Employee aces the interview for assistant manager position but gets rejected for having colored hair

Sometimes, employers lose some good employees because of their unfair expectations. Many skilled candidates who can bring profits to the company are left out of consideration because their lifestyle choices aren't acceptable to the employers. Recently, u/cupOn00dles posted on Reddit about a discriminating incident they faced after a job interview which they thought went well. After being confident about their interview, the candidate was awaiting confirmation of their job as an assistant manager but was rejected. The reason seemed ridiculous to many on the internet.

The individual gave an interview for the assistant manager position at Nothing Bundt Cakes store in February. "I absolutely killed the interview and have several years of management experience," they mentioned. Even the hiring manager felt that they had "raised the bar" on expectations for other candidates. Having received many such compliments, the person was sure that they had done well in their interview and that their chances of being hired were pretty high. But their confidence was shattered when they didn't hear back from the employer for a while.

Tired of waiting for the employer to call back, the candidate called them up to know what had happened. Apparently, the employer hadn't called back because the candidate was not selected for the role and the reason seemed appalling to many. "I found out it’s because the owners of the store didn’t like my green hair. That was the determining factor," they mentioned and added, "They didn’t care about any skillset I could bring to the business or my years of being a respected and accomplished manager, just the fact that my personal aesthetic choice is somewhat out of the 'norm.'"

Disheartened by how the employers chose to ignore their potential but focused on their looks and style choices, the candidate couldn't help but rant about the incident. "I’m so frustrated with these old school business owners that clutch their pearls when someone with an alternative style applies, denies them a chance for employment, and then turn around and complain no one will work," they wrote. Not just the candidate but also many others on the platform felt that the employer's decision was unreasonable.

One user, u/Digita1B0y, commented, "Because corporations think an old lady will shop somewhere else if they give employees bodily autonomy. They're more interested in squeezing that nickel out of that blue-haired old lady (who was looking for an excuse to complain to the manager, since her kids stopped returning her calls and she's lonely now) than they are in letting you be productive. They will step over a pound to pick up a penny every time. Never forget that." Another user, u/avprobeauty, wrote, "I feel like it's the same with tattoos. I cover mine up for interviews and then after they're like, 'Damn, didn't know you were tattooed up.'" u/ShiftWorth5734 noted, "I'll never forget my first job at McDonald's when I dyed my hair bright red, there was a massive uproar and my manager threw a fit. At McDonald's! The place whose mascot is famously a clown with bright red hair." 

Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 1, 2024. It has since been updated.