If you’d heard about and are surprised by job advertisements out of a UK recruitment agency, at least rest assured you’re not alone.
Yes, a long lists of websites from around the globe are weighing on the controversy, where job ads for attractive female candidates include requests for a “classic look,” a “bubbly personality,” a “classy and immaculate presentation” but also the more jarring “brown long hair with b-c cup.”
The BBC, the Daily Mail, the Huffington Post, the Evening Standard, and many others have picked up on the ads and the backlash. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is getting involved, too.
People who’ve commented on the articles have taken both sides; one, supporting the recruiting agency, called it all “PC nonsense.” Another said: “Surely by specifying that he wants someone matching the description will stop wasting a lot of people’s time by applying for a job that they won’t get as they don’t meet his criteria. No, I don’t agree with the advert, but at least he is being honest.”
And, said another commenter, “Ultimately people hire those they want to work for them. If it’s an illegal reason, they’ll just use a reasonable excuse like ‘team fit.'”
On the other hand, another person who commented summed up what a lot of folks think when first seeing the ads: “There is a huge difference in actual qualities needed for a job, and breast size.”
For its part, the company says, “It is almost politically incorrect to request someone to work for you that is both attractive as well as professionally equipped with the right set of skills. However, our company understands the importance of having the right people representing your company, because after all, first impressions count.”