Grooming for corporate environment - can education and training help?
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Mohammad Polash Khan
Nobel is one of the leading Bangladeshi models. I asked him whether he felt there is a need to train corporate staff regarding dressing up, attires and grooming. "Yes" he said. "I wish there were formal training infrastructures to educate people on this. But as per my knowledge, there's none." "Why do you think that formal training is needed in this regard?" I asked the celebrity. "Well, I can give you my own example. As I grew up, I saw my uncles and relatives working for multinationals and that sort of big ventures. I knew one day I'll work in formal environments like them and so I observed what they wore closely. So in my case, it's all about self education and I had to rely on my observation skills. But some formal training could have made life a lot easier". "Could you draw an example here?" I asked. "Two of my nephews just graduated from the university and they were about to face job interviews in two renowned MNCs. They asked for my advice regarding the interview questions. But I confirmed them that interview is more about your looks and attitudes than your bookish knowledge. I told them to wear fully formal executive suits, centre-knotted tie, milk-white shirts and a pair of black shoes. The young men tried to argue first about my suggestions and felt they knew it all about formal attires. But I insisted. They listened to me and landed their dream job. You see. the pieces of advice I gave them could come from their educational institutions but that didn't happen." "What do you suggest for tomorrow's job seekers?" I asked. "Don't wear contrast coloured trousers and blazers. this doesn't go with the appeal of highly formal workspace, at least. Avoid wearing red or pink ties. A black tie with a black shirt isn't formal - at least, not in MNCs. Try to look around you to understand what goes well and what doesn't. I think the HR of the companies can give the employees some useful on-the-job training about formal attires and grooming," he suggested. The top male model made himself clear about the importance of good grooming and the educational and training infrastructure that should patronize that. And people like Jesan Alam, an award winning fashion enthusiast, view things in a unique way. He is now part of the highly dynamic fashion apparel design and marketing field and feels that you should listen to your heart and taste when it comes to choosing your attires and grooming. "I'm not saying that you go wearing just about anything you want or like. You need to understand your dresses should go in line with the environment you're in. I myself work in a fashion freak world and can enjoy the liberty of being a bit more colorful and creative with my attires and grooming. But I guess those who are in highly formal workspace need to stick to the norms and demands of the formal work environment." Jesan is pretty much right with his points. But the problem is that, most young men, even when they attempt entering practical work environment, can't step out of the 'creatively liberal' mindset about their grooming. And without formal training on this, young job seekers learn this after a few reality shocks. Grooming is immensely important in the corporate word. At least you cannot undermine its importance and influences in making or breaking a person's impressions in MNCs and similar large and highly modernized ventures. The sad part of the story is that the significance and essentiality of proper training in this arena is entirely overlooked. We contacted Mohammad Shamsus Saleehin, an executive of BdJob's Training. He confirmed that there is not any training on corporate grooming from their end as of yet. Same goes for other training services like Prothom Alo Jobs. A rare exception is Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC), where they offer training and insights on corporate etiquette and grooming. Let's turn to women's grooming to give you the bigger picture. Shompa is running her own makeover service in Dhaka. At the beginning, she has provided makeover service to new brides and party goers only. But after getting self educated and experienced over time, she realised that grooming is not all about using heavy makeup and colorful attires. She has been a keen observer of fashion trends, now provides women with valuable pieces of advice about their looks in parties, festivals, ceremonies and most of all - in corporate environment. "What are the basic mistakes women make while grooming for corporate environment?" I asked. "Well, today's women in the corporate world are faced with a big dilemma. They want to look formal, well organised, pretty and at the same time they can't look too 'loud', which appears like trying too hard. In other words, they don't seem to know how to draw the line between a formal grooming and over-grooming. This happens because today's corporate word is highly competitive and you need both the looks and brains to survive here. And trying too hard can backfire, unfortunately," she said. As I requested