Hair's the thing for Hong Kong employers

HONG KONG (AFP) -

It often takes more than brains to get a front-line job in Hong Kong, according to a new survey that found nearly half of all companies here are also looking for a full head of hair.

Forty-three percent of the 113 employers polled said they would not hire people with hair-loss for customer service jobs, and 26 percent would refuse them for managerial positions to represent their firms at important meetings.

The study, conducted for US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, found hair loss also affects the confidence of job-seekers, with nearly half of 500 people polled saying the condition affects their self-esteem.

Two-thirds of those asked said they believed hair-loss affected their competitiveness when hunting for a job.