Adding a photo on your resume might seem like a good idea. After all, first impressions matter, right? In reality, including a picture on your CV can actually work against you.
All recruiters are human beings (or at least we think we are). This means that as soon as you add a photo on a resume, you are introducing bias into the decision process. That bias can work in your favor, or against you... But don't take my word for it.
Studies show that when a photograph on CVs or resumes is included, people make instant judgments based on appearance, often without even realizing it. Researchers have found that "attractive" candidates often get more interview callbacks and even better salary offers (10 to 20%!), compared to "average looking" candidates with the same qualifications.
One experiment in Spain showed that the same resume received 24% more interview invitations when paired with an attractive resume photo versus a less conventionally attractive one.
(If you're curious to learn more about our poor judgment skills, read the paper below !)
source: “Weight, Attractiveness, and Gender when Hiring: a Field Experiment...”
The point is: "unconscious bias" is inevitable. So you have to decide whether adding a photo on your resume is a gamble you want to take.
It's not just about you. You have to consider the employer's side of things too...
A picture on a resume can also reveal details like age, gender, ethnicity, and other characteristics that hiring managers aren't supposed to consider. Because of this, companies are being "discouraged" to let pictures cloud their judgment.
In the U.S., the EEOC advises against employers requesting a photo on resume submissions to avoid discrimination claims, and similar principles apply in the U.K. and France.
source: Discrimination in Hiring and Anonymous CVs in France (CV Anonymes)
What does this mean for you? Well, if there's one thing we know about companies is that they like an easy-fix to a complex problem. Many businesses will simply discard resumes with pictures.
Here you go, problem solved !
But... the issue of whether to add a photo on resume documents is slightly more complicated than that. Depending on where you plan on reluctantly go to the office 3 times a week, expectations differ.
Before it all gets too confusing, here's a quick and simple breakdown of resume photo expectations across different regions, with a 'rule of thumb' for each.
📵 No Photos.
Anti-discrimination laws make employers avoid any personal details that could introduce bias, and many companies may outright reject resumes with a photo on resumes.
📵 No Photos.
The Equality Act "discourages" employers from seeing a candidate’s picture to prevent bias. Including a photograph on CVs is generally considered unprofessional.
🤷 "It's complicated"
Historically, countries like Germany, France, Spain, and Italy expected a resume photo. However, many companies now prefer photo-free resumes to align with modern anti-bias hiring trends. Some traditional industries still expect them.
📷 Photo required in some countries.
In many Asian countries, including China and Japan, including a photo on your resume is still the norm. Some countries, like South Korea, are gradually moving away from this practice. In India, opinions on the matter are mixed.
📵 No Photos.
Similar to North America and the U.K., resumes typically do not include a picture on resumes.
🔍 Check for each specific country
Some countries like Mexico and South Africa tend to include a resume photo, but again: there is a growing shift toward photo-free resumes.
Hopefully, you're starting to see the trend here: most countries accept CVs without a photograph, and those who do are starting to move away from resume photos anyway.
It's not just about bias. As a Recruiter, I hated photos on resumes because they actually made my job harder. You don't want to make the Recruiter's job harder.
Most companies use ATS software to filter resumes before a human even sees them. Since these systems are designed to parse text, images disrupt formatting and can prevent the parsing of your resume.
It means that you might be getting automatically rejected by a piece of software, simply for adding a photo.
(To learn more about that, check my article on How ATS Actually Work).
Recruiters spend an average of 7 seconds skimming a resume.
They are going to try and locate key information on the page quickly. This is why you usually want to stuff your 1st page with your "Best Of" ( Profile Summary, Technical Skills, Education, Most Recent Job
Adding a headshot usually takes up a lot of space that could be better used.
You can think of it as adding useless information in the "Above The Fold" content of a website's landing page. It's not going to convert well.
Yes, recruiters may still want to know what you look like. Maybe not during the first review of your resume, but before giving you a call or welcoming you for an interview. We're all human, and it's always good to "put a face to the name".
LinkedIn is the perfect place for that!
Post a headshot taken in a professional setting (bonus points if it’s during a public speaking event), and the job is done.
Rather than having a hiring decision be made on a single photo, LinkedIn gives you the opportunity for 360-degree personal branding.
You can control the narrative and add much more info about yourself than a single photo would ever convey.
Yes, this may cause bias, but if done well, it’s likely to work in your favor.
If you’re applying for a tech role or any job in markets like the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Australia, leaving the photo off your resume is the smart move. This will help prevent bias, avoids legal risks, and keeps your resume clean and professional.
Let your skills, experience, and accomplishments do the talking, and use your LinkedIn profile for personal branding instead. In today’s job market, a resume without a photo isn’t just acceptable. It’s expected.
Curious to see how your resume and LinkedIn profile look to a recruiter
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