I hope you’ve been enjoying reading the individual responses! I know we’ve had some controversial ones, which just confirms my understanding that pantyhose is serious business.
We’ve had some more responses from non-academic libraries, but academic librarians do remain the majority respondents. I hope to be able to break out responses from public librarians for you soon.
I also want to add my standard disclaimer that I’m using Google forms, and the charts it generates cut off some of the answer choices. It takes me a while to do a post like this, and even longer to make it prettier in Excel, so I’ll ask you to please just excuse how sloppy it looks. This is a labor of love, and I’m a busy lady.
And now the
RESULTS!
What Candidates Should Wear
Should the candidate wear a suit to the interview?
| Yes, absolutely! It shows respect and professionalism | 43 | 18% | |
| Probably, yes (but it’s ok if the candidate wears something a little less formal) | 127 |
54% | |
| Probably not (but it’s ok if the candidate does wear one) | 35 | 15% | |
| No way! It shows a lack of understanding about my library and/or the nature of librarianship | 2 | 1% | |
| I don’t care | 12 | 5% | |
| Other | 16 | 7% |
An outfit with a coordinated blazer and trousers:
| Counts as a suit | 173 |
74% | |
| Is totally different | 22 | 9% | |
| I do not know and/or care | 28 | 12% | |
| Other | 12 | 5% |
Bare arms are inappropriate in an interview, even in the summer.
| True | 94 | 40% | |
| False | 65 | 28% | |
| I don’t care | 43 | 18% | |
| Other | 33 | 14% |
If a woman wears a skirt to an interview, should she also wear pantyhose?
| Never, pantyhose is for my grandmother | 10 | 4% | |
| No, but it’s not a dealbreaker | 78 | 33% | |
| Either pantyhose or tights. Bare legs are inappropriate | 47 | 20% | |
| Yes, true professionals always wear pantyhose | 11 | 5% | |
| Other | 89 | 38% |
Women should wear make-up to an interview:
| Always | 11 | 5% | |
| I don’t care, as long as it’s not over-the-top | 102 |
43% | |
| I don’t care what’s on the face, it’s what’s in the brain that counts | 99 | 42% | |
| Never | 0 | 0% | |
| Other | 23 | 10% |
Do you expect different levels of formality of dress, depending on the position you’re hiring for?
| Yes, the higher the position, the more formal I expect the candidate to dress | 181 |
77% | |
| No | 37 | 16% | |
| I don’t care | 9 | 4% | |
| Other | 8 | 3% |
Which jewelry may candidates wear:
| Single, simple necklace, bracelet, and/or ring | 172 |
74% | |
| A few simple necklaces, bracelets, and/or rings | 168 | 73% | |
| All of the simple necklaces, bracelets, and rings he or she can load on | 41 | 18% | |
| Arty or more elaborate necklaces, bracelets, or rings | 131 | 57% | |
| Nose Ring (nostril) | 80 | 35% | |
| Eyebrow Ring, Monroe piercing, septum piercing, or other face piercing | 56 | 24% | |
| Earrings | 181 | 78% | |
| Multiple Ear Piercings | 131 | 57% | |
| Large gauge ear jewelry (stretched ears) | 48 | 21% | |
| Other | 77 | 33% |
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Which hair colors are acceptable for candidates:
| All of them, even pink | 123 |
52% | |
| Natural colors (black, brown, red, blonde, gray) | 84 | 36% | |
| Other | 28 | 12% |
The way a candidate dresses should:
| Show personality | 56 | 24% | |
| Be fairly neutral | 96 | 41% | |
| I don’t really care how a candidate dresses | 26 | 11% | |
| Other | 57 | 24% |
What the Library Wears
On a scale of 1 to 5, where one is too dressed up for your workplace, khakis and a polo shirt are:
| 1 – |
Too dressed up for my workplace
|
1 | 0% |
| 2 | 4 | 2% | |
| 3 | 169 |
72% | |
| 4 | 36 | 15% | |
| 5 – |
Too casual for my workplace
|
14 | 6% |
What’s the dress code at your library/organization?
| Business formal | 8 | 3% | |
| Business casual | 138 |
59% | |
| Casual | 48 | 20% | |
| I don’t even know what any of that means | 2 | 1% | |
| Other | 39 | 17% |
Are there any specific items of clothing, etc. that are forbidden by your dress code?
| Jeans | 64 | 29% | |
| Flip flops | 108 | 49% | |
| Visible Tattoos | 27 | 12% | |
| Short skirts/shorts | 89 | 40% | |
| Tank tops | 94 | 43% | |
| Logos/band insignia/slogans | 76 | 34% | |
| Sneakers/trainers | 35 | 16% | |
| N/A: We wear what we want! | 47 | 21% | |
| Other | 128 | 58% |
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Librarians at your organization wear:
| Name tags | 96 | 61% | |
| Badges | 41 | 26% | |
| Uniforms | 1 | 1% | |
| Shirt, waistcoat/vest, or other single piece of clothing issued by the library | 5 | 3% | |
| Other | 55 | 35% |
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
Demographics
What type of institution do you hire for?
| Academic Library | 129 |
55% | |
| Public Library | 76 | 32% | |
| School Library | 0 | 0% | |
| Special Library | 12 | 5% | |
| Archives | 9 | 4% | |
| Other | 9 | 4% |
Where are you?
| Northeastern US | 61 | 26% | |
| Midwestern US | 64 | 27% | |
| Southern US | 56 | 24% | |
| Western US | 33 | 14% | |
| Canada | 9 | 4% | |
| UK | 5 | 2% | |
| Australia/New Zealand | 1 | 0% | |
| Other | 6 | 3% |
Where are you?
| Urban area | 73 | 31% | |
| Suburban area | 56 | 24% | |
| City/town | 72 | 31% | |
| Rural area | 30 | 13% | |
| Other | 4 | 2% |
How many staff members are at your library?
| 0-10 | 57 | 24% | |
| 10-50 | 112 |
48% | |
| 50-100 | 30 | 13% | |
| 100-200 | 20 | 9% | |
| 200+ | 14 | 6% |
Are you a librarian?
| Yes | 212 |
90% | |
| No | 6 | 3% | |
| It’s complicated | 17 | 7% |
Are you now or have you ever been:
| a hiring manager | 168 | 72% | |
| a member of a hiring or search committee | 197 | 85% | |
| human resources | 8 | 3% | |
| Other | 6 | 3% |
People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.
If you have questions, comments or concerns, we’d love to hear them. You can either comment below, or email hiringlibrariansATgmail.
Hiring Librarians 
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Graphs! This I understand. 9.9 If only I were still looking for a library job.
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I would have loved these graphs when I was job searching. I had absolutely no idea what to wear, and then when I investigated options, I realized I had no understanding of business clothing terminology.
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Pingback: Stats and Graphs: 246 Responses on What Candidates Should Wear | Hiring Librarians