zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 14, 2018 2:15:46 GMT
I had a job interview yesterday and was asked:
Am I married?
Do I have children?
I was speechless. WTH?
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Post by MichyM on Jun 14, 2018 2:23:16 GMT
How did you handle it?
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Post by 950nancy on Jun 14, 2018 2:23:39 GMT
What kind of a job was it?
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Post by bc2ca on Jun 14, 2018 2:24:06 GMT
I don't think that's a company I'd want to work for.
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zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,909
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 14, 2018 2:28:58 GMT
I did not answer the question. I just shifted the conversation to something else. It was so strange. She also asked me if I smoked. It is a very small company that owns/manages around 150 rental homes.
I was stunned. I have interviewed dozens of people in the last 5 years to work for me and I have been told time and time again to never ask those questions.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Jun 14, 2018 2:44:07 GMT
I did not answer the question. I just shifted the conversation to something else. It was so strange. She also asked me if I smoked. It is a very small company that owns/manages around 150 rental homes. I was stunned. I have interviewed dozens of people in the last 5 years to work for me and I have been told time and time again to never ask those questions. Why is it not okay to ask about smoking? Last I checked, smokers are not a protected class. |
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Post by AN on Jun 14, 2018 2:46:00 GMT
The questions are not illegal. Discrimination based on the answers (or assumptions on the topics) is what is illegal. Most companies stay far far away from questions and topics like this so there is no question about discrimination if the person isn't hired later, but asking them isn't actually illegal. Dumb to ask and opens them to needless risk though.
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Post by AN on Jun 14, 2018 2:47:30 GMT
Also, depending on the context and tone, I'd just assume the person was making conversation and trying to get to know you as a person outside of work. Still stupid, but I suspect more people ask it out of ignorance when trying to get to know a candidate, than out of malice with the intent of making hiring decisions based on it.
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zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,909
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 14, 2018 2:52:10 GMT
Why is it not okay to ask about smoking? Last I checked, smokers are not a protected class. Smoking is a legal question. It is often not asked though. I thought it was unusual that she asked me if I smoke when she smokes herself. She was outside smoking when I arrived for my interview. |
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zookeeper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,909
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Post by zookeeper on Jun 14, 2018 2:53:12 GMT
The questions are not illegal. Discrimination based on the answers (or assumptions on the topics) is what is illegal. Most companies stay far far away from questions and topics like this so there is no question about discrimination if the person isn't hired later, but asking them isn't actually illegal. Dumb to ask and opens them to needless risk though. I agree... not illegal but very dangerous in the scope of liability. |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Jun 14, 2018 2:53:39 GMT
Why is it not okay to ask about smoking? Last I checked, smokers are not a protected class. Smoking is a legal question. It is often not asked though. I thought it was unusual that she asked me if I smoke when she smokes herself. She was outside smoking when I arrived for my interview. Gotcha. Maybe she was just looking for a smoking buddy.  |
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Post by laureljean on Jun 14, 2018 2:56:05 GMT
Sometimes those kinds of questions are asked because the interviewer(s) want to see how you handle an inappropriate question. It's unnerving, but they want to see how you would gracefully handle a sticky situation.
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Post by Belia on Jun 14, 2018 2:56:54 GMT
When I was first interviewing for teaching jobs (~ 20 years ago HOLY SHIT) one principal asked me if I was dating anyone or engaged because "I don't like to hire young single women because as soon as they get married they get pregnant and quit, then I have to go through this all over again!" Or something similar.
I was 21 years old at the time and I remember smiling and nodding and thinking to myself, "DUDE. You are NOT supposed to ask me questions like that!"
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scrappinmac
Shy Member
Posts: 32
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Post by scrappinmac on Jun 14, 2018 4:51:38 GMT
Smoking is a legal question. It is often not asked though. I thought it was unusual that she asked me if I smoke when she smokes herself. She was outside smoking when I arrived for my interview. Gotcha. Maybe she was just looking for a smoking buddy. This is my guess, too. I think I'm the only non-tobacco person in my office. Both bosses smoke (and one vapes when he's inside), a co-worker chews (and spits), and at least two of the four construction guys smoke as well. |
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Post by angel97701 on Jun 14, 2018 5:23:26 GMT
When I was first interviewing for teaching jobs (~ 20 years ago HOLY SHIT) one principal asked me if I was dating anyone or engaged because "I don't like to hire young single women because as soon as they get married they get pregnant and quit, then I have to go through this all over again!" Or something similar. I was 21 years old at the time and I remember smiling and nodding and thinking to myself, "DUDE. You are NOT supposed to ask me questions like that!" This, more like 30 years ago for me! But almost word-for-word from a department chair . . . |
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Post by shescrafty on Jun 14, 2018 10:24:29 GMT
When I was first interviewing for teaching jobs (~ 20 years ago HOLY SHIT) one principal asked me if I was dating anyone or engaged because "I don't like to hire young single women because as soon as they get married they get pregnant and quit, then I have to go through this all over again!" Or something similar. I was 21 years old at the time and I remember smiling and nodding and thinking to myself, "DUDE. You are NOT supposed to ask me questions like that!" My principal 16 years ago told me (not in an interview) that she liked it when teachers had husbands who didn’t make “ good money” so it was less likely her teachers could leave the job. But she was the same person who told me she didn’t know why they called it adoption since I was basically buying my baby. |
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Post by peasapie on Jun 14, 2018 11:20:45 GMT
I wonder if the interviewer even knew what she was allowed to ask. It certainly doesn’t speak well for that company.
