A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book
Looking Right for the Job: Appearances, Unequal Chances, and Gatekeeping in the Labor Market
Authors: De Keere, Kobe; Sarpila, Outi; Vonk, Laura
Editors: Kuipers, Giselinde; Sarpila, Outi
Publication year: 2026
Book title : Handbook of Beauty and Inequality
Series title: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research
First page : 185
Last page: 197
ISBN: 978-3-032-08034-9
eISBN: 978-3-032-08035-6
ISSN: 1389-6903
eISSN: 2542-839X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-08035-6_14
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-08035-6_14
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/515699373
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
This chapter explores how ‘looking right’—as distinct from ‘looking good’—influences labor market inequalities. It is based on a sociology of valuation and evaluation (SVE) perspective, drawing from literature in critical management and organizational studies. We provide an overview of how suitability is assessed in the labor market and how career gatekeepers make decisions. We show that appearance, with a focus on ‘the right look,’ is a crucial component in assessing suitability which informs labor market success and produces specific forms of inequalities. Our empirical case analyzes aesthetic advice given by staffing agencies on their websites. This analysis illustrates how labor market intermediaries regulate ‘looking right’ through aesthetic standards and occurs early in the hiring process. We argue that in the labor market, ‘looking right’ is as vital as ‘looking good’ because employee gatekeepers focus primarily on finding the right ‘fit’ between candidate and job. In this process, visual cues of ‘fit,’ which include, but extend beyond beauty and looking good, are crucial.
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