Illegal Questions To Ask In An Interview – Illegal interview questions shouldn’t come up, but if they do, you should be prepared. Learn how to manage them in this guide.
If you’re in a job interview and you’re asked a question that makes you so uncomfortable that you’re not sure if it’s legit… it probably isn’t.
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Illegal Questions To Ask In An Interview
There are a number of illegal questions that recruiters may not ask you. The sooner you identify them, the better you will learn how to deal with them or avoid them.
What Is Legal — And Illegal — To Ask During A Job Interview?
Illegal job questions are questions that have nothing to do with your skills and ability to do the job. They usually concern your privacy and refer to confidential personal information.
If the topic does not relate to your ability to perform in a particular position, and the potential employer does not need to know this information, then this question is illegal.
Likewise, if you believe that your answer to a particular question could be grounds for discrimination, that question is illegal.
The US EEOC details the illegal questions companies can’t ask. A number of laws and regulations prevent age discrimination in the employment process, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, and sex. Finally, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination. Also, check your state’s laws, as laws may vary from state to state.
Common Illegal Interview Questions
As you can see, there are many laws and regulations that protect you as a job seeker. It’s important to be informed and protect your rights and privacy during a job interview. Make it part of your regular interview preparation.
These questions directly ask about the candidate’s race, color, or national origin and may be discriminatory. These topics are not about a person’s experience, skills, and ability to perform the role successfully. Please note that as an applicant you must have legal documents.
Questions recruiters and hiring managers may ask you. They are not as direct as the illegal questions listed above, but they reveal the same thing.
✅ Tip: If recruiters don’t ask you these questions, don’t ask them yourself. They can contribute to unconscious bias, meaning that a recruiter may unconsciously discriminate against you based on what you say.
Handling Illegal Interview Questions: What Job Seekers Need To Know
If you have received any of the following questions, there is a possibility that religious organizations or people belonging to certain religions discriminate against you based on your religion (or, equally wrongly, give you an advantage over others).
Although it may seem unrelated to the questions above, your answer to this question may give recruiters some clues about your religious practices. It is legitimate to ask this question because the position may require weekend work. In addition, more attention should be paid to the position and how the work is organized, and not to you as a person.
Be aware, however, that if you are interviewing for a religious institution, such as a paid position at a church or religious school, questions from an illegal pool may be considered legitimate.
In rare cases, recruiters may ask these questions if they are related to job qualifications. In such cases it is considered legal. This is called a bona fide professional qualification (BFOQ).
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If you are over 40, you are protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as people over this age have a harder time finding work.
For many positions, you are legally required to be over 18 years of age to fill them. In such cases, this question is legitimate.
✅ If you are a minor, you may hear these questions regularly and this is normal and legal. There are many types of businesses where people between the ages of 14 and 18 are allowed to work – but each business has different age requirements. For example, you can work in some grocery stores if you are at least 14 years old, but you may need to be at least 16 for a coffee shop.
Also, if you are under 18, you are only allowed to work for a limited amount of time. If you don’t tell your employer that you’re a minor, you can both get into trouble.
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On the other hand, a potential employer has the right to make sure that you can do the job properly. Therefore, it is legitimate for them to ask you the following question.
This question asks about your skills, abilities, and knowledge to perform the duties of a particular job. But it also sees additional information, such as “can you lift 50 pounds” or “can you work weekends,” without recruiters asking directly? can show.
In general, recruiters are advised not to ask about your political views, as in most cases they won’t interfere with how you do your job.
✅ Tip: If you’re applying for a job with a political organization or a position related to the practice of law, you’ll be asked about your political views. But even in such cases, it is recommended to consult a lawyer to make sure that you can talk about these topics (and to what extent).
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In these cases, asking the above questions may be legitimate because your answers will tell recruiters that they align with the organization’s values.
However, it is legal to ask the following questions, which are indirectly related to your family situation but may tell the recruiters what they need to know.
Your appearance has nothing to do with your skills and ability to do the job. If these factors are not related to the position, questions about them are illegal.
If your height and weight are related and necessary for the position (for example, if you are a model), then it is legal to ask these questions.
Common Yet Tricky Interview Questions And How To Answer Them
Remember the “exemplary” employees of Abercrombie and Hollister? Not exactly legal. In case you’re wondering, Abercrombie’s appearance policy has failed.
Although it’s not illegal to ask them, questions about military service and discharge are generally discouraged in a job interview. EEO laws do not prohibit recruiters from asking about your military discharge, but it is considered personal information.
In rare cases, such as when the position requires you to obtain a security clearance, you can expect these questions and they are considered legitimate.
These types of questions are part of the background checks that many recruiters do during the hiring process. While it is legal to verify information, it is illegal to use the information obtained to discriminate against groups of people or individuals based on age, religion, medical conditions, and the like.
Don’t Ask Illegal Interview Questions
Any unprofessional organization you are a part of is not the business of the prospective company. So they should not ask about them. If they do, they’re probably trying to get information about religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, and the like.
On the other hand, recruiters and potential employers have the right to ask about your membership in professional organizations related to your experience.
Hearing any of these questions should raise red flags. If you want to cancel the interview, you can do so. And there are three reasons to reject a job offer:
As we mentioned earlier, the questions aren’t about your experience, skills, or past performance, and they don’t reveal anything that should be important to a potential employer.
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It is important to assess the importance of the question so that you know when to ignore the question (which can make you appear arrogant or defensive), politely change the subject (the recommended approach), or answer it (sometimes the correct (may jeopardize your chances of a direct response) you should know. get this job).
✅ For example, if a recruiter asks if you have children, show a framed picture and say, “Well, he looks like you. Is your son in the picture?”
Or change the subject to something like, “I know this is a family-friendly job, but I’m interested in the day-to-day duties of this position–it fits my experience and skills. Can you elaborate on that?”
Sometimes diplomatic answers like this are enough – the recruiter takes the hint and drops the question. Plus, you avoid saying things like, “I don’t want to talk about it,” or “It’s illegal to ask.”
The 10 Worst Job Interview Questions + How To Tackle Them
If you believe that you have been asked discriminatory or illegal questions and you have been judged based on the answers given, you can report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
In this case, you should document the incident, familiarize yourself with anti-discrimination laws and contact the appropriate authority responsible for handling complaints of discrimination in the workplace (this is the human resources department of the prospective company, the opportunity commission, the department of the equal employment agency may be). , or local labor council). They can advise you on further steps to resolve the issue.
Want to report an incident but feel bad? Make sure you are doing the right thing. By reporting an incident, you protect your rights but also contribute to an equal, non-biased interview process and inclusive employment practices for their prospective employees.
If you feel like an organization or
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