People with more attractive personalities and physical appearance tend to earn more and get promoted faster.



Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor at the University of Texas and author of ‘Beauty pays: Why attractive people are more successful’ has measured out the benefits of being more attractive. He found that on average an attractive man will be paid 13% more during his career than his average looking counterparts. Sean Salter, a professor at Tennessee State University found that with real estate brokers, the halo effect of physical attractiveness added an additional 12% to their income annually. In addition, attractive people tend to have desirable personality traits such as higher confidence, which appeal to employers.



None of this is earth shattering news.



But did you know that the real key to being attractive is not so much how you look – how you act is more important?



Kevin Daum wrote an interesting article recently, entitled, 9 things that incredibly attractive people do. Daum confirms that attractive people are indeed, more likely to become leaders, get paid more, get better opportunities and attract other attractive people as mates. That’s great if you happen to possess Hollywood movie star looks.



For the rest of us, there is hope.



Daum asserts that attractiveness is not just about looks. Research by Eastwick and Hunt also confirmed that after initial impressions, attractiveness was rated higher in people who had desirable qualities such as vitality, warmth, potential for success, etc, and that getting to know someone over time makes them more attractive. Ultimately, how you make people feel, changes the way that you are perceived.



This got me thinking about the things that make an employee attractive.



What makes an employee attractive to other people within their company, and also, to other organisations? There are thousands of articles on the internet about how to make employers attractive, but surprisingly limited information on how to become an attractive employee. Attractive employees are the ones who continually get nominated by others for employee awards, get invited to lunch often, and are invited onto multiple projects because they are seen as valuable contributors. Attractive employees share some common traits, and most employers will agree on what these are…… Here’s how they do it:


1.Like Kevin’s article…. attractive employees smile – a lot. They are the happy, positive influences in the workplace. They enjoy their jobs and are not afraid to show it. Laughter is also an important part of their day. You know when you are walking through the office and you hear laughter – you often find yourself moving to that area to find out what the joy is about.


2.They say ‘yes – now what was the question?’ Attractive employees are always willing to help others. They are the kind of people that ask if they can help, and make sure that if they are given a task, that it is completed well and on time. This is the reason they are often invited to join group projects.


3.They care about the success of the team more than their own ego. They give praise where praise is due, they point out to managers when people around them have done a good job, and they are proud of other people’s success rather than competing, or worrying about how every decision will affect them. They don’t care about things like titles, or are ‘entitled’. They want to enjoy what they do, and do a good job as the highest priority.


4.They care about others. They ask people about their personal lives, and are genuinely interested in the answers. They know when someone is having a hard time at work and go out of their way to help them. They are often the first people to put their hands up when someone is away sick to help.


5.They care about their appearance. Being an ‘attractive’ employee isn’t about being good looking – but attractive people know that dressing appropriately for an occasion is important. Ensuring that you are dressed well for an important meeting shows the other person that you respect them. Their hair and nails are neat, and investing in their appearance gives them more confidence. This caring about their appearance doesn’t just extend to fashion – they take care in the appearance of their work environment and also the office in general. You will find attractive employees are often the ones emptying the dishwasher in the kitchen, putting up Christmas decorations and making sure the office is a nice place to work for everyone.


6.They listen – and take notes! Kevin Duam has this on his list of what makes people attractive and this is also an essential skill for an attractive employee. Sending an email to confirm the outcomes of a meeting and updating people as to where they are at regularly leads to people trusting them. They ask questions before they give opinions and they ensure they understand the outcomes needed before they begin a task.


7.They know themselves. People like to do what they are good at and fundamentally, people don’t change that much. Attractive employees know where their skills are and make sure they are in jobs where they can do the things they like to do – and excel at them.


8.They invest in themselves. Attractive employees invest in their own development; they don’t just wait to be sent on training courses. They have a hunger for learning, they read, and they network with people who can help them develop skills they need. Rob Davidson’s recent blog on the importance of reading to develop leadership skills can be applied to technical skills as well.


9.They invest in others. They take the time to cultivate relationships with other people in the workplace and ‘give back’. Think about some of the best leaders you have known – they love to share their experience and learnings with others, and aren’t afraid to admit their mistakes to stop others from making the same ones.



According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the most popular New Year resolution in 2014 was to ‘lose weight’. Usually this is a vanity or health-driven resolution. Interestingly, research quoted in the Harvard Business Review by David Burkus suggests that looking healthy is vitally important for job seekers or those looking for a promotion. The evidence suggests that healthy-looking people were rated higher than intelligent-looking candidates when it came to assessing leadership potential and career success.



Perhaps 2015 should be a year when we set some goals to be more ‘attractive’ at work and to be healthier. It might just have some surprising pay-offs.