Is it legal to ask for your opinion on political parties or elections? Or your personal preferences? What about whether you are in a relationship or not? Whatever question relating to your personal life can be a violation of your right to a private life. They are thus out of bounds for recruiters, technically. This also applies, depending on the country, to questions relating to sexual orientation, religion, or political leanings.
You are not forced to reply to any illegal question, and you may even denounce it if you so wish. Sometimes these questions in a job interview are part of putting the candidate on edge, in an unorthodox interview. But it is also sometimes to have a discriminatory look at how to select a candidate, something that is difficult to circumvent due to the biases of the recruiter.
What questions are illegal in a job interview?
Most candidates who are subject to an illegal line of question do not denounce it as it is a long process, and many simply don’t know the laws of the land. You also may think that not replying to a question and saying that it is illegal to the face of the recruiter will immediately exclude you from the selection process.
That is why, with this post, we offer you some tips to, when confronted with having to give an answer, you can do so without feeling compromised and re orientate the debate to a ground you are familiar with, that pushes your professional value to the forefront.
Are you married? Are you in a relationship?
This is actually one of the most common questions asked that is illegal, especially with women who are looking for work. It is essentially probing to see if you will be having children and potentially take maternity leave. To answer the question you can highlight that you are able to combine your professional and personal life. You also must make clear that you cannot envisage your personal life ever affecting your professional attributes and ability to deliver. Finally, show off your references from former employers as an example of your ability to work hard at the office.
“My previous bosses have always given positive feedback on my overall work and have never complained about my personal life coming into play. I am a very organised person with an ability to concentrate on the job at hand”.
Would you like to have children?
What the employer wants to know here is your professional ambition as a woman. If you answer yes they will believe your core goals are more centred on family life than work. This is an unfortunate aspect of working life throughout the ages that is only just now starting to improve. If you want to just brush away the doubts, tell them its not on your mind for the moment.
Short to medium term I would like to progress inside this company because I think I have the possibility to grow on a professional level thanks to my previous experience and my academic studies.
Are you in charge of the family at home?
The employer here is looking to see if you are able to work overtime if required and your general availability, which you can then respond to by again highlighting how you are able to combine family and work life.
If you need to know whether i am available to do extra hours, I am someone who takes my work seriously and if necessary I am able to work above and beyond.
What is your opinion on the current political situation?
This question is also illegal as it can potentially be discriminatory on the basis of ideology or political preference. That is why you can (and probably should) decline to answer it in any clear way. Nevertheless, you also have to take into account how not answering a question can lead to being rejected. Thus you should formulate a neutral answer :
I think we would need a lot of time to talk about the political situation that is extremely complex. It is difficult to say in a few minutes confidently something about this complex political conflict.
What is your nationality?
Although it is inevitable that you disclose your nationality at some stage, it is important that you are aware of why some ask this question : often the recruiter wants to know what you need to work in the country of the company. You can also make a connection to the country you live in.
I was born in Mexico but I have permanent residence here in the USA. I want to live here for many years and I think I will have professional opportunities here and I enjoy living here and feel at home in this city
Are you religious? Do you believe in God?
This is a strange question for a job interview and also illegal, but whether you are atheist or a member of whatever religion, you do not have to answer this question because it doesn’t have any relation to your professional environment. You can reply with :
My personal beliefs never really influence my professionalism and productivity.
Do you have health problems?
Although some job posts need certain standards of health, these need to be determined by professionals during a medical, not in a job interview. Thus whatever cronic medical conditions you have, you do not need to reply just yet.
My health has never been an impediment to my professionalism and career outlook.