To any1 in HR Positions/Management Positions/Hiring Position

runnerjenn0708

2 Scenario’s –

You have a job opening … two people apply … One has graduated college (in that field of course) .. the other has ten years experience but no college degree… Both interviewed well… equally likeable … who would you hire?

Now – Let’s say that person you would hire is over weight.. unhealthy.. would that change your mind.. be any kind of deciding factor???

kevinlynch3

Interesting..

I'm assuming the person who has graduated college doesn't have experience equivalent to the person without the degree.

My job:. Hire the best person for the job.

Weight wouldn't be a factor. Decision would be based on who is the best fit for the job and body type/weight is not a requirement for most positions. If the job was for the services industry/fireman/police officer etc where weight and health are issues..well that would be different and yes in those cases being over weight would impact my decision.

IMDABOMBthe0wife0DABEAST

Interesting topic:. I beleive I have been discriminated based on my weight and I know that my Husband has in the past. It is sad to think that companies do this, but there are still some that do. I think it has gotten better over time since the general public now fall into the overweight bucket based on the BMI scale.

I_give_it_2_u_str8

depends.

in todays economy, experience seems to trump schooling. but then again, a diploma/degree proves you can learn new things.

edit: the weight shouldnt be a factor, obv.

Acg67

Depends

looking at it from a cost perspective a new college grad would be cheaper then someone with 10 yrs exp

as for weight, if the company was self insured, you might think in the back of your head that being overweight could cost the company more money due to health concerns

bikermike5094

I was a manager at a call center for 11 years and hired and fired a lot of people in that time. I hired the best candidates for the job, regardless of weight, sex, age, religion or education. Unfortunately, the only people I ever really wouldnt consider is if they worked at wal-mart. I say that in jest.. but nobody i ever hired from walmart ever stayed long term.

ScatteredThoughts

I'm not in a position to hire people now, but I have been in the past. For the first part, I would hire the person with more experience. I don't have a college degree, but am doing fairly well in the IT industry.

I don't think weight by itself would be a factor. As long a the person seemed knowledgeable and presented themselves well, it would be a non issue.

dragonbait0126

Whether or not the weight factored in or not would be dependent upon the job. If their weight is going to hinder their job performance, then yeah I would take it into consideration.

As far as the rest of the scenario goes, there are many, many other factors that need to be taken into consideration. Why is the person with experience applying? Do they have a job and need a change? Did they get laid-off or were they fired? Aside from both being qualified, what other qualities does each candidate bring to the table? Is one an introvert while the other is an extrovert and how does thier personality factor into the department they are being brought into? Are they a team-player or an individual worker?

There is no black and white answer to this question. It is going to vary from job to job. If I'm looking to hire a new police chief you had better believe I'm probably going to go with the guy who's got 10 years of on the job experience instead of the new kid fresh out of school with no experience. If I'm looking for a new chef in my restaurant, they both have a shot.

ElizabethRoad

I think the preference of a thinner person would be subconscious, actually.

inotnew

I recently hired someone with less qualifications that some others and is overweight. The job required technical training/schooling and good people skills.