How to Conduct an Interview (Things you Can’t Ask)
When it’s time to hire new employees, we all want to get it right the first time. No one wants to go through the hassle of hiring a new plumber or office employee just to find out days, weeks or months later that the person isn’t a good fit. To combat this, sometimes we tend to lay it on thick during the interview.
This is understandable. Again, no one wants to go through the hassle of firing someone or having someone quit and needing to find a replacement. That said, although there might be things you’re tempted to ask a potential employee, it’s best that you don’t overstep. And in some cases, the questions are even illegal.
We’ll work through some of the questions you shouldn’t and some questions you can never ask during a job interview. We’ll also include questions you can ask so you’ll have a better idea of how to formulate your interview questions in the future.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), these questions are off limits:
- Race, Color, or National Origin
- Religion
- Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation
- Pregnancy status
- Disability
- Age or Genetic Information
- Citizenship
- Marital Status or Number of Children
That said, these questions should never be asked:
- How many kids do you plan to have?
- Do you have a problem working with Christians/Muslims/Atheists/Pastafarians?
- Do you identify as male or female? Or something else?
- I see you have a limp. Will it keep you from going up and down stairs?
- How old are you?
- How long have you lived in this country? Are you legal to work here?
- Are you married? Are you happy in your relationship?
- Do you plan on getting pregnant in the near future?
- What are you, Italian? Mexican? Black mixed with…?
You get the idea. If the question is even remotely associated with the list above, don’t ask it.
This next group can vary by state, but we think you should steer clear of asking them regardless. They can lead down the rabbit hole directly to the questions you absolutely cannot ask:
- Education Information
- Arrests and Criminal Convictions
- Credit History and Garnishment
- Citizenship Questions
- Smoking or Drug Use
And the questions you might be tempted to ask but shouldn’t:
- Do you smoke or use tobacco products?
- Where did you go to school? Did you graduate?
- Have you ever been to jail? Ever been arrested? What for?
- How’s your credit? Do you pay your bills on time?
If you had potential employees fill out a job application, a lot of these questions would have been addressed on that form. As a matter of fact, potential employees sign an application and agree to let you do a background or credit check. If you just have to know the answers to those questions, then put them on the application and run the checks.
If you’re averse to hiring smokers, you can mention that you are a tobacco-free office and do not allow smoking on the premises. Same as the drug use issue. State you do not allow drug use on the job or at the office and leave it at that.
Now that you know what you can and can’t ask, your interviews should go smoother. And if you’ve ever asked any of these questions and got a strange look before a response, you know why. So, be honest: have you ever asked any of these no-no questions during an interview? Did the interviewee respond?
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