Hiring new employees for your organization requires a great deal of work and time. Interviewing candidates, although a time-consuming task, is an essential component to the hiring process. When conducting interviews; however, it’s important to avoid asking any illegal or discriminatory questions.
Here are some questions to avoid.
Although it is unlikely you would deliberately ask any potentially illegal or discriminatory questions, knowing and understanding which questions to avoid can prevent you from unknowingly placing yourself, and your business, in jeopardy.
Following are three questions you should never ask in an interview:
1. Where were you born?
You may just be trying to make conversation, but asking a candidate where he or she was born it can also be considered a means to gather information about a candidate’s national origin. Similarly, while you can ask if a candidate is authorized to work in the U.S., you cannot ask if a candidate is a United States citizen.
2. How old are you?
This is another question that can sometimes come up as part of a casual conversation, but it is to be avoided entirely during a job interview. In the past, some employers have avoided hiring employees of a certain age – and this is illegal. And don’t be tempted to go around the law by asking when a candidate graduated from school – any question directly related to age is off limits.
3. Are you married, or do you have children?
Marital and parental statuses are completely off limits during an interview. A candidate may willingly bring up this information during an interview, but it cannot be used as a basis of consideration for employment, and it should be avoided completely by interviewers.
Does your organization have time to interview candidates?
At Peoplelink Staffing, our talented recruiters are experts at interviewing potential candidates, and finding a perfect match for your needs.
