Special Guest Writer: Kathlene Mullens, MLHR, SPHR, BSBA is the founder and CEO of Female Equality MattersTM, The "No Glass Ceiling" Certification/Brand©.  With over a decade of HR experience in four Fortune 100 companies, Ms. Mullens is using that expertise in recruiting, line HR, employee development, and technology to help leverage the power of consumer spending to yield more women, with more equitable pay, in the C-suite and board rooms of companies, non-profits, and colleges/universities around the world.
www.FemaleEqualityMatters.com / www.facebook.com/FemaleEquality / www.Twitter.com/FemaleEquality


Editor's Note: Since there are few "SAHAs -Stay-At-Home-Aunts (although Savvy Auntie has found some amazing aunts who do take care of their nieces and nephews full time) PANKs® - Professional Aunts No Kids - make up many of the women in the workforce. Kathlene Mullens shares her thoughts on how we can empower each other at work.

Hello again from FemaleEqualAuntie, Kat!
 
Today, I write to my fellow PANKs to please, sisters, give one another a chance.
 
There is a lot of research out this week that show a number of disturbing facts about the perception of women in the workplace that has nothing to do with their work.  Did you know that women wearing makeup are perceived as not only more attractive but also more competent, likeable and trustworthy?  We know now.
 
Even accidents that mar our signature look make us look worse than male peers.  For example, a coffee stain on a man's shirt was seen as more acceptable and professional than when it was on a woman's shirt.
 
Thinking on the assumed dress expectations at the companies at which you've worked, how much more work (and how much more of an investment) did the women have to put in when compared to men?  I have yet to hear men rave about their new Pradas at work (as though other men would care).
 
This is not a problem we can lay at the feet of men exclusively.  We ladies also need to own this one.  The studies show that both women and men reacted similarly to the makeup and the coffee stain.  That's right, PANKs, we are also our own enemies on the work dress front.
 
For those of us blessed with fashion sense and make-up savvy skills, I'm not suggesting that we forgo these talents for a more Amish-inspired look.  My plea is that everyone begin to look at other women at work for their work instead of their looks.  Expecting women to make major investments in makeup, hair, and wardrobe that would never be expected of men is sexist, to say the least; and ironic, given than women make 77% of what men do for the same work.
 
What can we do?  Innate reactions are tough to control at best.  But we can recognize, examine, and behave differently once we understand those gut reactions.  It's what you'd want for your friends, sisters, and nieces.

-- Stop gossiping about other women's clothes/dress at work.  As long as it is professionally appropriate, it need not be glam to be acceptable.

-- When others bring up women's clothes/appearance in a negative way, confront them on it. How is that relevant to job performance? How does this conversation help women advance as a group? Do you need to feel better about yourself by criticizing others?

-- Focus on all people's talents, contributions, attitudes and outcomes at work. These are the most important things - the contents of the character and the mind, not the closet.
 
In the meantime, is it time for those of us who don't dress as charmingly and wear makeup to reconsider investing in these areas of our lives? Only you can answer that for yourself.  In the meantime, let's start by refusing to perpetuate the problem and stopping it where we can.
 
Read more here:
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=533340552
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/makeup-makes-women-appear-more-competent-study.html


Published: October 19, 2011