The Death of Casual Fridays?

January 13 2009 | Kathy Crosett

It looks like casual Fridays might be one casualty of the current recession – especially when it comes to the IT department which has long harbored preferences for sandals, T-shirts and jeans.  These days, if job seekers are lucky enough to land an in-person interview, they’ll want to look their best. That’s the attitude revealed in a CIO (chief information officer) survey released by Robert Half Technology.

Survey results indicate that these hiring managers prefer to see candidates wearing the following interview attire:

  • Business suit 35%
  • Khakis and collars 26%
  • Tailored separates 24%

There’s no better time for your apparel clients to market proper interview attire. The long sales slide in suits and other dressy apparel could be reversed if job seekers start shopping for the items that will help them look like the perfect employee.

[Source: Robert Half Technology release, 12.22. 2008]

 

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  • http://www.weidert.com Greg Linnemanstons

    I disagree. As a small agency owner, flexibility of attire is one perk I can continue to offer that doesn’t cost me anything. As I look to do everything I can to keep people positive and motivated, a casual dress code is one of the easiest to keep. And since our clients expect that of us, there’s no impetus to change.

  • http://www.ad-ology.net Kathy Crosett

    Thanks for your comment. The Robert Half survey results didn’t indicate whether large or small companies were included. Perhaps the preference for formal attire is linked to large companies with official dress codes.

  • http://www.amhe.com Judy Bellem

    We address our company’s “casual Friday’s” dress code in our employee handbook and include expected dress code for cooler as well as warmer weather. We find our employees willingly cooperate. If client visits are on the calendar, everyone dresses appropriately, regardless of the day of the week.

  • Tim R

    I have seen the same development in recent months. My own clients are dressing in business attire more often and I have been wearng a suit and tie again for the first time in a few years.