In today's society marketing is being taken to new heights. Not only are the companies spending money on advertising they are also using their employees as portable billboards. If companies are going to use their employees as walking billboards for advertisements, then a lot of us would agree that not all people can be used as a walking billboard. With this type of advertisement companies only want to hire the pretties, hippest, and hottest looking employees a new type of discrimination is starting to rear its ugly head.
I must agree with Greenhouse, it is wrong to hire people strictly on how they look, employees should be looking for the person who can do the best job. People with experience and ability. Not all people in our world have a look that makes people say, "Wow", they look like a super model. Greenhouse had shown in his article that only hiring people because they " look great is a type of discrimination. This should not be happening in America. Cohen on the other hand disagrees with Greenhouse and says he can defend the retailers approach to hiring based on image. Cohen sees this as a necessary and smart advertisement for the industry. It is increasing sells, it is setting a image that the young customers what to see. Therefore, hiring for looks is good for business causing increases in sales.
Many upper class retail stores such as Abercrombie and Fitch are using this type of sales tactics. It may bring the people into the store because of how a employee looks and the image is right for the age group they are trying to target, however if they cannot operate the cash register, stock the shelves correctly, help a customers who don't look like super models sells may go down and then the retail store will have to change it way of doing business. A retail store however, could hire a person who image might not be as super model, but they are very efficient at their job. Stocking shelves more quickly, not making as many errors with sales, and more willing to help the average looking person buy the correct merchandise to portrait the trendy images.
This new type of discrimination based on looks or appearance is starting to cause lawsuits against some of the major department stores. Mr. Roppolo, a New Orleans lawyer who represents major hotels in the area, said " I tell my clients that they should make sure they hire on someone's ability to do the job." He continues by saying "if you hire on looks you risk a legal troubles" Looks can end up causing a ethnic discrimination. Looking for a tall blue eyed, blond hair, young woman leaves out many ethnic groups. This will land a company in trouble with the law. Who has the right to say because I am short with dark hair, I can't be trendy and have a high sells rate.
This trend is starting to show up in many areas, not just retail department stores. Walk into any Mexican Restaurant and you will most likely see a waitress or waiter that is Hispanic. Go into a Asian restaurant and the chef are usually Asian Americans. America is suppose to be about equal opportunities for each and every one of its citizens no matter what your gender, ethnic background, size, shape or weather you walk or get around in a wheel chair. With this new trend America has taken a step back with a new type of discrimination.
With the message we are sending by hiring the super model
