Dress Code…for who?…for what?
What are we doing when we create a dress code? What I generally hear is, “it shows respect for the client, it shows professionalism, it shows the community that we are professional.” Dress code policies include words like: image; regulations; hygiene; grooming. They also may include words such as: you shall; mandatory; should be; prohibited; compliance; must. And then backed-up with phrases such as, “failure to follow policy will lead to disciplinary action or termination.”
So back to the original question. For who? For what? I propose that dress code policies are not about the employees, or even the organization. They are about the attempt to control employees, while bypassing the true issue – the lack of a strong relationship between supervisor’s and their employees. The reality is that there is no way to control employees choice of dress, because some will choose to be an individual in a way that breaks the policy, whether indirect or directly, regardless of policies.
I am not saying that organizations do not benefit from dress code guidelines, they do. What I am saying is, “do we want our employees to be motivated to promote a professional image on their own, or to dress a certain way because a policy mandates it?”
Here is an example, “Policy states no more that two ear ring holes per ear.” I have witnessed, and worked with employees who then wore bright, non-matching socks, obtained a strategically placed visible tattoo, wore bright colored shoes, or wore outlandish outfits. Do you see where I am going? Because then the policy-writing team has to revise the policy to control the new, previously unaddressed “unprofessional appearance” issues.
I contend that the less rigid a dress code policy is, and the stronger the alliance and relationship is with the supervisor, the more apt employees will dress for success for themselves as well as for the organization.
Dress code policies create a power struggle between employees and management. The loser is the organization, because it takes time, energy and money to write, re-write, revise and police the dress code policy. As a supervisor I have much better things to do with my time. When I see attire that may not be appropriate, I can speak with that person and motivate them to dress differently.
Remember, employees work and are productive because they are motivated to do so, not because they are mandated to do so.
Stay tuned for a blog on how to motivate employees to “dress for success” versus “mandated dress code policies.”
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I would have to disagree with these comments. While I understand that mandating policies may be a way some organizations ‘control’ their employees, they ARE also trying to protect their image for customers who do not want to be greeted with jeans falling off the knees, earrings that cause large holes, piercings that protrude from the nose, lips, etc., or hair dyed 3 different colors. Now, some of these people can be the nicest of individuals and have a great work ethic, but if the customer is afraid (not sure if it’s a thug coming to work on their house, because their clothes are torn and they have tattoos of skulls or naked ladies showing) or if they are just grossed out by the piercings, who do you think they are going to call to do their next job?
Sure, a person can be motivated without having rules set in place, but then you also have those that no matter how you talk to them and explain the situation will say, it’s not the policy, so I can do what I want and they can’t do anything about it. Policies do not have to re-written if they are done correctly to start with and if everyone would use common sense instead of trying to find loop-holes that cause everyone to spend more money from businesses to consumers to pay for frivolous lawsuits.
I’ll have to respectfully disagree as well. The fact of the matter is that professionalism in all its forms is increasingly rare, so I believe it is imperative that companies retain the structural policies that remind employees how they are to behave (and in this case dress) while at work. That being said, I also believe that there is a mutual responsibility for companies to recognize what appropriate, professional dress is for their particular business, and for employees to respect the wishes of management and adhere to the policies without overthinking the possible motivation behind the policy creation.
On a more personal note…people just don’t know how to dress. There have been many times where I am actually embarrassed by my coworker’s attire. Sure, I can’t tell them that, and many of the points in a dress code won’t make much of a difference on that front, but if the dress code serves to show one person what is appropriate and professional, then I think it’s well worthwhile.
Lastly, I’ll venture to say that anyone rebelling against a particular part of a dress code (you mentioned visible tattoos in place of outlawed additional piercings) has authority issues that run much deeper than the (perceived) superficial level of dress in the workplace. So it’s pretty fair to assume that the same person is going to exhibit those issues in other areas that may actually affect performance or cause disruption, etc.
So until common sense is actually common, I am all for dress codes (within reason of course), and hope not to employ people who do not understand and respect the purpose behind the policy.
Jeff, what about organizations that have a strict dress code – which is part of the allure of wanting to work for that organization, mostly because of the image it conveys? Would you say those types of things appeal to only certain personality types? I’m thinking about the sharp-looking dress uniforms of the Marine Corps, the casual-business “Geek Squad” attire – and as a golfer, what about wanting to earn the ever-coveted Green Jacket from the Master’s? I know for at least some people, there is a sense of pride belonging to an organization that adheres to a dress code. Beyond that there are simply some things some people should never wear – at work or anywhere outside their home. – and don’t forget, “every girl’s crazy about a sharp-dressed man!”