Illegal Interview Questions

I was furious when one of my friends told me about her latest job interview. These are the questions (and the ONLY questions) the interviewer asked her:

1. "Are you married? How long have you been married? Well, that means you are going to have a baby soon and we don't want someone who will be leaving."

2. "Well, what does your husband do, we need to know he has a stable job and will not relocate in the near future."

She did not get the job.

Both of these questions were illegal, especially as most people would guess she did not get a job offer because she was a young (mid-20s) newlywed. My friend chose to answer the questions honestly, although she sensed the intentions may not have been appropriate. Thus, it is important for individuals to understand their rights before entering interviewing situations.

The following personal information is protected and should not be discussed as part of an interview:
Age
Race/Color/Ethnicity
Sex
Religion
National Origin/Birthplace
Disability
Marital/Family Status

One important thing to recognize about illegal interview questions is that they often occur out of ignorance, rather than malicious prejudice. Often questions have innocent intentions. The following examples are from collegegrad.com

http://www.collegegrad.com/ezine/23illega.shtml

Questions related to location of birthplace, nationality, ancestry, or descent of applicant, applicant's spouse, or parents.
Example: Pasquale--Is that a Spanish name?
Questions related to your sex or marital status.
Example: Is that your maiden name?
Questions related to race or color.
Example: Are you considered to be part of a minority group?
Questions related to religion or religious days observed.
Example: Does your religion prevent you from working weekends or holidays?
Questions related to physical disabilities or handicaps.
Example: Do you have any use of your legs at all?
Questions related to health or medical history.
Example: Do you have any pre-existing health conditions?
Questions related to pregnancy, birth control, and child care.
Example: Are you planning on having children?

Answering illegal questions is up to the judgment of the interviewee, especially as one determines how interested he/she still is in the position and the intent of the interviewer. Often, I recommend the strategy of bi-passing the illegal question's direct answer and answering the intent of the question.

Examples:

Q: Do you plan on having children soon?
A: "My personal life has little to do with my capacity to fulfill the requirements of this position."

Q: You look so young! How old are you?
A: "I assure you, my experience and education qualify me for this position."

For more information on how to appropriately handle illegal interview questions, see the article on monster.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview-practice/Questions-They-Shouldnt-Ask/home.aspx

Mock Interviews

I have conducted approximately 15-20 mock interviews within the past week. I always find it interesting to see the different approaches people take to present themselves. I am often shocked by some individuals' lack of appropriate self-disclosure and lack of judgment. While I admire honesty, sometimes you wonder why people say things that completely discredit themselves.

Examples:
Q: Why should we hire you instead of our other options?
A: "I don't know."

If you do not know why you are qualified for a position, or even if you cannot vocalize why, stop wasting everyone's time! If you cannot believe and express why you should be hired, why should perfect strangers have confidence in you?

Q: Describe one of your greatest weaknesses.
A: "I am a perfectionist. . ."

Although this may not seem like a faux paux, it is terribly overdone and definitely not genuine! Sure, the philosophy seems to be, "Hey, who can blame me for being a perfectionist!" But when 80% of the people interviewed say this trait, I'll definitely hold it against you for lack of creativity and a lack of sincerity. Plus, I simply don't believe you--I have yet to find a workplace where 80% of the workers struggle to control their perfectionistic tendencies.

Q: Tell me about yourself.
A: "I am 21 years old and married. . .I am 55 years old. . . I am a single mom with 2 children at home. . ."

Your age and family status may be incredibly relevant to your personal identity. However, if the interviewer were to ask these question, it would be illegal. And there is a sound reason to that--unfortunately there are people who may make their decision not to hire you based on your age, marital status, whether you have children, race, etc. It seems like many of these questions are unfortunately more destructive to women, as some employers see married women as liabilities. After all, a women could get pregnant and quit or be uncommitted if there are children at home. As for older candidates, if the interview is face-to-face it will be no secret that you are older, but don't spell it out. Instead, focus on experience and if you have to, maturity. Same goes for younger candidates who may lack credibility depending on how young they really look.