RAGEGIST

How handsome men win at work

Good looks might have helped Don at work, but it isn’t the same for Megan. Source: AP

GOOD looks help men get ahead in business — but not women, research shows.

A study found investors are more likely to back an idea if a handsome man is pitching it. However, pretty women were no more likely to be successful pitchers than their less attractive counterparts.
The findings, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also showed backers preferred presentations that were given by men.
Researchers showed 60 experienced investors videos of 90 real business pitches made by entrepreneurs at contests.
The investors were asked to rate the pitchers’ looks, and this was compared to how well each did in the contest.
Among women, attractiveness did not make a significant difference — but good looks made men much more persuasive.
Dr Alison Brooks, of Harvard Business School, said: ‘We find investors prefer entrepreneurial pitches presented by males ... even when the content of the pitch is the same.’