Managing Inappropriate Interview Questions

Both federal and state laws prohibit employers from asking inappropriate and illegal questions during an interview. All questions should be job-related and not used to find out personal information. In general, you should never be asked questions about your race, gender, religion, marital status, age, disabilities, ethnic background, country of origin, sexual preferences or age.

If you are asked an inappropriate and/or illegal question during an interview you have several options on how manage the situation.

1. You can answer the question.

Answer the question. For example, if you are asked whether you are a United State citizen, reply that you are authorized to work in the U.S., which is a question the employer can ask you and which is appropriate to answer.

2. You can try to change the topic of conversation and avoid the question.

Changing the topic can be tricky; however, with some smooth talking, the inappropriate question can be avoided and hopefully the interviewer will move on to the next question.

3. Refuse to answer the question.

Refusing to answer the question may cost you the job offer, but consider whether or not you want to work for a company that asks inappropriate and/or illegal questions during their hiring process. While the majority of companies know which questions are legal and illegal, there are some companies that might not know the difference and refusing to answer the question may help to educate the company.

If you believe that the questions were discriminatory, you always have the right to file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It’s important to note that the discrimination may not have been deliberate. In many cases, interviewers are unaware of the law. Even though illegal questions were asked, it may not have been the intent of the interviewer or the company to discriminate.

To file a charge, contact your local EEOC office: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/howtofil.html