When it comes to job interviews, there are lots of questions that might make you squirm. However, they are perfectly acceptable for a hiring manager to ask. That said, there are actually questions that are asked often \u2013 yet are out of bounds and even illegal.<\/p>\r\n
For instance, an employer can ask questions related to your work history, skills, career experience, and why they should hire you<\/a>. What they cannot ask about are questions pertaining to your personal life, like whether you\u2019re married, have or want kids, or what religion you practice.<\/p>\r\n These include questions such as:<\/p>\r\n Asking anything related to your family, your spouse or partner, or your children is off the table. This is simply because your answer can bias the hiring manager, whether in a negative or positive way.<\/p>\r\n For instance, they might be concerned about hiring a candidate with three small children at home if they know that\u2019s your situation. On the other hand, if you\u2019re married with kids and so is the hiring manager, they might feel like they have more in common with you and could be more likely to offer you the job, as a result. Legally speaking, though, hiring managers can only ask questions directly related to the qualifications of the position.<\/p>\r\n One area they can ask that relates to both your personal and work life is about your personality traits<\/a>. This includes your leadership or work style and the types of environment you work best in. Asking questions related to soft skills and personality will help them to assess whether you\u2019re the right fit for the company\u2019s culture.<\/p>\r\n The only time an employer can ask questions related to these areas is when you are interviewing for a religious or political organization. Otherwise, questions such as \u201cDo you need time off for religious holidays?\u201d or \u201cDo you follow politics? What are your views?\u201d are off limits. These don\u2019t relate to the job, the company, or your ability to perform the role, and can even lead to discrimination.<\/p>\r\n The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 is designed to protect job seekers over the age of 40 and limits the age-related questions that can be asked during the interview. Some that are illegal include:<\/p>\r\n The only time an employer needs to know your age is to ensure you\u2019re old enough to legally work, such as in an environment that serves alcohol. Instead of asking your age or birth year, they can ask something like: \u201cAre you legally old enough to work for our company?\u201d<\/p>\r\n For most companies, asking about citizenship and nationality are also off limits, as long as the candidate has the proper paperwork in place. Some forms of out-of-bound questions include:<\/p>\r\n Employers can, however, ask questions such as \u201cAre you legally allowed to work in the U.S.?\u201d or \u201cCan you speak, read, and write English proficiently?\u201d Another question you can be asked, legally, is: \u201cIf we hire you, can you provide proof of citizenship?\u201d<\/p>\r\n An employer can\u2019t come right out and ask about your health or any physical disabilities. In fact, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) says it\u2019s illegal to discriminate against an applicant or employee with a disability. What they can ask, instead, is whether you are \u201cable to perform the duties of the position you are applying for.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Other related questions that are not allowed include:<\/p>\r\n Questions about gender should be avoided altogether since they don\u2019t have any bearing on job performance. So, if you\u2019re asked a question like, \u201cshould I address you as \u2018Ms.\u2019 or \u2018Mrs.,\u2019\u201d it\u2019s actually illegal. Also, questions like \u201cAre you comfortable working for a boss who is female?\u201d are likewise prohibited.<\/p>\r\n This can be a gray area and depends on the state you live in to determine whether it\u2019s legal or not to ask. However, if you\u2019re applying to a position with a law enforcement agency, for instance, then inquiring about a criminal background is legal and expected. Likewise, if you\u2019re applying for a position where you\u2019ll be handling money or overseeing children, finding out about your background does, in fact, relate to the position and is allowed.<\/p>\r\n In some cases, credit records can be screened in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970 and the Consumer Credit Reporting Reform Act of 1996. However, an employer cannot ask you questions, such as \u201cDo you own a home?\u201d or \u201cHave you ever declared bankruptcy?\u201d<\/p>\r\n There are many questions that are off limits and that you can decline to answer. However, for those questions hiring managers can ask \u2013 ones that can be difficult to know how to answer \u2013 it\u2019s important to prepare<\/a>. This way, your responses are thoughtful and impactful.<\/p>\r\n If you\u2019d like help getting ready for your next interview, turn to ResumeSpice. We know what hiring managers are looking for in responses and can help you improve your interview game, so you stand out and get the offer. Simply call 832.930.7378<\/a> or contact us<\/a> online to get started.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When it comes to job interviews, there are lots of questions that might make you squirm. However, they are perfectly acceptable for a hiring manager to ask. That said, there are actually questions that are asked often \u2013 yet are out of bounds and even illegal. For instance, an employer can ask questions related to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1900,"featured_media":51451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[755],"tags":[759,474,36],"class_list":["post-33121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-candidates","tag-illegal-job-interview-questions","tag-interview-prep","tag-interview-tips"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tTo help ensure everything you\u2019re asked is above board \u2013 so you know what to answer and what you can politely decline \u2013 here are some illegal job interview questions to be aware of.<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n
Questions Related to Family or Home Life <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Questions Related to Politics or Religion <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Questions Related to Age <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Questions Related to Citizenship or Nationality\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Questions Related to Health or Disabilities<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
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Questions Related to Gender <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Questions Related to Criminal Records <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Questions Related to Credit or Finances\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\r\n
Get Professional Help with Your Next Interview <\/strong><\/h2>\r\n