Attractive individuals are more likely to land jobs, receive higher performance ratings, and earn better salaries—but it's not solely due to their appearance. New research from the University at Buffalo School of Management reveals that this "beauty premium" stems partly from traits developed over a lifetime of favorable reactions to their looks, such as a stronger sense of power and superior non-verbal communication skills.
"We set out to determine if there's a universal workplace bias toward beauty, or if attractive people succeed due to stronger communication abilities," explains Min-Hsuan Tu, PhD, assistant professor and lead researcher. "Our findings show that while good-looking candidates project more power and non-verbal confidence, less attractive individuals can close the gap during hiring by striking a powerful stance."
The team analyzed 300 elevator pitches from job seekers in simulated interviews. In the first study, hiring managers favored attractive candidates for their commanding non-verbal presence.
In the second study, researchers instructed some participants to adopt a "power pose"—standing with feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips, chest out, and chin raised. This simple adjustment enabled less attractive pitchers to match the natural non-verbal impact of their more attractive peers.
"Power posing reduces behavioral gaps in job interviews by evoking feelings of power and confidence," Tu notes. "It's not the only tool: try confident self-talk, success visualization, or reflecting on past achievements to build that edge before high-stakes evaluations."
