According to a survey by Career Builder, 1 in 5 recruiters had asked an illegal question in an interview. A third were unsure whether some questions were legal or not.
There are some things that you might be curious about, but should never ask. Here are 10.
1. “So, have you ever been arrested?”
Being convicted of a crime and being arrested are different. You can ask if they have a criminal record. Arrests are a no go area.
2. “Are you married?”
Here, it looks like you want to know the candidate’s future family plans or his or her sexual orientation (irrelevant).
3. “Do you have kids or are you thinking about having kids?”
At best, this looks like another roundabout way of asking if the candidate is committed. It seems discriminatory and is likely to make everyone in the room feel uncomfortable, even you.
4. “Who looks after your kids while you’re working?”
If the candidate has let on that they have kids – or you asked even though we said you shouldn’t – don’t follow up by asking how they’ll look after them.
If you want to know if they are available during normal hours or if they can work overtime, ask directly.
5. “How old are you!?”
Illegal. Through and through. Asking this suggests that you will discriminate against certain ages, which is not allowed.
6. “When did you graduate?”
Still hooked on that age thing? You’re not allowed to ask, or dig.
7. “Do you drink or smoke?”
Regardless of whether your staff enjoys long nights of smoking and drinking into the early hours, or you have a strict no-smoking policy, asking your candidate about his or her habits is not relevant.
8. “Where do you live and how long does it take you to get here?”
Where someone lives should not affect your decision to employ them. It’s irrelevant how long the commute is, as long as the candidate is willing to do it.
9. “How many sick days did you take during your last position?”
You must not inquire about a candidate’s health during an interview. If there are gaps in a resume, ask the candidate to fill you in.
10. “What country are you from?”
Nationality should not give a candidate a better or worse chance of success in an interview. If you ask, therefore, this is likely to be seen as discriminatory.
For advice on how to get through the interview process, to streamline things so that you only get the very best candidates, or to hand it over completely, get in touch with us at (800) 828-0240 or email us at info@hragent.com.