ࡱ > X Z W '` -Q bjbj{P{P .X : : , X ` ` ` 8 $ 4 $ h 4# j Kg ` 0 # | # # v T D ^ Who makes the rules for interview questions?
No single federal, state, or local agency or court defines for all cases which interview questions are legal or illegal. Instead, a plethora of court rulings, legislative decisions, agency regulations, and constitutional laws combine to produce the often confusing and frequently changing list of what you can and cant ask a job applicant.
How to answer difficult questions
Following are our suggestions for some of the more difficult areas in which the employer must exercise caution when asking questions-and you must be equally careful in how or if you answer.
Your Turn
Have you or someone you know faced illegal interview questions? How did you respond? If you faced the experience again, would you respond in the same way? If you have no such experience with or knowledge of illegal interview questions, discuss how you would handle such questions if they occur in a future interview.
Marital Circumstances
Courts have ruled that its none of the companys business how many children an applicant has; whether he or she is married, single, divorced, or engaged; whether the applicant has plans to become pregnant at any time in the future; how the applicants spouse or partner feels about overnight travel; or what plans the applicant has made for child care during the workday.
Managers stumble into trouble in this area when making small talk, especially of a disclosing or sharing nature with the candidate. Manager: My wife and I have lived here for about 10 years. We l o v e i t - e s p e c i a l l y t h e s c h o o l s y s t e m . D o y o u h a v e k i d s ? I n n o c e n t ? O f c o u r s e . B u t i f R e l a t i o n s t u r n l i t i g i o u s , t h e m a n a g e r w i l l h a v e t o a d m i t i n c o u r t t h e h e i n q u i r e d a b o u t c h i l d r e n a s p a r t o f t h e s e l e c t i o n i n t e r v i e w .
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% D o y o u a n t i c i p a t e a n y a b s e n c e s f r o m w o r k o n a r e g u l a r b a s i s ? I f s o , p l e a s e e x p l a i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s .
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I f y o u a r e a s k e d a n i l l e g a l q u e s t i o n i n t h i s area, you can give a general response, said graciously: I would prefer to stick to job-related questions. Or you can be more pointed: Are children a requirement for this position? And, of course, you can always decide simply to play along, but as a minimally as possible: Yes, we have one child. Shall we talk about your requirements for this position?
Age
To prevent age discrimination in hiring, courts have disallowed these sorts of questions: How old are you? In what year were you born? When did you graduate from high school? and so forth. You do have the right to ask whether the applicant meet legal age requirements for work in your city or state.
Managers stray into trouble here when they talk about the average age of their workforce in relation to the candidate: Our typical employee is probably 8 to 10 years older than you. Do you anticipate problems managing people older than yourself? You can imagine the later court scene. Manager: But Your Honor, I never asked her age! Candidate/Plain t i f f : M y a g e s e e m e d t o b e o n e o f h i s k e y c o n c e r n s a b o u t m y a b i l i t y t o m a n a g e . V e r d i c t g o e s t o t h e p l a i n t i f f , w i t h b a c k p a y , d a m a g e s , a n d c o u r t c o s t s .
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% D o y o u m e e t t h e m i n i m u m a g e r e q u i r e m e n t s s e t b y l a w i n o u r l a w a r e a ? I f h i r e d , c a n y o u p r o d u c e o f y o u r a g e ?
% I f y o u a r e a m i n o r , c a n y o u p r o v i d e p r o o f o f a g e i n t h e f o r m o f a w o r k p e r m i t o r c e r t i f i c a t e o f a g e ?
W h a t t o D o
I f a s k e d a n i l l e g a l q u e s t i o n h a v i n g t o d o w i t h y o u r a g e , y o u c a n r e s p o n d w i t h a s m i l e : A g e h a s n e v e r b e e n a consideration for me in my work life. Or you can turn the knife a bit: Is my age being considered as part of my application? And, of course, you can simply answer, if you wish: Im 27, but my age hasnt been a consideration in past jobs.
Disabilities
Companies are forbidden by law from asking an applicant if he or she has mental disabilities. Nor can they inquire about the nature or severity of disabilities, no matter how apparent they may seem in the hiring process. Any physical or mental requirements a company establishes as a prerequisite for hiring must be based on business necessity and the safe performance of the job.
Managers are misled here by their best intentions: We have many people with disabilities working for us and we support their needs in every way possible. For example, we could overcome the problem you have with your hands by giving you an automated speech recognition word processor. If the candidate with disabilities does not get the job, the managers assumptions about the c a n d i d a t e s t y p i n g a b i l i t i e s c o u l d c o m e b a c k t o h a u n t i n a n e x p e n s i v e w a y .
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% Y o u a r e i n v i t e d , n o t r e q u i r e d , t o i n d i c a t e w h e t h e r a n d t o w h a t e x t e n t y o u m a y h a v e p h y s i c a l o r m e n t a l d i s a b i l i t i e s . W e w a n t y o u t o k n o w i n a d v a n c e , h o w e v e r, that any information you disclose is voluntary. This information is sought only to remedy discrimination and provide opportunities for people with disabilities. All information you disclose will be kept confidential. If you choose not to provide information, that choice in no way affect your chances for being hired.
% W i l l y o u b e a b l e t o c a r r y o u t i n a s a f e m a n n e r a l l j o b a s s i g n m e n t s n e c e s s a r y f o r t h i s p o s i t i o n ?
