3 Apr 2021

What are Most Inappropriate Interview Questions ?

What are Most Inappropriate Interview Questions ?

What are Most Inappropriate Interview Questions ?


What are Most Inappropriate Interview Questions ?: Inappropriate interview questions are questions about things that could be used to discriminate against you. Here, you'll get to know What are Most Inappropriate Interview Questions ?


Discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of things like your personal life, your physical features, sexuality, ethnicity or gender identity. 


You don’t have to answer inappropriate questions. In fact, you probably don’t want to work for an employer who asks them in an interview. Read how to answer interview questions well. 



How to response Illegal Questions

The following questions and answers illustrate some approaches to answering potentially discriminating questions. Examples aside, remember that each situation is unique and the ultimate decision on how to respond is yours. 


Examples Illegal Question

Q1. Are you married ? (Reason behind asking this question is will you devote yourself to the position ?) 


For this question you can answer like this

"Right now, I am focusing on my career and intend to give all the necessary time and energy to my career, regardless of my marital status."


Another answer might be like this

"While I am married, my spouse and I understand the demands of good positions such as the one for which I am interviewing. I plan on doing what it takes to succeed in this position, and am eager to make use of my skills and experience."


Q2. Do you plan on having a family ? (Reason behind asking this question is will you devote the necessary time to the position ?) 


Now see the answers to this question. 


"I am not sure at this point, but I know that I am going to work  regardless of my family status, and I will give my best effort and skills to the position."


Another answer might be like this

"Regardless of my family structure, I plan on having a career and giving all the necessary time and energy to the career."



Examples of inappropriate job questions

Sometimes an interviewer might ask interview questions that are inappropriate. These include questions about:


  • Your age (although if you’re under 21, an employer may pay you according to your age)
  • Your sexual preference
  • Your gender identity
  • Your disability status
  • Your ethnicity, race, colour, nationality or cultural background
  • Your physical features, like height, weight, size, shape, facial features, hair or scars
  • Whether you are married, in a relationship or single
  • Whether you have children, or are planning to have children
  • Your political or religious beliefs.

An inappropriate interview question could seem harmless on the surface, particularly if you feel you don’t have anything to hide.


However, your answer might be used to discriminate against you. For example, the interviewer might turn you down for the job because they don’t like the political party you belong to.


The interviewer should stick to questions about the job you’re applying for, and your ability to do that job. If they ask a question that isn’t related to the job, you don’t have to talk about it.



Inappropriate questions about previous employers

You should avoid talking about your previous employers and co-workers as much as possible. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t explain the tasks and responsibilities of your previous jobs. It just means you don’t have to answer questions about the people you worked for, especially if it means revealing confidential information.


Discussing any confidential information or personal details about people you have worked with is unethical. Unethical means behaviour that isn’t the right thing to do.



How to Handle an inappropriate interview question

It can be hard to know how to respond when you're asked about something you'd rather not answer. Sometimes you’re taken by surprise and you freeze. Sometimes it makes you angry.


Try to be polite and steer the conversation back to more appropriate topics. Here are some ways you can respond:


‘Thanks for the question, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing that information with you right now. I’d much rather explain how valuable my skills and experience could be for your organisation.’


‘Can you tell me how that’s relevant to the job ? If you could rephrase it in a way that’s relevant to my ability to do the job, I’ll do my best to answer.’


‘I don’t want to talk about this. Do you have another question for me ?’



Power dynamics and inappropriate interview questions

A power dynamic is when there’s a difference in power and status between one person and another.


In an interview situation, it may seem like the interviewer has all the power. They’ve got something that you want. They’re in a position to decide whether or not to give you a job.


Sometimes, this power dynamic might make an interviewer feel like they can ask you an inappropriate interview question.


Don’t forget that you have power, too. You’ve got something the interviewer needs – your skills, experience and energy. It’s okay to use that power to refuse to answer an inappropriate interview question.


Even if you feel powerless, you still have rights. Knowing your rights and how to stand up for them is an important part of the job application process.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Kindly donnot paste any SPAM link. Thank you very much for reading, Happy learning.