Illegal interview Questions

Did you know that there are some questions that interviewers can’t ask you on your job interview!

It’s hard enough facing an interview in usual circumstances, but if you’re also confronted with  illegal questions it makes it even more difficult.  In large companies it is Human Resources who deal with the recruitment process, in which case they should know better.  In smaller companies it might be the manager that conducts the interview and this is usually when illegal jobs might creep in.  You are well within your right to refuse to answer, and if you do decide to answer, your response could be used against you.

You may think it’s just harmless information when you fill in a job application form and it asks for your date of birth, but did you know that you have a right to leave this blank?  It is also not necessary for you to declare your marital status, how many children you have, your nationality or your religious background.

Here are some examples of illegal questions which you might be asked but you can choose not to answer:

– How’s your health? Have you had any major illness in the past year?

– Do you intend to start a family soon?

– Where were you born? How long have you lived here?

– Do you attend church?

– Do you observe any religious holidays?

– What social organizations do you belong to?

– What was your first language spoken at home?

– When do you expect to retire?

If you decide not to anwer a question, make sure you don’t do it in an aggressive or defensive manner. Be polite about it.  You could tactfully avoid answering by saying something like, “I’ve never been asked that before. Does this have any bearing on the job?”

You can of course answer any questions that you feel you want to, but keep your answer short and to the point. If you explain yourself too much you may say something which would jeopordize your chances of getting the job.

Whether you chose to give an answer to an inappropriate question or not, remember you are trying to sell yourself to get the job role.  Use your response to emphasize your ability to deal with difficult situations, your willingness to offer information and turn a possible negative into an advantage.

If you refuse to answer, or you do answer and the response is negative, it might be that you don’t get the job, but lets face it, you probably wouldn’t want to work for a company who discriminates in that way anyway.