View of Appropriate Work Attire Becoming More Skewed

September 19, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - According to results from a Yahoo! HotJobs and Banana Republic survey, there is increasing confusion as to what is appropriate to wear to work - and to an interview - as companies embrace business casual attire.

According to a press release, the majority of employees surveyed wear either business casual or casual outfits to work, indicating that more companies are relaxing office dress codes. As a result of the trend to a more casual dress code, over 25% of recruiters surveyed said wearing a business suit to an interview at their company can be too formal.

Seventy-six percent of female employees and 88% of male employees said they wear either business casual or casual outfits to work, while more than 40% of respondents reported they wear whatever is most comfortable – including jeans – to the office.

Yahoo said in the release that employees should keep in mind one-third of human resources managers believe dressing like your boss is a good way to advance in the company and 73% think employees would be more respected by their bosses if they dressed in a similar fashion. Additionally, 56% of employee respondents said how they dress affects workplace perceptions and performance reviews.

As for interview attire, the survey found:

  • 34% of respondents said they spend most of their time the night before an interview deciding what to wear.
  • 60% of recruiters responding to the survey said job seekers should spend at least 30 minutes choosing their interview outfit.
  • 30% of respondents said they always go shopping for clothes prior to an interview.

Help with workplace and interview attire can be found at www.hotjobs.com .

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