问题 The Question

I've been interviewing candidates for a research job and have had a very good shortlist. The two frontrunners are both excellent - they seem bright and keen and hardworking. One is reasonably good-looking; the other is exceedingly plain - obese and with bad skin. The role is not client- facing so looks should not matter. Yet I find myself inclined to hire the person who looks more prepossessing - which is unfair as the plain one surely needs a break. What should I do?我在为一项研究工作面试候选人，并有了一份非常好的入围名单。两位候选人都非常优秀——他们看起来聪明、热情而且勤奋。其中一位容貌出众；另一位则过于难看——比较胖，而且皮肤不好。招聘的职位不是面向客户的，因此长相并不重要。不过我发现自己倾向于聘用那个看起来更讨人喜欢的家伙—— 这有失公平，因为长相难看的人肯定也需要机会。我该怎么办呢？

经理，女性，38岁 Manager, female, 38

露西的回答 Lucy's Answer

You should hire the fat and spotty one. This is not because you feel he (or she?) deserves a break - it isn't your job to play social engineer. It is because he is almost certainly better at the job than the one who is easier on the eye。你应该聘用那个脸上长满粉刺的胖子。这不是因为你觉得他(或她)应该得到这个机会——扮演社会工程师不是你的职责。而只是因为他几乎肯定会比那个更养眼的家伙干得更好。

You claim that the two are equally skilled and industrious. If you are right, you should hire the looker as lookers are easier to have around. But I don't think you are right。
如果你看到过有关研究，就会知道，漂亮的比丑陋的人更容易获得成功。他们的薪水会高出15%，而且升迁的速度更快。这或许会让人倾向于选择那个讨人喜欢的候选人。