To attract Millennials, hire tattooed employees

Are you looking to attract more Millennials to your business? Based on the results of our most recent survey, which will be featured in the October issue of Boating Industry, you definitely are. If you indeed are looking to bring in younger buyers, it may be time to hire more tattooed employees.

A recent study was conducted with U.S. and U.K. professionals with managerial experience, asking them to rate images of people with or without tattoos to hire as a bartender at a nightclub or a waiter at an upscale restaurant. More managers chose tattooed employees for bartender roles and more chose employees without tattoos for waiter roles. The researches concluded that restaurants are looking to bring in older, more upscale clientele and bars are looking to serve younger people. All participants agreed offensive tattoos were always a no-no.

“Body art can be seen as an asset in the labor market, as long as an applicant’s tattoos are compatible with the organization’s wider brand personality,” Andrew Timming of the University of St. Andrews told the Daily Mail.

So it’s time to start hiring people with boats tattooed on their sleeves! But seriously, depending on the atmosphere you are trying to create, having tattooed employees is a positive. If you’re serving a high-end, upscale crowd exclusively, hiring tattooed employees is not a great idea.

However, if your business is one with a “casual vibe” where everyone pals around and you get friendly with your clientele, hiring tattooed employees gives off that vibe, especially to a younger generation. Keep in mind that 47 percent of Millennials, present company included, have at least one tattoo, according to a survey by The Harris Poll.

People tend to buy from people like themselves or people they like, so if you want to bring in those Millennials, get some tattooed employees. Or you could always book your own ink appointment.