Survey Results: Can I Have Facial Hair During A Job Interview?
When it comes to the workplace, whether you’re job hunting or if you’ve been in your role for some time, consider the first impression your facial hair is giving to recruiters and current colleagues. Is is positive or negative? We’ve said it before – growing facial hair can be a great way to add character to your look or to complement your facial shape, but does your job impact your facial hair style?
For job seekers, a common question is should you shave your beard before an interview? To answer this question and more about facial hair trends at work and grooming habits, we recently surveyed 500 men about their facial hair to discover how advice and trends are evolving in the workplace.
Can I Have a Beard During a Job Interview?
Old school job seeking advice states you should be clean shaven and in your best suit for a job interview. But our survey results are proving that you may be able to toss that advice out along with your rusting disposable razor.
Of the 500 men surveyed, 63% interviewed for their current role with facial hair, with 40% of them sporting a beard, while about 35% of respondents were clean-shaven. Other common beard styles worn during an interview were goatees worn by 30% and a mustache by 20%. Scruff came in at 9% and other styles rounded out the data at 1%.
A surprising point learned through the survey was that 72% of respondents didn’t look into the company’s policy on facial hair before the interview. While facial hair policies are typically found in an employee handbook you would get after you are hired, you can also search the company’s team page, social media channels, and even ask the hiring manager to describe the company’s culture in their own words to glean information about how laid back or conservative their culture is.
Business Beards and Facial Hair at Work
While the clean shaven advice for job seekers persists, 90% of our survey respondents can have facial hair at work. Most respondents claim there is no official facial hair policy for their employers, but note that the expectation is to keep their facial hair clean and neat.
When we dug a level deeper into our respondents’ data, a few industries with the most clean shaven faces are broadcasting, homemakers, and legal services. Telecommunications, agriculture and forestry are, not surprisingly, the most bearded industries.
Beard Grooming Tips for the Workplace and Beyond
We also asked our respondents about their grooming habits when it came to their facial hair. Of those surveyed, 79% have a facial hair care routine, with 49% spending no more than 10 minutes on their routine. When it came to frequency, 42% follow their routine weekly, while 26% have one for every 2-3 days, 25% follow one daily, while 7% have a monthly routine.
No matter your current routine and your industry, maintaining the appearance of your facial hair is important – for your confidence and for your overall skincare. Men’s skincare and self-care routines are evolving from the standard bar soap and razor, and a full, handsome beard will appear that way with a purposeful routine.
Professional Beard Grooming Tips
Your beard isn’t that different from the hair on your head – it needs to be washed, conditioned, protected and brushed. A good beard care routine is a good skincare routine, because a healthy beard will keep your skin underneath it healthy too.
Wash Your Beard
Today, there are specific beard washes on the market. You can certainly invest in a specifically-formulated wash like that, or you can use a gentle shampoo. Some soaps and shampoos can leave your beard brittle, so pay attention to how your beard feels after it’s washed and adjust your washing frequency accordingly. In between washes, simply rinse and massage.
Condition Your Beard
Similarly to washing, beard-specific conditioners exist. If you don’t want beard-only products, simply invest in a gentle conditioner to protect your beard hair and skin underneath. Apply the conditioner to your beard, let it soak in for a few minutes and then rinse.
Beard Oil vs. Beard Balm
Just like washing your hair, washing your beard strips your facial hair and underlying skin of natural oils. Oils and balms are available to help keep your beard hair from drying out.
Beard Oil – Beard oil helps moisturise your hair and skin with the added bonus of smelling really good. Apply only a few drops of beard oil to your facial hair daily, especially after washing it. A little goes a long way! If you have a brittle beard, try using oil more than once a day.
Beard Balms – Beard balms can help lock moisture in your facial hair, however its main purpose is to style and protect your beard from outside elements. Apply some balm after you’ve applied oil to your beard and work it into the shape you prefer with your fingers, a comb, or heat.
Brush Your Beard
Brush your beard at the end of your beard care routine. This will help stimulate natural oil production as well as distribute your products throughout your facial hair. Carry a small comb with you in the car or keep one at your desk to comb and reshape your beard throughout the day.
Trim Your Facial Hair
Trim your facial hair every week or so with small grooming scissors to tame strays and keep your beard shape. Visit your barber regularly if you don’t feel confident trimming your own beard and ask for some tips to keep your style fresh in between visits.
When it comes to a moustache, you should trim your moustache as soon as it starts to curl over your lip. This will require more frequent maintenance. However, if you don’t like the look of a shorter moustache or like having to trim it frequently, then consider growing it a little longer and taking the time to style it each day.
Discover which haircut you should get for your face shape
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.