Last month, 25-year-old college graduate Sohn Min-young shelled out 200,000 won ($188) on clothes, makeup and a trip to the hairdresser. Sohn wasn’t getting ready for a special occasion - she was going to a job interview. “Some companies advise people not to spend too much money preparing for the interview, but I know everybody else will and I don’t want to be left behind,“ she said. Survey results released Wednesday showed that her concerns are valid. According to the job search website Saramin, six out of 10 HR managers think that a candidate’s physical appearance matters. Around 57 percent of HR managers gave this response from a pool of 1,000 survey participants. When asked why looks matter, 41.8 percent said that a candidate’s good looks give the impression that they are more self-disciplined. Thirty-four percent of respondents said they think good looks are a competitive edge, while 26.1 percent said a candidate’s appearance gives the impression of good interpersonal skills. Twenty-four percent said attractive people look more confident. Multiple answers were allowed. The survey even asked HR managers what aspect of a candidate’s physical appearance mattered. While 87.3 percent of respondents played it safe, choosing first impression, a number of HR managers were happy to get into specifics. Cleanliness came in second, at 40.1 percent, followed by a candidate’s outfit at 36.8 percent. More specific physical attributes like the shape of a candidate’s body, 19 percent, their facial features, 18.6 percent, and hair, 8.5 percent, were also cited. Multiple answers were allowed. Survey respondents were surprisingly candid about the gender bias in evaluating candidates’ looks, with 31 percent saying that a female candidate’s appearance matters. Only 6.4 percent were concerned with the looks of a male candidate.