A video shared on TikTok has started a discussion about double standards in the workplace. On TikTok, Melissa Weaver opened up about a job interview that she thought went really well. She was "bummed" when she found out she would not be moving on to the next round in the hiring process — and the reason surprised her.
In the video, she explained that she had interviewed for a vice president position in human resources at a tech company. Because she was so upset (and confused) about being rejected, she reached out to the recruiter to ask for feedback.
The recruiter responded and told her that her background was "exactly what they were looking for" and her "goals and values aligned with the company's." However, she did not put enough effort into her appearance.
"She was concerned that, for my interview, I hadn't put in enough effort in my appearance given the level of role that I was interviewing for," Melissa explained on TikTok.
Melissa went on to explain that she made sure she looked professional for the job interview. She wore a nice top and a blazer and small earrings. Nothing was unprofessional about the way she presented herself, so she assumed the recruiter was referring to her lack of makeup.
She said she only wore Chapstick during the interview because she doesn't wear makeup.
"My question is," she asked on TikTok, "does not wearing makeup for women, to job interviews or jobs, make it seem like they are not putting as much effort or care into the job?"
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The video went viral, and many said that the situation sounded like discrimination — or at least a major red flag. A lot of women had experienced something similar (albeit less overt) and were appalled by the double standard.
"Absolutely ridiculous that we’re expected to literally PAINT OUR FACES to be considered 'put together' or 'professional'…like…it’s just my face??" one TikTok user commented.
"They would never think or say that about a man," another person pointed out.
One woman added that she was told she "looked stressed" when she stopped wearing makeup to work. When she started wearing makeup again, she was called a "high performer." "I was doing the same level of work," she wrote.
