The sweet smell of success

With competition for jobs higher than ever, it seems the secret to impressing employers might be right under your nose. New research shows that smelling good increases your chances of success in interviews, as one in 20 Brits have rejected a job applicant because of how they smelled.

The research, commissioned by flexible workspace provider Avanta Serviced Office Group, shows that 57% of Brits agree that smell is detrimental to your job prospects, with workers aged between 25 and 34 the most odour-conscious. Unsurprisingly, women place a greater emphasis on smelling good in order to succeed, (60%) however men are almost twice as likely to reject a job applicant for wearing overpowering aftershave or perfume.

The top office olfactory offenders are:

· The toilets (41%)

· People eating fish at their desks (37%)

· The bins (33%)

· People eating curry at their desks (29%)

· Colleagues taking their shoes off (25%)

To ensure the office environment is always conducive to productivity, Avanta has created a signature scent with renowned perfumer Ruth Mastenbroek.

As Ruth explains: “Smell is the most powerful of the senses and is best able to influence brain activity. The olfactory bulb in the brain is responsible for the perception of smell and is part of the limbic system, which directly connects to the areas of the brain that process emotion and learning.

“This is one of the reasons why so often what we smell will trigger a memory of something, or someone. Aromatherapy probably isn’t the first tool you think of to help boost your productivity and stimulate your business, but perhaps it should be.”