressed for work that way? Was she neat, clean, and well-groomed?

She was neat, clean, and well-groomed. Just very casual. It made me question her maturity and judgment.

I work in career development for a university. I would have a fit if one of my students - especially my grad student showed up for an interview like that. The fact that her dress is causing pause is exactly the reason why we advise students in most industries to wear a suit, or at the very least a blazer and pants/skirt/sheath. Her poor choice is distracting a potential employer from her great qualities.

I would suggest inviting her back for a second interview, but explain the agency's dress code. If she came through a university contact or alumni network, let them know so that they can coach her (and other students).

Anonymous wrote:is it a generational thing? I'm mid-thirties and would never wear that to an interview but have noticed my younger colleagues are much more casual

Oh gosh - I used to work at a major digital news outlet. Part of our onboarding was a few days of orientation at HQ in New York. I, in my mid-30s, showed up in my nicest dress - and looked SO out of place. I remember this other woman was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and looked like she fit in way better. This org skewed young.

It is hard sometimes to know how to dress in the beginning.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bring her in for a second interview just to see if she picked up on her inappropriate dress. If she comes back dressed appropriately you are good to go.

This is actually what I am leaning toward doing. I liked her a lot and I would hope she picked up on the dress code from the panel. If she did, it will tell me a lot about her maturity and judgment. If she didn't, well....

If you do like her and want her to do well, I would tactfully tell her you need her to wear a more formal outfit this time. She might otherwise think that the casual outfit got her a second interview, and cool. Try to help her become the employee you want.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hire people and don’t take into account their clothes but I hire for IT.

With some IT, you are just happy they shower once a week.

LOL

If I had two equally strong candidates, a person’s appearance (how professional they look-or don’t) would absolutely sway me. I personally don’t think that outfit is interview appropriate, especially for a non-creative field. And even for a creative field, it seems too casual/weekend wear-ish.

It depends on the person. If she’s oppositional (I’m gonna wear what I want you can suck it!) or if she’s sweetly clueless. Neither one would be a big recommendation for me but maybe a second interview.

is it a generational thing? I'm mid-thirties and would never wear that to an interview but have noticed my younger colleagues are much more casual

This thread is making me want to watch Erin Brockovich again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of my best hires arrived fairly casual. I’m in IT. I’ve had to fight for them in hiring over the idiot in a suit. Appearances are important and yet deceptive. I call them Decepticons.

It’s one day. You should know, as a good hiring manager, who is best for the job apart from shiny shoes or a pearl necklace.

Any brilliant jackass can learn to wear a suit when needed. Hire the brilliant jackass.

+1

Disagree. We had a volunteer in a university research position who wanted contact with families. She regularly wore short shorts and tank tops that exposed her bra. That was fine for data entry in a back office but I told her we had a dress code for clinic work. She argued with me, saying that wasn't really "her style" (our dress code was the university hospital dress code which include things like pants and skirts to the knee, no denim, and close toed shoes, etc.). Not only did she not get new opportunities in our clinic, when she applied for a job out of state she used me as a reference (???) and I told the person why we kept her on data entry.

She had a lot of skills, but "learning to wear a suit" was not one of them.

All of this to say I would invite her back with some feedback about the office attire. If she takes the advice, great. If not, you will have problems with her. Not everyone is trainable.

The person might be great but my concern would be that they have very poor judgement - which in my field is a deal breaker.

Trust your instincts.

Sounds overdressed for a federal office.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it be an issue if she dressed for work that way? Was she neat, clean, and well-groomed?

She was neat, clean, and well-groomed. Just very casual. It made me question her maturity and judgment.

This. Even if it might ultimately be a casual workplace, a candidate should always put their best foot forward in an interview and risk being overdressed. You will never look unprofessional for being well-dressed, but the opposite indicates a potential lack of awareness to professional norms that might have implications down the line. It might not be a deal breaker in the end, but it's definitely something worth taking into consideration.

Nope there are many tech companies that will hold it against you, usually as a proxy for ageism or ‘fit’.

OP what agency and role is this, are you just pitching a fit or do you routinely brief in front of Congress and cameras?

The important question:

Do you have other qualified candidates? If yes, hard pass on this person. If no, bring her back for a second round and see if she was perceptive enough to pick up on the dress code in your office.

Can you extend a second interview to see if she corrects? Maybe she showed up, noticed she was underdressed, and thought “wow. No way I’m getting this job.” If she shows up underdressed again, I would hire someone else.