Recently the media discussed why the opposition leader in Australia was suddenly sporting blue ties. Well as we know there is an election coming up and Tony Abbott is looking for that top job - Prime Minister. His spin doctors are trying to portray a "likeable" and "calm" image by wearing blue.
Colour psychology is an old concept and used in marketing, nursing homes and hospitals for example. Wearing specific colours to project images feelings and emotions has been around for decades and is still relevant. I tested it quite by accident myself through university research. My research was based on the effect of nonverbal communication in an interview situation and how it affected the employer's final hiring decision. My results showed that employer's used 80% of body language including what the applicant wore to the job interview to influence their final decision about a candidate. Only 20% of other non- verbal communication related to other skills such as communication. In all cases the final candidates were equally qualified for the job so that aspect played a minor part.
Dressing for success in job interviews has many facets. For example until recently black was only worn by politicians in addressing the nation abut serious matters. It is relates to power and was not a colour that should be worn at a job interview. Colour can be used positively. Male salespersons should wear a red or maroon tie and female salespersons persons should wear red in their outfit.
In my research one employer made his decision on hiring a senior marketing consultant on the fact that the female applicant, while "looking lovely in peach," did not project the gung-ho image that the male candidate did in his maroon tie. The employer had a very good recall of the interview and it was clear that the female applicant's choice of colour showed lack of drive.
Other aspects of colour can show a negative reaction to a person. If jobseekers insist on wearing black at a job interview they need to break it down with likable or more calming colours depending on the job. Black can evoke a powerful negative emotion from the interviewer.
Then there is the aspect of dressing by job association. If a candidate was going for a job interview as a waiter, for example, he/she should wear black trousers or skirt and white shirt. It was recommended that jobseekers find out what colour uniform is worn at the company that they were being interviewed by, and try to incorporate colours of the uniform in their attire. So keep the psychology of colour in mind when you attend your next job interview.
Iris Wood holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and has provided recruitment services to jobseekers for over 30 years. She operated Pro-Active Human Resource Management online services for over 11 years until her retirement. She is happy to pass on her experience to jobseekers of all level of experience and has maintained the website http://www.proactivehrm.com/ which provides comprehensive job search information
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