Liam's Blog

WE ARE IN THE AGE OF DIGITIZATION! This technological phenomenon is present in business everywhere; there is no escaping it. Some view digital technology as revolutionary, presenting endless opportunities for development and increased efficiency. Others refuse to accept it, viewing it as unnecessary in the business world; they will continue to shun it unless it is forced upon them.

The marketing industry has unquestionably been revolutionized by the creation of such digital media as company and sales websites, search engines, viral videos, Photoshop, and more. Other industries vary in their dependence on this technology; the size and type of businesses are what seem to determine their need for digitization. For example, small businesses are at times able to avoid this technology entirely, whereas large businesses are rarely capable of the same.

In the real estate industry, appraisal firms often have a company website for advertising and communication purposes. However, the owner of the small appraisal firm, my dad, feels that a website is unnecessary for his company at the moment because it already receives sufficient business and is at its current capacity to expand. Furthermore, he feels that the type of customers typically attracted to an appraisal firm’s website cause more hassle than they are worth to deal with. The customers he is referring to are the ones who he typically deals with on referrals who regularly make ignorant requests and even revoke offers of jobs to which they have committed. At the moment, his company receives the majority of its work from a number of banks through the appraisal management firm, Nationwide Appraisal Services (NAS), which presents any information about the request in a clear and simple manner. In his opinion, creating a website for his company would only make him worse off at this point by increasing the number phone calls he receives that do not end up generating business. In this sense, his company has been able to avoid digitization. However, the digital world has long since overtaken the field of residential real estate appraisal as I will describe in my next blog post, “Digitization in the Field of Real Estate Appraisal.”

           I was studying with a friend in I.K.B. Library about a month and a half ago when approached by two individuals who said they were recruiting for Abercrombie and Fitch’s new Hollister location in downtown Vancouver. At the time, I thought nothing of it because random occurrences frequent UBC’s point grey campus. So I played along and even after being told that the job starts at minimum wage, I took their card to be polite.

          After they left I looked down and made a stupid comment about the pictures of preppy and shirtless models on the company card I had received and noticed something peculiar. The card included the term “good-looking” in the qualities that it seeks in potential employees. I was a little shocked and asked my friend, “Are they really allowed to do that?” Having past experience in modelling, she did not think anything of this and said it is most likely in order to hire potential models.

          With a boost to my ego but highly doubtful of my modelling potential, I decided to investigate further. It took very little research to discover that it is simply a policy of Abercrombie and Fitch to hire young, attractive college students to work in their stores. To me, this policy makes perfect sense in that young guys are going to want to go into a store where there are a number of young, attractive girls working and vice-versa. Also, call it what you like, but the people working out front of an A&F store are in effect modelling for the brand.

          Though this policy may seem quite practical, is it ethical? Of course discriminating based on religion, age, gender, disability or ethnicity is highly unethical and, in Canada, illegal. But, as they cannot be classified as a distinct group, the discrimination against those who are not particularly attractive is tolerated.

          I feel it is unethical to hire an inexperienced attractive person over someone who is less attractive but possesses experience in retail.  However, I’m sure employers subconsciously give more attractive people an edge in a number of other industries as well. The issue of discrimination based on appearance cannot be easily resolved if at all and will likely continue to be present in business into the distant future.

What do you think?