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A workplace expert has issued a stark warning for Australian jobseekers after a woman claimed she was rejected for a role she was perfectly suited for because she didn’t “put enough effort into her appearance”. It might seem irrelevant to some, but looks do matter, Graham Wynn told Yahoo Finance.

Human resources worker Melissa Weaver sparked debate about how much a person’s appearance plays into their suitability for a role after being knocked back as vice president of a US tech company. She wore a nice blazer and had a blowout (plus the experience), but said not wearing make-up cost her the job.

The director of Superior People Recruitment, in Melbourne, said applicants would face the same issues here in Australia. Wynn has been asked by a real estate agent to find “a looker” to work on reception and had a client reject a forklift driver who wore a suit and tie but forgot to do up his top button.

Even this week, a Sydney events business put up a since-deleted advertisement for “attractive, hard-working individuals”, reiterating that “good looks” would help their chances.

“Image and presentation, whether we like it or not, is still very, very important,” Wynn said.

Weaver, who didn’t wear make up due to her acne-prone skin, questioned the rejection email she got and was told she had “not put in enough effort” to her appearance “given the level of role” she applied for.

“My question is: ‘Does not wearing makeup, for women, to job interviews or to jobs make it seem like they aren’t putting as much effort or care into their job?’,” Weaver asked.

The Aussie recruiter said people’s presentation and image were still “critical” for a number of positions because they showed the applicant was professional and had put in the effort.

“The difference in the Australian market is you would never be told that whereas in America their laws are slightly different,” Wynn told Yahoo Finance.

While Wynn said he had never had a client specifically comment about makeup, his clients had rejected people based on them not wearing professional clothing or having messy hair.

“The fact is you’ve made the effort. If you make an effort, somebody will make an effort for you. If you don’t make an effort, no one’s going to make an effort for you,” he said.

Workplace discrimination based on looks ‘exists’

Some are more overt in their preference for appearance, with an advertisement for “attractive” staff on The Sydney Bartender Exchange Facebook page copping criticism from Aussies.

“They said the quiet part out loud,” one said.

“That is what we call pretty privilege. People say it doesn’t exist … it truly does,” another said.

“Isn’t it better for them to say it than waste everyone’s time? In any industry, a huge number of qualified applicants will get interviewed, and all but one will get declined even if every other person is fine for the job,” another argued.

It may not pass the pub test now, but Wynn said strange things had turned off would-be recruiters, like the case of a man with a single top shirt button undone.

“The client said, ‘He has gone to that much effort but that [lack of] attention to detail makes us worried about him carrying a big forklift and carrying steel and metal around the factory’,” Wynn said.

He has also had clients who would walk past candidate’s cars after interviews and wouldn’t hire them if the car looked dirty or messy.

He recommended jobseekers overdress for interviews and then scale it back once they get the job if they need to.