Marketing Consultant
Last week, our Director and Co-Founder Chris Mason shared a thought-provoking post on LinkedIn about a growing trend we are seeing here in the office: adding personal photos, especially of pets, to CVs. The post sparked a lively debate, gathering nearly 8,000 impressions within the first 24 hours and has now surpassed 10,000, prompting us to poll our 52,000 LinkedIn followers to see what they think about adding a photo, especially a personal photo featuring family and pets to a CV.
The response was overwhelming, with the combined reach of both posts now over 22,000 views, showing just how passionate recruiters and candidates are about this topic.
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Here’s what we asked:
Is it appropriate to include a personal photo on your CV featuring your kids, partner, or pets?
The results are in:
- Yes: It’s appropriate and adds personality – 2%
- No: Your CV is a professional document – 38%
- No (altogether): No photo should be on a CV at all either personal or professional – 48%
- It depends: On the role and sector – 12%
Let’s break down what these results tell us and what job seekers can take away from the discussion.
1. Personality over professionalism: A minority opinion
Only 2% of respondents believe that personal photos, including those of pets or family, are appropriate on a CV. Supporters argue that, in certain contexts, adding a personal touch can make candidates stand out. This perspective is more common in creative industries, where individuality and personal branding are highly valued.
Chris Mason, Director and Co-Founder at Intelligent People said: “On the whole we would strongly advise against adding a photo, especially personal, to your CV. This has been the case for the last 40 years and is still the general consensus among employers today. Adding any photo to your CV opens you up to positive or negative discrimination and there is absolutely no need for it.”
2. A clear divide: Keep it professional
A significant 38% of participants believe personal photos have no place on a CV. For this group, a CV is strictly a professional document, and adding non-work-related images could distract from the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Chris Mason said: “It is refreshing to see a large number of people are against adding personal photos to their CV. Recruiters should focus on skills and experience, not personal details and a CV is a tool to showcase your professional value. But we would still like to emphasise that no photo, neither personal nor professional, should be added to a CV. It is human nature to make a preconceived opinion about someone on what they look like or whether they have children or a certain type of pet.”
This perspective emphasises the importance of maintaining a clear boundary between personal and professional life.
3. No photos at all: The majority view
The largest group, 48%, took a more decisive stance, rejecting the inclusion of any photos – personal or professional – on CVs. This reflects a growing concern about unconscious bias in hiring. Many companies still encourage photo-free CVs to promote merit-based recruitment.
Mason added: “Photos can invite bias, even unintentionally. The fairest approach is to assess candidates based solely on their skills and experience. Apart from inviting bias, including a photo can also suggest that a candidate has an ego. Over the past two decades that Intelligent People has been doing this we have experienced on a number of occasions companies which are hiring reject candidates who include images, suggesting that they think they ‘look good’ or ‘have an ego and look a handful’ purely based on including an image.”
This viewpoint underscores the trend towards anonymised applications, especially in industries committed to diversity and inclusion.
4. Context matters: A flexible approach
Finally, 12% of respondents believe that whether a photo is appropriate depends on the role and sector. In industries like fashion, media, or entertainment, visuals can be an asset. In more traditional fields, however, photos are generally discouraged.
Mason concluded: “The only roles or industries where it is acceptable to include an image is if you’re an actor or a model. Or in very rare cases, such as a role which involves care in the community with elderly, children or animals it can sometimes be beneficial to add an image as long as it is related to the job. If you’re applying for a creative role or a position that requires personal branding, a photo might enhance your application. But in corporate environments, it’s usually best to avoid it.”
Key Takeaways for Job Seekers:
- Know your industry: Understand the norms and expectations of the sector you’re applying to. Creative roles may allow for more personal expression, while corporate roles typically do not.
- Minimise bias risks: To avoid any potential bias, many recruiters recommend keeping CVs photo-free.
- Focus on content: Your skills, achievements and experience should always take centre stage. If you want to add a personal touch, make sure you make your experience relevant for the job you’re applying for
Summary:
This topic clearly struck a chord with many of our followers, and opinions remain divided. We’ve been doing this for over 22 years now and our experience shows that it hasn’t really changed in that time when it comes to adding a photo to a CV.
While there might be some circumstances when it is good to add a headshot, these are incredibly limited to acting roles and specialist roles in the community. But we can categorically say that for a specialist recruitment agency such as us in the Product Management, UX, UI & Product Design, Marketing, eCommerce and Commercial Leadership no CV we receive should have an image.
