| |
| |
|
WebsiteAlways |
|
Illegal Interview Questions -- Be Prepared
I'll quickly cover the following: A) Why Employer Ask Illegal Interview Questions. B) Examples of Illegal Interview Questions. C) Tips on How To Respond to Illegal Interview Questions. ****** U.S. law prohibits certain types of questions and you are by no means required or obligated to answer these questions. These questions are prohibited for a reason: to keep employers from unfairly trying to weed you out as a possible employee. A) WHY EMPLOYERS ASK ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. The interview is where you get your chance to sell yourself directly to the employer. During the interview the employer is obviously trying to learn more about you and how you may or may not fit in the company. The main reason why an employer might purposely slip in some illegal questions is basically to try and get information to keep you from getting a job. Most illegal questions revolve around personal information and asking them is usually not related to the job and is often discriminatory in nature. Another reason some employers ask illegal questions is because they just don't know any better. Many interviewers are not trained at all and simply don't know what is legal versus illegal. Please keep this in mind, it may just be a poorly trained, inexperienced or just curious interviewer and not meant to be harmful or discriminatory at all. B) EXAMPLES OF ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. Illegal questions generally fall into 4 categories: 1. Disabilities & Physical Skills 2. Personal Background 3. Race, Creed, or Color 4. Family & Relationship Items 10 Sample Illegal Questions: 1. How tall are you? 2. Are you a US Citizen? 3. How old are you? 4. Are you really a man? 5. Are you Chinese or Japanese? 6. What religion are you? 7. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? 8. Have you ever been arrested? 9. Are you married? 10. How many children do you have? C) TIPS ON HOW TO RESPOND TO ILLEGAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. First and foremost, avoid reacting in a hostile fashion - remember that you can always decide later to decline the job offer. Your goal during the interview is to try and get the job offer. Response 1: Go ahead and answer the question. If you don't feel uncomfortable and you think your answer is in your favor, why worry? Go ahead and answer the question and make no mention that you think its improper or illegal. Just remember that you run the risk of harming your candidacy if you give an answer not favorable to what the interviewer has in mind. Response 2: Refuse to answer the question. You are within your rights but in a delicate and sensitive area with regards to the potential job offer. You can say politely that you don't feel comfortable answering the question and ask to move on. You may even want to mention to the interviewer that the question is illegal and doesn't pertain to the job. The key here is to be as tactful as possible. But keep in mind, you may come across as confrontational or not a "team player" in the eyes of the interviewer. Generally speaking, its better not to confront or debate the interviewer about the legality of a question. But if you have any uncertainty about the questions, you should be alert to any pattern of discrimination?especially if you notice several illegal questions. Try and remember the questions and speak the employer's HR director and get answers to what may have happened. Sincerely, Nathan Newberger, Managing Editor http://www.WorkTree.com "Helping You Find More Jobs Faster" Nathan Newberger is the job and career expert at http://www.WorkTree.com. WorkTree.com is the largest job search portal in the world and has been online since 1999. Nathan has over 10 years experience as a both a recruiter and career counselor.
MORE RESOURCES:
Careers-Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Do Your Very Best in All Things -- Because Someone Is Looking.... Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more than is expected. Just a Series of Choices Steve's a pretty regular guy - wife, 4 kids in their blended family, 12+ years of engineering experience, a degree, mortgage, car payments, some debt? and feeling depressed because he waited to look till the end. Last time he transitioned was 5 years ago for more money and he liked some of the people and it was simple?this time he's heard some in his professional association have been looking for almost a year. Avoid Your CV Always Ending Up in the Bin Cover Letters must grab the reader's interest so that they immediately want to learn more about the writer (you).Your cover letter is generally the first document those potential employers will read. Book Summary: How to Work with Just About Anyone This article is based on the following book:How to Work with Just About Anyone"A Three-step Solution For Getting Difficult People To Change"By Lucy GillPublished by Fireside/ Simon and Schuster 1999ISBN 0-684-85527-5206 pages"I just can't seem to get along with this person!"Every office has that one difficult person to work with, who affects productivity due to a terrible attitude, chronic tardiness, or simply drives everyone else up the wall. Here is the answer to common problems in conflict management. Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You? PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller. Travel Light to Work As a frequent traveler, my goal for each trip is to travel light. Despite thoughtful planning, sometimes that goal is shattered when I go to close the suitcase and realize I need a larger, or even second one. So you want to work at home There are several ways to work from home. Some of the more popular ways are affiliate programs, direct marketing and starting your own business. Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light. The Interview - A Few Tips for Making a Great First Impression Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of writing a résumé, networking in your industry, and applying for jobs can leave anyone shaking in their tracks. So Youre Thinking of Changing Careers "You don't have to take life the way it comes to you. By converting your dreams into goals, and your goals into plans, you can design your life to come to you the way you want it. 10 Ways to Speed-Up Your Job Search Effort Today everyone knows at least one person who has lost their job to down-sizing, right-sizing, cut-backs, production reduction or a mean, vicious "bogus leader" who could care less about your family, your life or your existence at the company. This may sound a bit overboard, but everyone has probably experienced the manager, supervisor or company leader from hell, and if you haven't just stick around. A Killer Secret To Get Your Cover Letter Read You're still reading-so I know my title grabbed your attention.Why? Because it 'packed a punch. Are You Making These Common Job Interview Mistakes? Going to an interview without a plan of action is like going out on a football field without a game plan. Total disaster! Suppose I were to ask you right now. Powerful Phone Interviews Phone interviews are de rigueur with many organizations.Companies conduct phone interviews for a number of reasons. Dont Be Defeated - Be Empowered Taking a job out of fear and desperation will never satisfy you for very long, nor will it last all that long either, and before you know it your back to square one. As I said; a job is nothing more than "just over broke", and who wants to live like that!I realize how desperate situations in life can be; I lived that existance for many years, fighting and struggling just to make ends meet, if I was lucky. The Quickly Changing Landscape Of The Job Market Does it seem that with every passing year it's getting harder and harder to find good paying jobs? If you think so, you're not alone in your thoughts. In fact, this is a common complaint that many people have and it is even worse for those that do not have a college education. Four Job Interview Mistakes That Can Torpedo Your Chances of Success What are the worst mistakes job hunters make? It turns out there are four big ones. These four mistakes turn up repeatedly when executives responsible for hiring talk about the reasons why someone didn't get a job offer. Is it a Scam? I wanted to quit my job. So I decided to make my fortune online. Ten Things About Your Career Development There are some tactics you can action whatever you wish for from your career. Whatever you might think right now, you have all the tools you need for a career which give you joy and fulfilment. Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments, we spend a significant part of our effort preparing both the candidate and the client employer for prospective interviews. Preparing each side to meet and interact removes much of the predisposed tension that is inherent to the interview process on both sides.
|
| Interesting articles | Home | site map | Link |
| © 2006 |