10 Questions an Employer Should Never Ask You on an Interview
In this day and age, securing a job can seem like such an arduous task. Wondering if you are qualified, will it be the “right fit”, how much is the compensation, does it have good health insurance, how many vacation/sick days do they offer, do the days carry over and if they offer a 401k, do they offer a match? You’re going through a mental obstacle course before you even place your name on the application.
Your mind has the chance to relax after you get a call back from their Human Resources Department. Then, the churning starts again; the interview. Now you have to figure out a whole new set of questions: what am I going to wear, how many people will be in the interview, what questions will they ask, will it be the old “where do you see yourself in five years?". Nervous but confident, you walk into the office and start the process. However, before you lay down your padfolio and take a seat at that table, you must know that you have rights. You, as an interviewee, are guaranteed the legal right not to answer discriminatory questions presented to you.
For years, employers have endured major lawsuits for participating in illegal attempts to weave out their job applicants through question selection. Target, one of America’s retail giants, was forced to pay $2.8 million dollars in 2015 to The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for violating the ADA’s (Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines. The EEOC found “reasonable cause to believe that three employment assessments formerly used by Target disproportionately screened out applicants for positions based on race and sex.”
In order to be empowered during a job interview, you have to know the questions employers can’t propose when conducting an interview. The seven areas to look for to know if the interview has turned discriminatory are: age, race, gender, birthplace, religion, disability, or marital/family status/ pregnancy.
You should never be asked the following 10 questions in an interview:
1. Have you ever been arrested?
2. Who would be able to care for your children while you are at work?
3. Are you a U.S. citizen? (or...Where are you from?)
4. Where did you live while you were growing up?
5. If you were to work for us, there would be a large difference between the age of you and your co-workers; would this be a problem for you?
6. What prescription drugs are you currently taking?
7. What are your plans if you get pregnant?
8. How old are you? (or...What year did you graduate?)
9. We’ve always had a (man/woman) do this job, how do you think you will perform knowing this history?
10. What is your religion? (or...What church do you go to?)
Disclaimer:
The materials available on this page are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you still have questions about your job interview process, it would be best for to contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship.
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