Jobseekers urged to dress well

Job applicants should ensure they are smartly dressed when going to a job interview, new research has suggested.

A survey by Peninsula has revealed that 92% of employers will consider a job candidate's appearance as part of their overall decision-making process, Online Recruitment magazine reports.

Furthermore, nearly 90% of bosses questioned by the firm stated that they had chosen to offer employment to the most attractive job applicant on at least one occasion during their careers.

Choosing a candidate based on the way they look could have 'legal risks,' Head of Diversity, David Price, warned.

However, he noted: 'Most employers know better than to base employment decisions on appearance that is related to legally-protected factors such as race, age or disability.'

Although choosing the most attractive applicant for the job could be the start of a phenomenon that is 'a new form of modern discrimination.'

Jobseekers can get advice on what questions they cannot legally be asked in an interview - such as enquiries about religion and sexuality - from a handbook by Which?, the consumer watchdog.