What to wear to a job interview at Netflix, according to the company's head recruiter

• Netflix doesn't have a formal dress code, so we asked its top recruiter what candidates should wear on job interviews at the streaming company.
• Dress for the interview is "business casual."
• Candidates should also dress in a way that makes them feel "confident" and ready for an "open and authentic dialogue," Valarie Toda, Netflix's vice president of talent acquisition, said.
• Staffing experts recommended erring on the side of dressing more formal, with a pop of color to project confidence.
• When in doubt, ask the recruiter what people normally wear to work, one staffing expert said.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Netflix, which has a culture centered on "freedom and responsibility," doesn't have a formal clothing policy.

Business Insider asked Netflix's top recruiter what candidates should wear to job interviews at the streaming company.

Recruiters at Netflix usually tell candidates to dress "business casual." Still, business casual can mean different things to different managers and organizations.

"Interviews are about you being able to be yourself," Valarie Toda, vice president of talent acquisition at Netflix, said. "We want to get to know you, so dress in a way that is going to make you feel confident and that we can really have an open and authentic dialogue."

If you feel best in a suit, you could forgo the tie for an open collar, Karen Danziger, at executive-search firm Koller Search Partners, said.

A pop of color also helps project confidence, she said.

You could pair a blazer with a colorful shirt, or a basic dress with a bold accessory.

Recruiters who Business Insider spoke with recommended erring on the side of dressing more formal for the job interview, even if you expect to wear a tee shirt and jeans to work most days. For the interview, you could opt for a button down instead.

You could also check the company's social media accounts for cues as to what other employees wear to work.

One recruiter suggested taking mental notes of what people are wearing during the first round of interviews in case you're invited for a second or third round.

"Take notes about that culture," Ryan Sutton, a district president at the staffing firm, Robert Half Technology, said. "You want to be professional but also feel like you fit in."

When in doubt, ask the recruiter how people typically dress for work. Don't be shy about asking for more clarity if you get a vague answer, either.

If the recruiter tells you the dress is business casual, you could follow up to say: "I appreciate the guidance. Do the men normally wear blazers?"

"Ask the recruiter," Avi Mally, CEO of Three Pillars Recruiting, which specializes in staffing for digital-media companies, said. "The recruiter's interests are aligned with the candidate. The recruiter doesn't want the candidate cut because they wearing the wrong thing in the interview."

At a place like Netflix, which says in its culture memo that it values "curiosity," a question like that should also be welcome.

Read our full BI Prime guide on how to get hired at Netflix in 2020: Exactly what it takes to get a job at Netflix, according to its head of hiring, former employees, and recruiting experts

See more of our coverage on BI Prime:

• How to get a job interview at Netflix with the help of employee referrals - and what to avoid doing, according to company insiders: Recommendations from Netflix employees can get prospective candidates noticed by Netflix recruiters. Former employees shared their top tips on getting referrals, and using them to land a job.
• Netflix's 5 toughest job-interview questions, according to company insiders: These are some of the job interview questions prospective candidates should be prepared to answer at any stage of the hiring process.
• The best Netflix teams and roles for entry-level job seekers, according to former employees and current listings: While Netflix doesn't have many entry-level jobs, it does have some opportunities for talented people who are starting their careers.
• The top 10 slides from Netflix's groundbreaking first culture deck that experts say had the most impact: Netflix's culture deck is a must read for prospective candidates. Recruiters explain what sets Netflix's culture apart from other tech companies.