for some explanations she continued with more of her interesting remarks -"take neon lips, blue eyeshadow, shimmering glitter or golden bronzers, for instance. They do bring highly dramatic looks on the face. But you need to understand that not everything people experiment on will please everybody. Whether you like it or not, some of your biggest grooming obsessions might be turn-offs for people around you." As an expert in this field, what DOs and DON'Ts would you suggest? "First and foremost, if you ever thought heavy foundation and powders helps in the corporate world, think again! They're major turn offs these days and don't use sunscreens in a way your face becomes an example of melanin imbalance. the nose should match the cheeks." "And what else besides the face?" I retorted. "Don't wear anything that makes your head look unnaturally large. And no matter how appealing neon lipstick appears to you, don't forget that Bangladesh is yet to catch up with that. Sorry, but I'll get back to the face again. And no matter what you do, don't end up with ultra-thin eyebrows. Usually women look good with their natural looks. Bold eye-shadow is absolute NO-NO in formal office environment - especially if you get it all wrong," she said. And you can't disagree with Shompa. Recently, the Daily Star commented sternly on News presenters of Bangladeshi TV channels who look too loud with their makeovers and grooming. And the point they made was pretty justified - ".they wear dresses and makeup that shift the viewers' attention from the news to the news presenter's looks." And the comments of these professionals leave little room for further analysis. The bottom line is that there should be formal education on good grooming in the corporate world. Regardless of who will patronize that training, everybody should realise that regardless of gender, race and looks - everybody can groom in a pleasant way, if the right kind of education and training is provided. Think of the air hostesses in Malaysian Airlines. They are not wearing Bangladeshi saris or European skirts, but they are formal and well groomed. And same goes for Jigme Yoser Thinley, the prime minister of Bhutan. And let us not forget that the female flight attendants of Bangladesh wear saris. All these people are formal - to the supreme degree, actually. It is just that they have been careful in adopting their respective cultures without overdoing anything or going too far with experiments. And that is the ideal spirit that today's and tomorrow's corporate staff should be educated about. And this calls for proper education and training infrastructure. affan321@gmail.com
Nobel is one of the leading Bangladeshi models. I asked him whether he felt there is a need to train corporate staff regarding dressing up, attires and grooming. "Yes" he said. "I wish there were formal training infrastructures to educate people on this. But as per my knowledge, there's none." "Why do you think that formal training is needed in this regard?" I asked the celebrity. "Well, I can give you my own example. As I grew up, I saw my uncles and relatives working for multinationals and that sort of big ventures. I knew one day I'll work in formal environments like them and so I observed what they wore closely. So in my case, it's all about self education and I had to rely on my observation skills. But some formal training could have made life a lot easier". "Could you draw an example here?" I asked. "Two of my nephews just graduated from the university and they were about to face job interviews in two renowned MNCs. They asked for my advice regarding the interview questions. But I confirmed them that interview is more about your looks and attitudes than your bookish knowledge. I told them to wear fully formal executive suits, centre-knotted tie, milk-white shirts and a pair of black shoes. The young men tried to argue first about my suggestions and felt they knew it all about formal attires. But I insisted. They listened to me and landed their dream job. You see. the pieces of advice I gave them could come from their educational institutions but that didn't happen." "What do you suggest for tomorrow's job seekers?" I asked. "Don't wear contrast coloured trousers and blazers. this doesn't go with the appeal of highly formal workspace, at least. Avoid wearing red or pink ties. A black tie with a black shirt isn't formal - at least, not in MNCs. Try to look around you to understand what goes well and what doesn't. I think the HR of the companies can give the employees some useful on-the-job training about formal attires and grooming," he suggested. The top male model made himself clear about the importance of good grooming and the educational and training infrastructure that should patronize that. And people like Jesan Alam, an award winning fashion enthusiast, view things in a unique way. He is now part of the highly dynamic fashion apparel design and marketing field and feels that you should listen to your heart and taste when it comes to choosing your attires and grooming. "I'm not saying that you go wearing just about anything you want or like. You need