A new study has revealed that job candidates with pictures on their LinkedIn profiles were viewed more favourably than candidates without pictures, and were more likely to be hired by employers.
A new study has revealed that job candidates with pictures on their LinkedIn profiles were viewed more favourably than candidates without pictures, and were more likely to be hired by employers.
According to the study, applicants with pictures rated "attractive" were more likely to get hired than those job seekers with pictures deemed "unattractive", reports Fox News.
"For profiles that had pictures considered 'attractive,' not only was that person preferred over the person without a picture, but the 'attractive' person was also rated as a fundamentally better potential employee," said Nicholas Salter, assistant professor of psychology at Ramapo College of New Jersey, who conducted the research with Tiffany Poeppelman, a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), which published the research.
Respondents reported that a picture made candidates seem more thorough in their work. Additionally, Salter said, respondents wondered if candidates without pictures might be hiding something.
"These findings stress the importance of including pictures (and more generally, to fully complete) one's LinkedIn profile. Potential employers may make incorrect assumptions about people if they don't (include pictures)," said Salter.
"It's unlikely that someone who forgets to upload a profile picture is a less qualified employee than someone who does upload one, but they may be perceived as such. This may be the difference between being offered the job and not," he added.
Salter warns first-time job seekers in particular not to overlook the findings.
"In my opinion, this is also especially important for recent graduates and other people just entering the workforce. They may feel that it isn't as important for them to have a complete LinkedIn profile because they are looking for entry-level jobs. They may think LinkedIn profiles only apply to high-level jobs, but this isn't true. Potential employers may still make judgments about you regardless of what level of employment you are looking for," Salter said.
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