NFIB

Dress for Success
07/ 25/ 2003

by Vicki Gerson

The way your employees present themselves can have an effect on the success of your business. If some of your employees dress like they're ready to tend a garden instead of tend to the needs of your customers, it might be time to consider establishing or revising your company's dress code. Keep in mind the following considerations when working on your new dress code:

First of all, you may need help in deciding what is proper attire for your business. Work with an image consultant and do some research. Find out what other businesses in your area and in your industry are wearing to work. If certain dress codes seem to be the norm, they may be fine for your business too.

What do you want your employees to wear? You should decide what kinds of clothes you want your employees to wear at the office and when dealing with clients. Are suits a requirement when going out on a business call to a current customer? Are jeans totally out or only allowed on Fridays?

Set an example. If you dress like a slob so will your employees. Whatever dress code you decide on, remember you will have to follow it as well. Make sure you can live with what rules you establish.

Keep it fair. The dress code you institute must be fair. You can't allow some employees with seniority to ignore it, or employees who are your best sales people to ignore it either. Everyone must follow the same dress code. Otherwise, why have one at all?

Be reasonable. If the dress code is new, it will be hard to make changes that are too extreme because you cannot expect your employees to go out and buy a new wardrobe to comply with the new dress code. If extreme changes have to be made, you should allow a lot of time for employees to comply. When you first tell them about the dress code changes, give them at least a month for complete compliance.

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