| This topic will keep you alert of illegal job interview | | | | 1. How tall are you? |
| questions and strategies on how to best deal with | | | | 2. Are you a US Citizen? |
| them if they do arise. This information can help you | | | | 3. How old are you? |
| when you are interviewing for a position and also | | | | 4. Are you really a man? |
| when you conduct interviews yourself. | | | | 5. Are you Chinese or Japanese? |
| I’ll quickly cover the following: | | | | 6. What religion are you? |
| A) Why Employer Ask Illegal Interview Questions. | | | | 7. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? |
| B) Examples of Illegal Interview Questions. | | | | 8. Have you ever been arrested? |
| C) Tips on How To Respond to Illegal Interview | | | | 9. Are you married? |
| Questions. | | | | 10. How many children do you have? |
| FACT | | | | C) TIPS ON HOW TO RESPOND TO ILLEGAL |
| U.S. law prohibits certain types of questions and you | | | | INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. |
| are by no means required or obligated to answer | | | | First and foremost, avoid reacting in a hostile fashion |
| these questions. These questions are prohibited for a | | | | — remember that you can always decide later |
| reason: to keep employers from unfairly trying to | | | | to decline the job offer. Your goal during the interview |
| weed you out as a possible employee. | | | | is to try and get the job offer. |
| A) WHY EMPLOYERS ASK ILLEGAL INTERVIEW | | | | Response 1: |
| QUESTIONS. | | | | Go ahead and answer the question. If you don’t |
| The interview is where you get your chance to sell | | | | feel uncomfortable and you think your answer is in |
| yourself directly to the employer. During the interview | | | | your favor, why worry? Go ahead and answer the |
| the employer is obviously trying to learn more about | | | | question and make no mention that you think its |
| you and how you may or may not fit in the company. | | | | improper or illegal. Just remember that you run the risk |
| The main reason why an employer might purposely | | | | of harming your candidacy if you give an answer not |
| slip in some illegal questions is basically to try and get | | | | favorable to what the interviewer has in mind. |
| information to keep you from getting a job. Most illegal | | | | Response 2: |
| questions revolve around personal information and | | | | Refuse to answer the question. You are within your |
| asking them is usually not related to the job and is | | | | rights but in a delicate and sensitive area with regards |
| often discriminatory in nature. | | | | to the potential job offer. You can say politely that you |
| Another reason some employers ask illegal questions | | | | don’t feel comfortable answering the question |
| is because they just don’t know any better. | | | | and ask to move on. You may even want to mention |
| Many interviewers are not trained at all and simply | | | | to the interviewer that the question is illegal and |
| don’t know what is legal versus illegal. Please | | | | doesn’t pertain to the job. The key here is to be |
| keep this in mind, it may just be a poorly trained, | | | | as tactful as possible. But keep in mind, you may come |
| inexperienced or just curious interviewer and not | | | | across as confrontational or not a team player |
| meant to be harmful or discriminatory at all. | | | | in the eyes of the interviewer. |
| B) EXAMPLES OF ILLEGAL INTERVIEW | | | | Generally speaking, its better not to confront or debate |
| QUESTIONS. | | | | the interviewer about the legality of a question. But if |
| Illegal questions generally fall into 4 categories: | | | | you have any uncertainty about the questions, you |
| 1. Disabilities & Physical Skills | | | | should be alert to any pattern of |
| 2. Personal Background | | | | discrimination
especially if you notice several illegal |
| 3. Race, Creed, or Color | | | | questions. Try and remember the questions and speak |
| 4. Family & Relationship Items | | | | the employer’s HR director and get answers to |
| 10 Sample Illegal Questions: | | | | what may have happened. |