For Jobseekers: Beware of These Illegal Job Interview Questions

 

When you’re in the middle of a job interview, nervousness and a desire to make the best impression possible can take over. While feeling nervous and wanting to please your interviewer are completely normal and even productive during an interview, they can sometimes blind you from questions you may be asked that are not only inappropriate, but illegal.

Employers are supposed to stay updated on U.S. hiring laws and maintain compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Unfortunately, some employers fail to educate themselves on their legal responsibilities or know that asking certain questions during an interview is illegal, but do it anyway.

Below are the questions that are illegal to ask during an interview. Do not answer these. Most of these will be answered after a candidate is hired, anyway. There’s no need for employers to know these answers in the interview phase. But regardless of whether they need to know this information and at what point they need to know it, employers who ask you these questions during your interview are violating your rights.

Illegal Interview Questions:

  1. What is your national origin?
  2. Are you pregnant?
  3. How old are you?
  4. Do you have children?
  5. Have you ever been arrested?
  6. Are you married?
  7. Do you have any handicaps?

 

Legal Interview Questions:

Here are the legal interview questions that employers can ask you, and that you should answer:

  1. Tell me about yourself.
  2. Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a major obstacle at work.  What were the circumstances?  What did you do?  What was the result?
  3. How do you stay up to date with industry trends and regulations?
  4. When I contact your previous managers, what will they tell me about you?
  5. Tell me about a time you worked with others to achieve a result.
  6. What is the toughest feedback you received?  How did you react?  What changes did you make as a result?
  7. What was your most recent failure at work?  What did you learn?
  8. Why did you choose this career?

 

When you’re interviewing for a job, it’s crucial that you not only make the best impression possible on your interviewer, but also that you know your rights as a candidate. Stay alert for any questions that are illegal for interviewers to ask you.