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Need more career advice like how to negotiate a job offer letter? Read Andrea's article The Job offer Letter - How to Negotiate a Job Offer Letter.
Most employers have policies that prohibit interviewers from asking job candidates personal questions, especially illegal questions. But there are times when interviewers ask questions that are against the law, perhaps because they don't know the questions are illegal. One would hope that the vast majority of interviewers know which questions not to ask, but you never know what to expect so it's always a good idea to be ready for any questions that probe your personal life.
The law prohibits employers from discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, origin and religion. Therefore, an interviewer should not ask you to disclose any personal information that has absolutely no bearing on your qualifications. The only questions that an interviewer should be asking are questions that are related to the job for which you are applying. A reputable interviewer will only ask questions that help him or her determine the following things about you:
1. Are you passionate about the business?
2. Why do you want to work in this industry?
3. Are you motivated?
4. Why do you want to work for this company?
5. What are your skills?
6. What experience do you have that will allow you to contribute to this company?
7. Are you diligent?
8. Do you demonstrate professionalism?
9. Are you creative?
10. Are you a leader?
11. Are you qualified for this job?
12. Is your personality compatible v those of the other employees?
13. What's your management style?
14. Are you a problem solver?
15. What are your accomplishments?
16. What are your personal interests and hobbies?
Here are the things an interviewer must never ask you about:
1. Race
2. Color
3. Sex
4. Religion
5. National origin
6. Birthplace
7. Age
8. Disability
9. Marital/family status
So what do you do if an interviewer asks you any personal questions? First of all, don't get defensive. Give the interviewer the benefit of the doubt. He or she may not have bad intentions. For example, the interviewer may ask you if you plan to have children. The interviewer may simply want to know what your career intentions are and may not realize it's illegal to ask a question like this. The proper approach is to ask the interviewer what his or her concerns are. You may want to say something like "Can you explain the relevance of the question to the position?". Once the interviewer responds, you can address his or her concerns by saying something like "I am extremely motivated and my career is very important to me".
Remember that you are not obligated to answer illegal interview questions. It's up to you, however, if you want to answer the question. The important thing is to avoid confrontation. There's no point in saying anything that may cause you to blow the opportunity. You can always turn down the job later if you feel this isn’t the right place for you to work.
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