You are in the middle of a conversation and everything goes according to plan. You respond quickly and concisely and you feel at ease. Then the interviewer asks a simple question, "Are you married?" Or "Do you want to have a child?" Can an interviewer ask these questions? How do you answer that? Maybe the interviewer is just trying to be friendly?
The question may seem harmless and usually it is asked in all innocence, but the question has nothing to do with your qualities and suitability.
Unlawful questions
The law against sexual discrimination and racial discrimination prohibits any form of discrimination by employers based on gender, race, nationality or disability. If you know what kind of questions are legal and illegal and you know the technique to intercept such answers, you can respond efficiently in such situations.
Dealing with unlawful questions
Here are some answers to questions that should not be asked, such as "Are you a believer?", "Do you fall for men or women?" In which country were you born?".
- Please politely tell the interviewer that you do not wish to respond to such an inappropriate or unlawful question. You can kindly inform him that he is not allowed to ask such a question.
- Answer as follows: "I am sorry, this surprises me, I do not understand what this question has to do with my career plans?"
- Ignore the inappropriate question and delve deeper into the underlying concern. For example, you can say, "I think what you are asking is ...". You choose the answer that you want to give to the interviewer.
- It is important to realize that although it would be justified to refuse the answer to an inappropriate question, this could mean that you are not offered a job. Therefore, the only question that you have to ask yourself at the time is: "Do I want to work in an environment that can expose me to such practices or violate my privacy?" Give the company the benefit of the doubt for the duration of the conversation. Then decide whether you want to work for the company.
Stay in control
Although illegal questions often arise from a genuine interest, you must remain on the alert for other motives. It is essential that you know your rights and that you know how to intercept inappropriate questions during a job interview. Bringing a case to court is extreme, but it has already been done. Be tactful and you remain in control of the conversation. Answer concisely and move on to the next topic, or ignore the question completely and transfer the conversation to another topic.
