Employers' search for high and mighty misguided

By Chen Chenchen Source:Global Times Published: 2014-11-1 0:18:01

Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT



In the latest issue of The Economist magazine, a story titled "The rise of China" talks about Chinese employers' obsession with height. It cited an interesting report early this year by Dalian Evening News, saying that two security guards in Dalian found they were paid differently for the same job. The one who was 1.8-meters tall was paid 200 yuan ($33) higher a month than the other who was 5 centimeters shorter. The 1.75-meter-tall thus protested to the manager, only getting the response that taller security guards provide a greater sense of security.

While the job of security guard might arguably be related to size, the heightist bigotry of hirers in many other industries seems incredibly funny. Strolling around job fairs in China, one can find specific height requirements at almost every single booth, including those who are looking for house cleaners and electric welders. It seems a perpetual preference that female job-seekers should be taller than 1.6 meters and male ones over 1.7 meters.

The results of an interesting study by Huazhong University of Science and Technology, which were also invoked in the Economist story, may sound astounding to many, "Each centimeter above the mean adds 1.5-2.2 percent to a woman's salary, particularly among middle and high-wage earners."

I posted this on WeChat, and got a tread of funny comments below. One tall friend said fretfully that this result doesn't apply to her situation at all - although 1.75-meters tall, she only finds herself disliked by her boss whenever she stands beside him.

Another friend, who is very pretty but short, bantered that she wouldn't worry much, since this is a world that judges a person by "face."

A 45-year-old man in China is about 5 centimeters taller than his counterpart three decades ago. But still, the wealth gap between rich and poor regions in China is partly mirrored in the gap in terms of people's heights, which is backed by statistics for urban and rural areas.

For Chinese people, height is still an indicator that may mean they come from a more privileged background. This is not totally groundless. Such indications are especially strong given that the memory of starvation and poverty is not far away.

Therefore, while one criticizes Chinese employers for height discrimination, the general social psychology under it cannot be ignored. Through exercise in gyms or operations in clinics, you can change your body or your face. But height still tells something about genes and early year nutrition.

Of course, as China develops and malnutrition is no longer a problem for the majority, being tall or short will be seen purely as a physical characteristic, rather than carrying social connotation. That change itself will mean China's social progress.

And such progress is already taking place. Guo Jingming, one of China's richest young writers, is just 1.5-meters tall. On Weibo, he often jokes about his height himself. He has numerous fans and has achieved business success. Height means neither wisdom nor wealth, just size.

The author is an opinion editor with the Global Times. chenchenchen@globaltimes.com.cn



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