I once went on a teaching interview where a principal was trying hard to dig up dirt on a former mutual acquaintance I’d worked with. I declined the second interview request. No way I wanted to work with that person.
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Post by belgravia on Jun 14, 2018 14:09:34 GMT
I remember about 20 years ago, in the finance field, when being considered for a promotion, I was asked if I was planning to get pregnant soon!  |
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Post by workingclassdog on Jun 14, 2018 14:23:54 GMT
Other than maybe she was just being casual and just wanting to get to know you.. that is strange. Pretty much everyone at least in the HR area knows to steer away from personal questions like that, illegal or not.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 18, 2024 22:55:05 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2018 17:22:35 GMT
I think she’sooking for a smoke buddy but also, being a rental company, they probably ask tenants the same questions.
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Post by busy on Jun 14, 2018 17:29:46 GMT
As AN noted, it's not technically illegal to ask those questions, but making hiring decisions based on the answers is. And it can be very hard to prove the answers didn't factor into hiring decisions, so most companies are wise enough to have their interviewers stay far away from questions like that. To me, she sounds like an inexperienced interviewer who was trying to make conversation. But I would be very skeptical about the overall professionalism of a company who would have someone interviewing who doesn't know better than to ask things like that. |
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Post by jenjie on Jun 14, 2018 17:35:50 GMT
I remember about 20 years ago, in the finance field, when being considered for a promotion, I was asked if I was planning to get pregnant soon! Same! Not for a finance company but I was explicitly told they wanted to retain whoever they hired, so they didn’t want someone who would be planning a family. Crazy.. |
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AnotherPea
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,968
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Post by AnotherPea on Jun 14, 2018 18:38:53 GMT
I was asked pregnancy related questions at an interview once. If I had dismissed the company because the interviewer asked inappropriate questions, I would have missed out on a great opportunity. That guy ended up being my boss and he was an ass at times, but the company was great, he had bosses that worked closely with the employees, and his power was limited. I loved it there and my pocketbook did too.
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Post by lucyg on Jun 14, 2018 18:44:31 GMT
When I was first interviewing for teaching jobs (~ 20 years ago HOLY SHIT) one principal asked me if I was dating anyone or engaged because "I don't like to hire young single women because as soon as they get married they get pregnant and quit, then I have to go through this all over again!" Or something similar. I was 21 years old at the time and I remember smiling and nodding and thinking to myself, "DUDE. You are NOT supposed to ask me questions like that!" My principal 16 years ago told me (not in an interview) that she liked it when teachers had husbands who didn’t make “ good money” so it was less likely her teachers could leave the job. But she was the same person who told me she didn’t know why they called it adoption since I was basically buying my baby.  |
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Post by papersilly on Jun 14, 2018 19:58:01 GMT
My principal 16 years ago told me (not in an interview) that she liked it when teachers had husbands who didn’t make “ good money” so it was less likely her teachers could leave the job. But she was the same person who told me she didn’t know why they called it adoption since I was basically buying my baby. on a side note, i think they could also dislike women whose husbands make "good money" because they think these women "don't have to work" and they might quit at any time. i've been at the same job for over 20 years and i swear, a lot of my husband's friends (and some of his family) don't think i work because they believe i don't have to. so where do these people think i go everyday? lol |
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RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,398
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Post by RosieKat on Jun 15, 2018 1:27:38 GMT
Wow.
I did interviews few months ago, for leaders for a nonprofit summer camp. I am not formally trained in HR stuff, although I did have a hand in interviews in my previous life as an actual paid employee, lol. I was nervous enough with the small talk stuff, trying really hard not to step over any of the legal lines!
I do think a lot of times, people with smaller companies or in situations like I was in don't really know the rules, and sometimes they just see it as conversation. That may be true, but it's still not OK! (And the reason you want to avoid those questions is because even the appearance of impropriety can so easily be assailed - say you happen to say yes, I'm a smoker, and then don't get hired - well, even if you don't get hired because your education/experience is in a vastly unrelated field, it's easy to set up a lawsuit saying you didn't get hired because you said you are a smoker - and that's often easier for companies to just settle...so the rule of thumb is don't ask those questions!)
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Post by scrapmaven on Jun 15, 2018 1:41:01 GMT
In my state those questions violate labor laws. As a former hr manager I had to educate the managers about discrimination. It drove me nuts everytime someone asked those questions, because I would have to handle the lawsuit paperwork. Very not ok. If it's a privately owned company they might not be versed on the labor laws of your state. They could also have a sloppy HR department.
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Post by destined2bmom on Jun 15, 2018 2:09:24 GMT
My principal 16 years ago told me (not in an interview) that she liked it when teachers had husbands who didn’t make “ good money” so it was less likely her teachers could leave the job. But she was the same person who told me she didn’t know why they called it adoption since I was basically buying my baby. My same exact reaction! |
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Post by PolarGreen12 on Jun 15, 2018 2:17:23 GMT
zookeeper I had a similar interview in January. I was floored. Literally the first questions out of her mouth were are you married? Any kids? She kept talking about how important family was to the company. When I said I wasn’t married and didn’t have kids, she said if I bet you have cats then. The interview was through a staffing agency. I called them as soon as I was in my car and told her what happened. She didn’t even seem phased. I said your in HR you should know those questions are not appropriate. ! It was frustrating. I knew I didn’t get the job because I’m not married and do not have kids.
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