Besides looking presentable, would you ever have to meet with clients to discuss your work? Don't know the nature of your work, but sometimes IT guys are called in to represent what they have created and did. Gives the employer an impression that I can put this guy in front of clients.
At dinner the night before my first job interview in Switzerland I realised a suit would be overkill. I decided to do without a tie, and in the end I didn't even wear the jacket. I got the job, but I'm pretty sure I would still have got it if I had worn my suit.
I can't remember when last one of my interviewers has been in a suit. And that includes CEOs, CSOs and department heads, in Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, the US and Germany. I think the last time was in 2000. I take that as info on the dress code if I did join the company, and not whether or not they expected me to wear a suit. But a lot of this depends on the industry and functional sector.
Specifically in the field I was hiring for, the applicants very generally young, very competitive and lacking practical skills.
I found most who come in wearing suits had a strong level of pretentiousness, and lack of real logical problem solving skills. We would be looking for bright intellectual problem solvers and got some great ones who didn't care about appearance or realized the lack of true benefit of outside image.
The type who wouldn't judge a book by it's cover. In my experiences (and these cases) it was a very successful approach.
But I do agree, in most cases, the HR department are very simple people who follow their 'hiring recipe' in which case, the presentable appearance goes a long way.
To each their own I guess, I think this simply highlights the difference in industry - where you interviewing Comp Sci/Maths grads?
I don't mean to insult anyone but having spent a while around the HE sector in the UK they seem to fit the above description. Not that one should generalise at all.
Agreed personally, I find face-to-face interview are fairly ridiculous. Too many biasing factors which have nothing to do with abilities. Although appearance of resumes have been a quick shallow way to cut through many applicants. The face-to-face seems to be more of a traditional formality.
If the job is hands on and getting dirty (electrician or shop assistant) then you can wear smart clean casuals, not too wild! Remove facial jewelry, try and cover up any tattoos. No perfume or after shave, just smell clean.
For interviews at all other other jobs you should wear a suit, a plain shirt and a modest tie. If the interviewer is not wearing a tie, then take it off. Likewise if he has no jacket, you should take your jacket off.
It all sounds logical. Except for the tie part: would you actually take off your tie in front of the interviewer? or even after the interviewer has seen you in your tie?
I don't think many people jump out of bed and put a tie on, it is for many people a purgatory. If the interviewer is not wearing a tie one must assume he chose not to, probably as he feels more comfortable. So if the interviewee continues to wear a tie, the interviewer might question his communication skills, and to continue being uncomfortable shows a lack of decisiveness. In this situation I remark in the first few seconds "I see you are not wearing a tie, I will join you!" and take the tie off.
I wore black jeans instead of blue jeans, a shirt rather than a t-shirt (no tie though) and shoes instead of trainers...
The way the interview went I think I would have got the job whatever I wore.
It depends on the company, this was a small company, but maybe for a large company I'd have worn a tie and possibly even a suit if the weather wasn't too hot.
That's hilarious! I would never ever say that! Oh my, how funny. I'm a woman,I don't often wear a tie, but come on - You'd just keep it on! You don't have to follow the interviewer's style, just smile and do lots of eye contact. If I was an interviewer and someone did that to me, I'd probably laugh like I am now!
I agree with this. Hiring is not just about "can they do the job?", but also about "will they fit in with the rest of the team?", and phone interviews will not give you the answer to the second question - only meeting the rest of the team will.