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Who has not felt nervous during an interview? Sometimes an applicant can become so anxious about giving the right answer that he does not realise that he is being asked the wrong question.
Illegal interview questions are queries that a person may refuse to answer as they violate his rights as an applicant. In fact, in the United States, some states allow a person to sue an interviewer for asking such questions.
But with jobs scarce to come by on the local market, it may be more prudent to think of how best to answer brash questions than to reject them outright. It may be that these “unethical” questions are being asked to determine if an applicant meets specific requirements for the position.
Illegal questions?
The following are some questions that the employer need not ask but may do so occasionally:
Questions about one’s origins. These may include citizenship issues. They may be applicable if the position will require travel to different areas. The interviewer may be interested to know if you can speak a particular dialect.
Questions concerning one’s marital/family status or relationships. These include those about your civil status - if you are married with children, or are a single parent, or have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Normally, questions of this nature are intended to check out the applicant’s capacity to work long hours or do overtime work.
Questions concerning one’s personal attributes and background such as height, weight, likes, etc. Again, such queries need not be asked unless relevant. Some jobs obviously have special requirements, such as height for a basketball player. Or you may be asked your musical preferences if you are applying with an audio store.
Questions regarding one’s disabilities. As with personal questions, these may be asked with tact and only if necessary. Candidates for pilots, for instance, have to have 20/20 vision.
Questions regarding one’s social standing including any arrest record. This information need not be asked as it should already be included in the requirements requested.
Questions about one’s religious affiliation or beliefs. To discriminate against one’s religion is against the law and related questions should not be asked.
Questions concerning one’s age. Information on age should be available in your resume and need not be asked.
Focus on the real issue
If you are thrown such posers, you could opt to give them the benefit of the doubt: The employer may not be aware that they are inappropriate. According to HR manager Jig Blanco-Yan: “These interviewers might not be aware that they’re asking sensitive questions. Chances are, they want to hear something and sometimes, they get too carried away to notice the discomfort of the interviewees.”
Rather than telling the employer that you are not comfortable with the questions and that you feel they are irrelevant, try to determine first the intent of the interviewer, the purpose behind the question, then answer in relation to the responsibilities of the job.
For example, if you are queried about children, the interviewer may want to know if you can work long hours away from home if necessary. A good answer is to say that if there is a need to work extra hours, you would be available. Misty, an HR applicant, was once asked by an employer if she had a boyfriend, and she replied with an assurance that she was willing to do overtime work if needed. “I simply assumed that there was no malice or hidden motive behind the question. I didn’t want to react in a negative manner as I was really keen on getting that position.”
In some cases, an interviewer may ask this type of questioning believing it would put the interviewee at ease. Instead of starting the interview on a serious note, the interviewer may pose light and personal questions first to break the ice. Again, it is up to the jobseeker to phrase his or her answers in such a way as to show that he or she is a professional who will be an asset to the company if hired.
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