/ 21 July 2005

Hairhunting in Hong Kong

It often takes more than brains to get a frontline job in Hong Kong, according to a new survey that found nearly half of all companies here are also looking for a full head of hair.

Forty-three percent of the 113 employers polled said they would not hire people with hair-loss for customer service jobs, and 26% would refuse them for managerial positions to represent their firms at important meetings.

The study, conducted for US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, found hair loss also affects the confidence of job-seekers, with nearly half of 500 people polled saying the condition affects their self-esteem.

Two-thirds of those asked said they believed hair-loss affected their competitiveness when hunting for a job. – Sapa-AFP