Tattoos Free Enterprise Gainley Summary

An employer may make many decisions for their company based on looks, but does that make it morally or ethically right? Gainley’s (2003) essay “Tattoos; Free Enterprise”, claims that businesses have the right to hire based on appearance. I do not agree with Gainely. Employers do have the right to choose based on qualification, but not hiring only based on visible tattoos seems extreme to me. A great “shell” can be an advantage in the workplace, but a candidate’s talent must be considered first. I believe that image isn’t everything and you should not judge the worth of something by its outward appearance.
Looks may be the first thing that anyone notices, but it should not outweigh competencies, skills and qualifications. People tend to associate certain looks with stereotypes. In the words of Gainley (2003),
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet some people “cover” themselves in ways intended to convey certain messages. The message may be,” my uniform says I am a police officer” or “I like the latest fashions” or “I am gang member. (para.5).
Tattoos have many meanings; they tell stories about an individual and should not determine someone’s value. I am a manager in the medical field and have visible tattoos

that are a tribute to my late father. It doesn’t make me any less of a leader or frowned upon from the company or my coworkers. There are many police and firemen that have a sleeve of tattoos that cover their arm. If my life is being saved, I don’t care what you look like. Tattoos do not make a person less worthy to maintain a companies’ reputation.
As Gainley (2003) stated, “I don’t personally have issues with visible tattoos or piercings, but as a hiring manager I was paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers” (para.11). I do not agree with Gainley in this situation. I hire people all the time in my profession, but I base it on talent, personality, and qualifications. The interviewing process I am taught is to hire the best candidate for the job. If I let looks obscure an individuals’ attributes, then I fail to hire an employee based on expertise. I have a diverse staff with different backgrounds, hair colors, tattoos and piercings; these features make them unique and does not interfere with their professional skills. To me there is no correlation between work ethic and appearance.
As Gainley (2003) advised,” Each of us can choose whether to conform to the rules of any organization, but that organization is also free to choose whether they want us associated with it” (para.12).

I do partially agree with this statement. I can expect employees to maintain a professional image and acceptable standards of appearance. I work in a company that does have policies in place for appropriate dress and grooming habits. My company likes to express that they are an equal opportunity employer and strives for diversity. I also feel that a piece of the puzzle for any successful organization is having employees who feel accepted for who they are and not what they look like. Professionalism should not be based on the

exterior.
I think that your surface, whether it be weight, skin tone, or hair color, should not be a qualification when applying for jobs. Stereotypes about tattoos and piercings are not always accurate and can have people lose a chance at a career. There are plenty of ways to clear the images that are established for certain professions, but the resolution should be to not judge others based on appearance. What really matters is under the skin and invisible to the eye. I believe people should be judged on character and quality of their work and not on their appearance.

Reference
Gainley, B. (2003). Tattoos; Free enterprise. Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/435343633?accountid=3437