Flashing a tattoo used to be the difference between nailing a job interview and being sent packing, with many workplaces requesting that employees cover up their tattoos - but has that changed? Caroline Reidy, HR Expert joined Drivetime to discuss. Listen back above.
Research shows that one in three people have tattoos, as well as 30% of people in the US and 26% of those in the UK. From Reidy's perspective, she believes that many employers are recognising and embracing this shift.
"I can't remember the last time somebody mentioned a tattoo being an obstacle to taking somebody on or promoting them", Reidy said. "Whereas going back a long time ago that was something that was a consideration.
"I think we've a lot of factors that are influencing the fact that we've got such a strong D&I culture now of diversity and inclusion that it would go completely against the ethos of saying, we want the whole individual to come to work if we're saying you can't have tattoos."
A dress code is different, however, and Reidy said this would apply to everybody.
"Once they're not offensive, and once they don't cause offense to somebody else I think we've definitely overcome tattoos as a no-go in lots of roles."
There are some environments that are hard to imagine embracing tattoos in a relaxed way, Cormac said, such as the legal profession. Reidy noted that even dress codes are becoming "loosened", adding that "anything that's visible we've got to make sure is appropriate and also respectful so it doesn't cause offense".
"But I think we're finding that for most people now a tattoo is really artistic, it's something that's very personal to somebody, they've put a lot of thought into getting it, and ultimately it's something that's part of their personality and their opportunity to express themselves.
"If they can't come to work in that way, they're just going to choose a work environment that they can. I think for the majority of people now, we embrace the fact that tattoos are part of society."
She added that if companies were to ban tattoos outright, it could lead to a loss of potential among new hires.
"I think we're going to be excluding a huge potential of the population and we know there's absolutely no correlation between having a tattoo and intelligence or ability to do the job.
"It's another objective bias that's going to creep in if we let it."
As for whether you should cover your tattoos in a job interview, Reidy is adamently against it.
"If you don't feel that this employer is going to embrace what's important to you, you're in the wrong job interview."