to understand your dresses should go in line with the environment you're in. I myself work in a fashion freak world and can enjoy the liberty of being a bit more colorful and creative with my attires and grooming. But I guess those who are in highly formal workspace need to stick to the norms and demands of the formal work environment." Jesan is pretty much right with his points. But the problem is that, most young men, even when they attempt entering practical work environment, can't step out of the 'creatively liberal' mindset about their grooming. And without formal training on this, young job seekers learn this after a few reality shocks. Grooming is immensely important in the corporate word. At least you cannot undermine its importance and influences in making or breaking a person's impressions in MNCs and similar large and highly modernized ventures. The sad part of the story is that the significance and essentiality of proper training in this arena is entirely overlooked. We contacted Mohammad Shamsus Saleehin, an executive of BdJob's Training. He confirmed that there is not any training on corporate grooming from their end as of yet. Same goes for other training services like Prothom Alo Jobs. A rare exception is Bangladesh Airlines Training Centre (BATC), where they offer training and insights on corporate etiquette and grooming. Let's turn to women's grooming to give you the bigger picture. Shompa is running her own makeover service in Dhaka. At the beginning, she has provided makeover service to new brides and party goers only. But after getting self educated and experienced over time, she realised that grooming is not all about using heavy makeup and colorful attires. She has been a keen observer of fashion trends, now provides women with valuable pieces of advice about their looks in parties, festivals, ceremonies and most of all - in corporate environment. "What are the basic mistakes women make while grooming for corporate environment?" I asked. "Well, today's women in the corporate world are faced with a big dilemma. They want to look formal, well organised, pretty and at the same time they can't look too 'loud', which appears like trying too hard. In other words, they don't seem to know how to draw the line between a formal grooming and over-grooming. This happens because today's corporate word is highly competitive and you need both the looks and brains to survive here. And trying too hard can backfire, unfortunately," she said. As I requested for some explanations she continued with more of her interesting remarks -"take neon lips, blue eyeshadow, shimmering glitter or golden bronzers, for instance. They do bring highly dramatic looks on the face. But you need to understand that not everything people experiment on will please everybody. Whether you like it or not, some of your biggest grooming obsessions might be turn-offs for people around you." As an expert in this field, what DOs and DON'Ts would you suggest? "First and foremost, if you ever thought heavy foundation and powders helps in the corporate world, think again! They're major turn offs these days and don't use sunscreens in a way your face becomes an example of melanin imbalance. the nose should match the cheeks." "And what else besides the face?" I retorted. "Don't wear anything that makes your head look unnaturally large. And no matter how appealing neon lipstick appears to you, don't forget that Bangladesh is yet to catch up with that. Sorry, but I'll get back to the face again. And no matter what you do, don't end up with ultra-thin eyebrows. Usually women look good with their natural looks. Bold eye-shadow is absolute NO-NO in formal office environment - especially if you get it all wrong," she said. And you can't disagree with Shompa. Recently, the Daily Star commented sternly on News presenters of Bangladeshi TV channels who look too loud with their makeovers and grooming. And the point they made was pretty justified - ".they wear dresses and makeup that shift the viewers' attention from the news to the news presenter's looks." And the comments of these professionals leave little room for further analysis. The bottom line is that there should be formal education on good grooming in the corporate world. Regardless of who will patronize that training, everybody should realise that regardless of gender, race and looks - everybody can groom in a pleasant way, if the right kind of education and training is provided. Think of the air hostesses in Malaysian Airlines. They are not wearing Bangladeshi saris or European skirts, but they are formal and well groomed. And same goes for Jigme Yoser Thinley, the prime minister of Bhutan. And let us not forget that the female flight attendants of Bangladesh wear saris. All these people are formal - to the supreme degree, actually. It is just that they have been careful in adopting their respective cultures without overdoing anything or going too far with experiments. And that is the ideal spirit that today's and tomorrow's corporate staff should be educated about. And this calls for proper education and training infrastructure. affan321@gmail.com