It wasn't that long ago that tattoos were viewed as an expression of social deviance, perhaps with the exception of those serving on a naval vessel during a time of war.
Today, however, large numbers of young adults and teens sport body art and body piercings. For some older managers and retail store customers, these expressions of personal style are disconcerting. There is no real evidence to suggest, biases aside, that a tattoo or two is an indication that a potential employee is unfit for hire.
There is, however, a study conducted by researchers at Texas Tech that found college students with four or more tattoos or seven or more piercings are more likely to engage in behavior such as drug use and cheating on tests. The research, which surveyed over 1,700 students at four colleges in the U.S., found 37 percent had at least one piercing and 14 percent were tattooed. Only four percent reported having four or more tattoos and/or seven or more piercings.
The study's findings, which were published in the January issue of the Social Science Journal and summarized in a report on Miller-McCune Online, concluded respondents within the four percent group "were substantially and significantly more likely to report regular marijuana use, occasional use of other drugs, and a history of being arrested for a crime. Less pronounced, but still significant in many cases, was an increased propensity for those with higher incidence of body art to cheat on college work, binge drink and report having had multiple sex partners over the course of their lifetime."
Discussion Questions: Should the number of tattoos and/or piercings have any place in assessing a candidate for a potential job with a retailer? Do current practices at retail do a good job of screening out problem employees before they are hired, regardless of personal appearance?