Human Resource managers’ perspectives about employees with tattoos in the workplace : a qualitative study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate human resource managers’ perspectives from both their workplace’s and their own point of view with regards to hiring employees with tattoos. Eight structured interviews were carried out. Tattoo acceptance, workplace discrimination, and stigma are also part of the enquiry. Data was collected by means of the eight structured interviews, and it was then analysed using thematic analysis. Several themes emerged from the interviews, and the results showed both similarities and differences among the perceptions of tattoos in the workplace. The majority of the participants agreed that visible tattoos on employees are accepted in the workplace permitted they are covered, while others had negative perspectives with regards to tattoos and even turned down potential employees. The recommendations from this study included a discussion on the implementation of more structured interviewing prior to recruitment, as well as attending to the appearance-based prejudices found in the workplace.