It seems like everyone and their mother has a tattoo these days, doesn’t it? In fact, about 30% of young adults aged 18-35 are sporting at least one piece of ink.
But this isn’t just about body art; it’s about whether we like seeing our trainers with a bit of extra decoration. And the verdict? Well, it’s an interesting mix.
The Knowledge Academy surveyed 1,265 people to get a pulse on how tattoos are viewed across different professions.
They posed a straightforward question: “Do you prefer employees with a tattoo in the following professions?” The results provided some surprising insight.
Apparently, tattoos in the workplace are gaining traction — people aren’t just tolerating them; some actively prefer them.
The data shows that 21% of those surveyed now have a preference for employees with tattoos in certain roles.
When it comes to professions like fashion design, a whopping 65% like their designers inked up, often associating tattoos with creativity and uniqueness.
It’s a similar story in the beauty industry, where tattoos seem to signal flair and authenticity.
But if you think that the inked-up trend applies everywhere, think again. It appears that tattoos in more formal roles like legal, government, or military jobs still aren’t quite as welcome.
Around 75% of respondents, for example, prefer Members of Parliament (MPs) without any tattoos — perhaps not quite the vibe they want from their lawmakers.
This aligns with data from Statista, which found that jobs in those formal sectors feature the least number of tattooed employees.
But there is a twist! Tattoos on a private investigator? Yes, please! 17% of respondents were more open to seeing their PI inked up than, say, their personal trainer.
Strange as it may sound, there’s a reason for that. Recent reports suggest that tattoos help private investigators blend into public situations. A tattooed PI might look like your average Joe or Jane — making them better at their job.
So where do personal trainers fall in all of this? When it comes to personal trainers, the general public seems to lean slightly against tattoos.
It’s as though people prefer their trainers to be more of a blank canvas, or perhaps they want nothing distracting from the intense eye contact during that final push-up.
Even if tattoos seem like no big deal in the fashion or beauty world, when it comes to motivating you through that last rep, some people still see visible ink as a distraction. Who knew?
There’s also an organisational twist to the tattoo debate. According to stats compiled by YouGov, smaller companies are less inclined to hire someone with a tattoo compared to larger firms.
Maybe it’s because bigger companies feel more secure in being a bit more liberal with their hiring decisions, or maybe they’re just more in tune with changing attitudes towards body art.
The visibility of tattoos plays a significant role in all this too. If the ink is offensive or highly visible, opinions seem to skew more conservatively.
But more often than not, in certain professions, tattoos are being embraced as a mark of character. It’s becoming less about stigma and more about self-expression.
So, do we prefer personal trainers to have a tattoo? It’s complicated, but one thing’s for sure — perceptions around tattoos are changing fast, and it won’t be long before ink becomes just another part of a professional’s identity, regardless of the field.