Would it put you off hiring a nanny if s/he was very heavily pierced?

[brotherhoodofwoman]

As an employer, would you find it off-putting if a potential nanny candidate was very visibly pierced or tattooed?

Blondes, I did specify a few posts back what I regarded as heavily pierced and tattooed - lip ring, eyebrow bar, nose ring, several in ears, hole in lobe, a bar through one of the middle bits of the ear.

Tattoos visible on forearms and on chest above neckline of clothes. One on back of neck. That's as much as I could see.

wickedwitchofthesoutheast, I'm afraid that if you turned up for interview suitably attired, but expected to turn up for work with more piercings etc you may still have an unhappy employer.

i have a tattoo and have been pierced.
so no, i wouldnt think 'oh dear, she must be baaaaad' or anything.
i expect dp would judge initially on looks but after id beat him soundly about the head he would concede that I am right and he is, as ever when contradicting me, v v wrong.

I know a mum who has a fair amount of facial piercings.

She has 4 dc (the youngest of whom is a few months old) and runs a playgroup.

Yes, she stands out physically but that's all. In fact her parenting skills would probably put some of us to shame.

I wouldn't have a nanny with piercings, and I don't employ anyone with visible piercings or tatoos in my business.

im quiet shocked at myself but yes i would be put off i think -you learn something new about yourself every day!

I am fine with tattoos and piercings. I'd be more interested in how well they got on with me and my child how our views were alligned etc.
Not bothered by fashions or physicality (overweight slim ugly etc)

"Blondes, I did specify a few posts back what I regarded as heavily pierced and tattooed - lip ring, eyebrow bar, nose ring, several in ears, hole in lobe, a bar through one of the middle bits of the ear.

Tattoos visible on forearms and on chest above neckline of clothes. One on back of neck. That's as much as I could see."

sorry i must have missed that

thats your opinion - was curious what was OTT with others?

but yes agree with you,thats a lot of holes

so if holes wre not there or taken out and tatto's disguised/hidden - then what?

It would put me off. Lead by example and I wouldn't want my Dc's to think it must be ok(because I don't feel it is, but each to their own)to mutilate your body, because the adult that is caring for them has the ink and metal treatment. Ds went on about having his ear pierced a few years ago and he's only 10 now! No way son said I. Dd wont be getting her lobes pierced for quite a few years yet either.

Yes

No, it wouldn't put me off. I had a heavily tattooed post-natal doula and she was wonderful. She and I really clicked and she was great with the kids and surely that's what matters? Tbh though I didn't notice her tattoos at all when she first came round so maybe she was good at keeping them covered initially.

I haven't had either of the two older ds's saying they want to follow her example and do it to themselves. I'm not sure what I'd say to that, probably discuss the permanent nature and say it would be up to them when they were adults but I wouldn't allow it while I was responsible for them.

LadyMuck - as I stated before, I only have one piercing on my face, and 3 bigger ones in my ear (2 on one side, 1 on the other) both of which I don't feel need to be taken out so these would be seen at the interview and no more would be added
I was saying that practically all my tattoos would be covered up as a) its an interview so I'd be dressing my best + b) its winter so the areas that are tattooed would be covered up

but as I can't imagine 'dropping' into the conversation that I have various tattoos, its not something that would come up until I guess they were seen at some stage or another.

but if I'd got the job on my childcare ability, would the fact I have some tattoos that an employer maybe didn't know I had when they offered me the job, be that much of problem? I think its its a bit silly if they were, seeing as they in no way affect my ability to so my job

JacksFirstChristmasMama - piercings don't set off airport metal detectors lol, yet another common mis-conception!

Well, do bear in mind that I am only one potential employer.

How I dress in my workplace also has no direct bearing on my ability to do my job, except that people I come across will make judgements according to how I am dressed. A solicitor say with holey jeans, visible tattoos and piercings may be just as competent as one wearing a suit, but far less likely to reassure clients that that is the case. People do make first impressions I'm afraid and to believe otherwise is naive.

So finding out that you had a visible tatto later on this year might not bother me in terms of how you care for my children, but would bother me in terms of how you would be treated on those occasions where you are representing me by being in loco parentis (eg at school, with other parents, at medical appts etc). It may also bother me in terms of being a rolemodel for my children, but I suspect if I had those sorts of concerns I would have probably picked them up at interview anyway. Depends on tattoing etc - I have no idea of what you look like and to try and make a personal judgement about you without seeing you would be impossible. Hopefully by the time I found out we would be able to have a discussion about whether you would be able to cover it up on duty say, if I thought that it was a problem.

I wouldn't focus on the tattoos or piercings in isolation - it would be the overall first impression - am I happy that this person would be representing me to the outside world when I'm not around. A cheery easy-going attitude combined with a large dose of common sense tends to outshine any purely physical wrapping.

no.

i don't mind that or tattoos.

I totally understand that LadyMuck and please do not think that what I said was only aimed at you, more a broad statement that was also answering something you said if that makes sense?

I do totally see where you are coming from with regards to first impressions etc, and I'm definitely not naive enough to think it wouldn't matter, hence why I'm voicing my concerns about it on this thread!

However, I don't see why it would matter whether people could see a hint of tattoo when at school or medical appointments () as I am a child carer who's obvious abilities at my job should far outshine anything physical... I would like to hope that anyone who did run into me and knew I was an employee of yours would report my good nature and skill at my job above anything else!

But then as you said, it is pretty difficult for you to judge right now as you have no idea what I look like, nor do you know what I am like as a person or nanny - I do however take comfort in your last point as the more we discuss this, the more I feel like your opinion may be the general opinion I may come up against in my current job hunt - so thank you your honesty, I am finding it very useful.

I wouldn't worry too much. I suspect that attitude will win over a prospective employer. Being heavily pierced (and I'm not saying the you are, but that was what the OP was about) does indicate a certain attitude, but in a decent interview then you have the chance to change that impression.

Good luck with the job hunt!

many thanks