A New York lady is alleging that she was denied a high-level job as a result of a recruiter didn’t imagine her look confirmed sufficient effort.

In a viral TikTok that has been seen over 266,500 occasions, Melissa Weaver, 30, stated she did all the issues that might be consistent with an workplace costume code in her video interview for a vice chairman function in human sources at a tech firm.

Weaver says she was sporting a black blazer and white button-up shirt — each ironed — styled her hair in a blowout look, and painted her nails a impartial coloration.

However one factor she did not have on? Make-up.

@_melissaweaver Does sporting make as much as work make a distinction? #work #company #profession #interview #job #jobsearch #make-up #jobinterview #opinion #recommendation #girls ♬ unique sound – Melissa

“I did not assume was a giant deal,” Weaver penned in an essay to Insider in regards to the incident. “However apparently, it was to her.”

Weaver stated she thought the interview went nicely — it even went 10 minutes longer than scheduled — however was shocked when she obtained an e mail days later saying that although she was “in line” with what the corporate needed by way of expertise and values, she wouldn’t be transferring on to the subsequent spherical.

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As an HR professional herself, Weaver pushed for suggestions, which is when she was instructed through e mail by the recruiter that the corporate was “involved that you just did not put forth sufficient effort into your look given you had been interviewing for a Vice President function.”

“My response was a little bit of shock. One, that somebody would write that in an e mail. However extra so, that in 2024, that is nonetheless taking place,” she stated. “Listening to that as a result of I hadn’t carried out that, I used to be one way or the other much less certified or did not appear to be I used to be as enthusiastic in regards to the job was simply baffling.”

Individuals within the feedback jumped to Weaver’s protection, calling the recruiter’s resolution “wildly inappropriate” and urging her to ahead the e-mail to the corporate’s head of HR.

“It is wild she stated that in an e mail to you,” one particular person wrote. “This is able to by no means be stated to a person.”

“That truthfully seems like discrimination,” one other stated. “Not hiring you based mostly in your seems?”

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Weaver didn’t name out the corporate by identify.

In keeping with LinkedIn, Weaver final labored as a Senior Individuals Enterprise Associate at Motion Community earlier than being laid off in December 2023.