W h a t t o D o
I f y o u a r e a s k e d a n i l l e g a l q u e s t i o n h a v i n g t o d o w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s , y o u c a n r e f e r t h e i n t e r v i e w e r t o A m e r i c a n s w i t h D i s a b i l i t i e s A c t ( A D A ) g u i d elines: I believe that under current ADA law you cant make this issue a part of the hiring process. Or you can take the edge off a bit with a general answer: I know of nothing that will prevent me from fulfilling the job requirements of this position.
Sex and Physical Appearance
An employer cannot ask question about the persons gender unless the job specifications strictly require either a male or female. The burden of proof is on the employer to demonstrate that only a man or a woman can do the job. Employers should be aware: Courts and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have interpreted very narrowly the notion that only one gender can perform a particular job. In addition, employers should avoid questions about the persons physical appearance, including height, weight, grooming, and dress, unless these bear clearly upon job requirements.
Again, a managers small talk in the job interview is the unhappy hunting ground for mistake in this area of questioning. Manager to a woman applicant: We h a v e a f i t n e s s f a c i l i t y h e r e a t t h e p l a n t . B u t y o u s e e m t o b e p r e t t y a l r e a d y . O o p s .
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% W e w a n t y o u t o k n o w t h a t b o t h m e n a n d w o m e n a r e b e i n g c o n s i d e r e d e q u a l f o r t h i s p o s i t i o n . A s y o u u n d e r s t a n d t h e j o b r e q u i r e m e n t s , a r e y o u a w a r e of any circumstances or conditions that may prevent you from successfully performing this job?
What to Do
If quizzed about matters of gender or physical appearance, you can respond in a general way: Im fully prepared to take on these job responsibilities, and I dont think gender or appearance plays a role. Or you can return the question with a question: Are gender or appearance being considered as part of this hiring process? These responses need not be said in a snarlish way (through the interviewer may well deserve your ager0. You can preserve your chances for the job by handling the questions professionally.
Citizenship and National Origin
A company cannot legally inquire into the applicants place of birth, ancestry, native language, spouses or parents birthplace, or residence. Nor can an employer ask directly, Are you a U.S. citizen? or Do you have naturalization papers? Prior to the decision to hire, these questions may tend to reveal racial or ethnic factors that may bias the employer. Companies should request names of persons to notify in case of an emergency rather than specifying relatives. Employers should not require that the applicants photograph be submitted prior to the hiring decision.
Managers often misstep into this pitfall when inquiring about a candidates second language capability. Manager: You say on your resume that you speak Spanish fluently. Did you grow up in Mexico? A persons land of birth cannot be grounds for a hiring decision. Clearly, this questions strays i n t o l e g a l l y h a z a r d o u s a r e a s .
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% D o y o u h a v e l a n g u a g e a b i l i t i e s o t h e r t h a n E n g l i s h t h a t m a y b e u s e f u l i n p e r f o r m i n g t h i s j o b s u c c e s s f u l l y ?
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I f a s k e d a b o u t y o u r n a t i o n a l o r i g i n , y o u c a n a n s w e r M y f a m i l y h i s t o r y a n d h e r i t a g e a r e g e t t i n g u s o f f t h e t o p i c , d o n t y o u t h i n k ? I w o u l d r a t h e r t a lk about job requirements. Or you can be more direct: I assume that where my parents came from isnt one of the requirements for this job.
A SAMPLER OF ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever changed your name? (potential discrimination based on marital status or national origin)
2. Are you married, single, or divorced? How many children so have? Are you pregnant? Do you plan to become pregnant? (potential discrimination based on sex or marital status)
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4. Do you have any disabilities? (An employer can inquire about physical or mental disabilities that would prevent the applicant from safely or successfully performing specific job duties. The danger in this question is potential discrimination on the basis disability.)
5. How tall are you? How much do you weigh? (potential discrimination based on non-job related categories)
6. Do you own your own home? With whom do you live? (potential discrimination based on sex, marital status, or economic circumstances unrelated to job requirements)
7. What is your spouses (partners) occupation? (potential discrimination based on sex, marital status, or socioeconomic status unrelated to job requirements)
8. What kind of credit rating do you have? (potential discrimination based on sex, marital status, or socioeconomic status unrelated to job requirements)
9. Where were you born? What is the birthplace of your nearest relative/father/mother/spouse and so on? (potential discrimination based on national origin)
10. Have you been arrested? (The employer may ask about convictions related to specific job requirements.) (potential discrimination based on non-job related requirements)
11. List the names of relatives to be notified in case of emergency. (It is more appropriate for an employer to ask for the names of persons.) (potential discrimination based on national origin)
12. List all organizations to which you belong. (The employer may inquire about membership in job-related professional organizations.) (potential discrimination based on non-job related requirements)
13. State your religious preference. (potential discrimination based on religion)
14. What type of military discharge do you have? (The employer may inquire about military service relevant to job duties.) (potential discrimination based on non-job related requirements)
Note: Because laws affecting selection interviewing change frequently at all levels of jurisdiction in various locales, we recommend that you review the legality of potential interview area and questions from time to time with a knowledgeable human resources professional or attorney.
Career Planning/ interview Planning
Nadine Wade-Gravett Page PAGE 1
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