At any point during the job search process
you may be confronted with pre-employment questions you are not required
to answer by law. Although rare, it is possible that during an interview
you will be asked questions that can be classified as inappropriate.
Keep in mind that all questions should be job-related, specifically
in reference to how your qualifications relate to the job responsibilities.
Deciding how to respond to an illegal question is not easy and may
depend on a variety of factors. In all cases, try to respond positively
about your qualifications for the position!Most interviewers are professionals
and will not ask these types of questions. However, you should be
prepared to deal with them and you may want to inquire about the question's
relevance to the job.
Employers
may not ask questions about:
Age
How old are you? When were you born? When did you graduate from
high school/college?
Marital Status
Are you married? ... Do you intend to get married soon? Do you
have children? Are you a single parent? ... Do you have reliable
child care? ... Are you pregnant? Do you plan on having children
soon? ... Can you travel?
Religious Preference
What is your religious affiliation? ... What church/synagogue
etc. are you a member of ... What do you do on Sundays/Friday
nights? ... Is there any day of the week you are unable to work?
... Are you a member of any religious group?
Ethnic Origin
What country where you born in?... What's your nationality?
... Where are your parents from? ... What languages do your
parents speak?... Are you bilingual? What language do you speak
at home? ... What is your racial/ ethnic group?
Sexual Preference
What's your sexual orientation? ... Are you a member of any
gay/ lesbian groups?...Do you date members of the same or opposite
sex?
Disability
Do you have any disabilities?... What health problems do you
have? ... Have you ever been denied health insurance? ... Do
you take any prescription medication? ... Are you physically
fit?
Arrest Record
Have you ever been arrested? ... What kinds of law suits have
you been involved in? ... How many times were you arrested and
for what?
Affiliations
To what clubs or organizations do you belong?
Personal
What is your maiden name? ... How long have you lived at your
current address? ... How much do you weigh?...Would you submit
a photograph?... Do you own a car, home,etc...? What is your
credit history? These are by no means all the questions you
may encounter, but should give you a good idea of what might
be considered discriminatory.
Some suggestions for handling
illegal interview questions are:
Ask about the relationship of the information
to the job, such questions are illegal, or
Answer the question to avoid offending the interviewer
and hurting your chances of being hired.
