Commentary

When An Ad Agency Seeks to Hire 'Female With Great Voice,' Is That Sexist?

by Richard Whitman , Columnist, January 12, 2016

A Los Angeles Craigslist listing from a "growing media and entertainment agency" seeks "a female with a great voice to set appointments with small to medium sized businesses." The position is touted as part time.

I wonder, though, in our increasingly politically correct culture whether or not making note of any physical quality at all is acceptable anymore. Granted, hiring voice talent for a radio spot or a TV spot or a corporate video is probably within bounds since, in that case, it's the voice regardless of the person it’s attached to that is being hired.

And granted, no business wants to hire a person with a "bad" voice -- but unless a person speaks like they just inhaled a helium balloon, pretty much anyone with any voice can make sales calls. After all, it's the content of what the voice delivers rather than the voice itself, for the most part, that scores a sale.

Oh, and why does this particular cold-calling position have to be filled by a female? Can't men make sales calls? What's up with that?

agency, employment

4 comments about "When An Ad Agency Seeks to Hire 'Female With Great Voice,' Is That Sexist?".

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Clif Haley from Afford A Voice, January 13, 2016 at 11:15 a.m.
That is an interesting question to pose. Of course both men and women can be equally good at making sales calls, so perhaps making that destinction is sexist, however it is a very similar role to voice talent. Is not the role of a voice talent in a TV commercial or radio ad to sell the listener on a product or service? For me, as a very part time voice over artist myself, I sort of consider the voice to be more like an instrument which produces a distinct tonal quality. The tonal qualities of female voices are different than the tonal qualities of male voices and I don't see any problem perferring one tone over the other for specific needs whether that's making phone calls or doing TV spots. Some people like their compositions played by flutes...others by trumpets...others by clarients...etc. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it...or not enough!
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Ken Kurtz from creative license, January 13, 2016 at 3:05 p.m.

Silly question. For starters, I just pulled this definition of "sexism" from the web...

sex·ism (sĕk′sĭz′əm) n. 1. Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women. 2. The belief that one gender is superior to the other...

I suppose that every human being might be partially "sexist" because most people I've encountered in my 35 years in the advertising, real estate development, and software businesses BELIEVE that women are better at some tasks than men, and men are better at some tasks than women. Those are not inherently bad beliefs... unfortunately, the word "sexist" carries such negative connotation.

As long as more men are buying, and setting up the "appointments" with prospective vendors that may, or may not result in a sale, then it's unequivocally clear that women with great voices will be far more successful at setting those appointments with those men for prospective vendors.

It goes deeper than that, though. While men that buy, and are responsible for setting up appointments for presentations by vendors may find an energetic, and dynamic female's voice more appealing naturally, I think it's important to note that female buyers are also very unlikely to be put off by the energetic, and dynamic voice of somebody of their own gender in a business setting.

Personally, throughout my years in advertising (20), real estate development and sales (10) and now software (5)... I've found women to be far better, more helpful, conscientious, and focused sales professionals than their male counterparts. If that makes me "sexist" so be it.

Jerry Gibbons from Gibbons Advice, January 13, 2016 at 4:52 p.m.

This agency should hire Sam Pond, San Francisco voice scout (among other thngs), to find a great voice.

Sarah Noble from The Voice Realm, January 13, 2016 at 7:28 p.m.

Hardly sexist! Next they'll develop some form of discriminitation for wanting a red dress instead of a blue.
We had a voice casting today for a hardcore porn voice over. It was the highlight of my day!