The use of videoconferencing and video calls dramatically increased in 2020, and for most industries, it’s obviously here to stay. With fewer in-person business interactions, we can no longer infer someone’s personality traits from the overall appearance of their clothing and accessories. The game of how to succeed in business is now focused more on the appearance of one’s head and upper body.
Until 2020, most business meetings were in person, and everyone knew who was in charge because in most industries, a person wearing a highly tailored suit and expensive shoes, sitting at the head of the table, could be assumed to be the boss. The phrase “Clothes make the man” was the impression management strategy of that time, and the “power suit” (typically a dark, impeccably tailored suit worn with elegant accessories) was the expected uniform of corporate jobs. This head-to-toe look was meant to exude confidence, competence, and authority.
In 2020, when in-person work came to a screeching halt, videoconferencing and video calls skyrocketed, and it changed the face of business. Even now, video calls continue to be popular, and studies indicate that by 2024, only 25% of corporate meetings will be held in person. [1].
With video calls, it’s no longer possible to hide behind the distraction of a stylish wardrobe. The face and upper body are the new power suit, and in some cases, that may be the only part of a person that clients and co-workers ever see.
Because of this, our impression management strategies have changed. Multiple studies have shown that we infer personality traits from certain facial features and expressions [2,3], which has implications for how we can put our best face forward during video meetings, especially as well as in person.
For example, people with strong jawlines, square chins, and low brows are assumed to be strong leaders, but they’re also considered less trustworthy. Trustworthy traits are inferred from faces with high inner brows, prominent cheekbones, and a round chin.
Other facial features that are associated with assumed personality traits are skin texture and the presence of skin blemishes. A study that compared subjects’ reactions to photos of people with smooth skin or blemishes found that the photos of people with blemishes were rated lower on the inferred qualities of trustworthiness, competence, maturity, attractiveness, and health. Not surprisingly, but sad nonetheless, photos of people with skin blemishes were also perceived as less attractive. [4]
Another interesting finding is that people make personality trait assumptions about anatomical details that seem to imply expression, like deep frown lines or a downturned mouth, even when the face is relaxed. This is termed “emotion overgeneralization” [5]. People who look like they have a slight smile when their face is neutral are perceived as friendly and trustworthy. Those who look irritated even when their face is relaxed are read as being intense or angry. When we think we see the emotion on someone’s face, we also tend to overgeneralize our assumptions about the person’s overall personality, so if we think we detect a smile, we assume the person is happy, sociable, and nice all the time.
Facial attractiveness has always been a benefit in the business world, but it’s even more important with the increase in business video calls. In many industries, attractive people make higher wages than less attractive employees [6,7], as well as people with faces that look trustworthy/likable, or dominant.[8] Attractive people are seen as more trustworthy, and studies show that people considered to have above-average beauty earn 10% to 15% higher salaries, while less attractive people are more likely to get fired.[9] For example, the total compensation of attractive bank CEOs is about 24% higher than the compensation of CEOs with below-average looks.[7]
According to one comprehensive academic review: “Physically attractive individuals are more likely to be interviewed for jobs and hired, they are more likely to advance rapidly in their careers through frequent promotions, and they earn higher wages than unattractive individuals.” Attractive people are also assumed to be more sociable, honest, and talented. [10]
But do attractive people get hired just because of their looks, or is attractiveness associated with other traits that make them more successful? The stereotypes about attractive people may provide a self-fulfilling prophecy. One study found that attractive students’ behavior was rated by reviewers as more confident and enthusiastic than their less attractive peers.[11]
A new “power suit” for video calls
Unlike in-person meetings, with videoconferencing, people see their own faces as others see them, which can be both a shock and a wake-up call. It’s, therefore, no surprise that since 2020, more people than ever have been seeking aesthetic treatments.[12]
The characteristics that people are most unhappy with when they see themselves onscreen are under-eye dark circles, wrinkles, blemishes, double chins, brown spots or blotchy pigmentation, and thinning hair.[13]
Luckily, today there are nonsurgical aesthetic medical techniques that can improve all these concerns as well as adjust our facial features to better fit the personality we want to convey. Improvement can often be seen with treatments that take less than an hour.
Injections of muscle relaxants like Botox® can make an angry expression look more approachable, and the smoothing of the skin it results in can make a face look younger. It can lift or lower brows and even make pores look smaller.
Injectable fillers can make a chin and jawline look stronger, tighter, or rounder, enhance the cheekbones or lips, improve under-eye circles, lift the mouth corners, remove wrinkles, and even provide the appearance of a subtle facelift if desired.
Other treatments can shrink a double chin or jowls and remove unwanted veins, hair, spots, sun-damaged skin, tattoos, and scars.
Combining some of these treatments has become a popular strategy for providing “Executive Makeovers.” Today, it’s easier than ever to increase your on-screen confidence and make the best impression possible without the need to invest in a new wardrobe.
Employees to Return to a Traditional office in 2023(Opens in a new browser tab)
About Dr. Cynthia Elliott
Cynthia Elliott, M.D., is the owner of the aesthetic medical practice, Skinspirations, and the aesthetic physician training company, ExpertEsthetics, located in Clearwater, Florida. For more information, visit www.skinspirations.com.
By Cynthia Elliott, M.D
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