The best ‘boss friendly’ place for a tattoo

Where are your inkings hidden…?

A tattoo on your lower back is the place least likely to put off potential employers – and, unsurprisingly, face inkings will reduce your chances of landing a new job.

The findings come from a new YouGov Omnibus HR decision makers survey about tattoos and employment.

The results reveal that face tattoos are the most likely to put employers off a candidate. Six in ten employers (61 per cent) say that they are “substantially” less likely to hire someone with tattoos on their face, with a further 17 per cent saying they make them “slightly” less likely to take them on.

Neck tattoos and hand tattoos are likewise not viewed kindly by most employers, with 66 per cent and 60 per cent respectively saying a candidate sporting them is less likely to be hired.

Employers are relatively split on ‘sleeve’ tattoos – inkings that cover the whole arm. Half (50 per cent) say they are less likely to take someone on who has one, while 45 per cent say their presence makes no difference to their decision to employ a candidate.

The majority of employers aren’t worried about forearm (53 per cent) and upper arm (66 per cent) tattoos, while ones on the lower back are the least likely to jeopardise your employment prospects, with 78 per cent of employers saying they would make no difference as to whether or not they hired a candidate.

Overall only between four to six per cent of employers said they were more likely to hire someone with tattoos.