Hiring new employees is one of the most important tasks of any business. New talent is a critical component of your success, and the process of finding new talent can be a time-consuming and stressful one. You should be careful; however, not to ask inappropriate or illegal questions during an interview.
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? Maybe you’re just trying to be friendly and make conversation, but asking a candidate where he or she was born can also be considered an attempt 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 candidates if they are United States citizens.
2. How old are you? This is another question that can sometimes come up as part of a casual conversation, but it is strictly prohibited during the hiring process. In the past, some employers have avoided hiring employees of a certain age – which is, of course, 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 considered illegal.
3. What does your wife/husband do? How old are your kids? 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.
Struggling to find new talent?
Here at Luttrell Staffing Group, our recruiters are experts at understanding your business and its unique needs. We’ll find you talented professionals to keep your business humming.