As an employer, you need staff. This likely means you (or someone in your company) will need to carry out interviews to recruit new employees.
One thing an interviewer must be aware of is the type of questions that are not permitted. Basically, these are anything that could be considered discriminatory, and it might not be as simple as it sounds. Here are some tips on what to avoid.
Questions that could help you pinpoint a person’s age
Age should not be a factor in your hiring decisions, except for jobs with a legal minimum or maximum age. Don’t ask someone twhat year they graduated in as that could give you a big clue as to their age. Be careful too with things such as asking whether they grew up with a particular technology, as that too can help date a person.
Questions that could lead to accusations of gender discrimination
Take care asking questions about a female applicant’s family situation. Asking whether she is married, has any kids or plans to have kids might suggest that you are trying to wheedle out anyone who might need to take pregnancy leave or is take time off if their children are sick or off school.
Questions that could lead to accusations of cultural discrimination
You should not ask someone which country they grew up in or what their first language is as they might think you are trying to exclude anyone who is not “U.S. born and bred.” Avoid asking anyone about their religion, whether they need to take time out for prayers or other such questions. Some people do, indeed, have religious commitments that might make them unavailable to work certain shifts, but you should just ask them if they can work a particular day without bringing religion into it.
Consider compiling a list of questions before the interview that you can review with colleagues to ensure there is nothing that could be viewed as discriminatory. If you do face accusations, be sure to learn about your options to counter the claims.
