Wow! We received so many e-mails relating to last week\u2019s HR Minute on illegal interview questions that we\u2019ve decided to offer up some interview questions that are perfectly legal to ask when screening a candidate.<\/p>\n
As we discussed last week, it is illegal to discriminate against candidates for employment based on their nationality, religion, race, age, gender, marital status, medical condition or disability, military status, genetic information and in some locations, sexual identity or criminal background. While it is not acceptable to ask direct questions about these in a job interview, there are related questions that are perfectly legal, as in the following examples:<\/p>\n
General Questions:
\nWhat is your name?
\nWhat is your address?
\nOur hours are (describe). Are there any factors, such as commute, access to reliable transportation, personal commitments, that would make difficult or impossible for you to work our required schedule?
\nWhat educational institutions did you graduate from and what degrees or certifications did you earn? (Do not ask dates of completion)
\nNationality:
\nAre you legal to work in the United States? (Do not require documentation until post-hire)
\nWhat languages are you fluent in for speaking\/reading\/writing?
\nReligion:
\nWhat days are you available to work?
\nAre you able to work our required schedule?
\nMedical Status or Disability:
\nThis position requires the following physical abilities. (Describe.) Are you able to perform the duties of the position?
\nAge:
\nAre you over 18 years of age?
\nMilitary Status:
\nAre you a military veteran?
\nWhat military skills and experience are you able to bring to this position?
\nCriminal Background:
\n(If a security clearance is required or if a clean criminal background is required for institutions such as financial institutions or day-cares\/schools): This position requires a security clearance and\/or a clean criminal background. Do you anticipate this being a problem for you?
\nBeyond these tricky areas of inquiry, there are many creative, insightful questions you should consider during an interview. And, whenever possible, we encourage you to ask them in a\u201cbehavioral interview\u201d format which is simply posing the question in the following format: \u201cTell me about a time when (question).\u201d This will reveal the most detail about the candidates past experiences, which are always the best predictor for future behavior.<\/p>\n
If you have any questions or curious about whether one of your interview questions is appropriate, send it to us in an e-mail and we\u2019ll review it for you!<\/p>\n
This blog may contain general information about legal matters. Affinity HR Group does not provide legal counsel. The information provided should not be considered legal advice and should not be relied on as an alternative to legal advice from your attorney or other professional legal services provider. If you have any specific questions about this content or any legal matter you should consult your attorney or other professional legal services provider.
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Wow! We received so many e-mails relating to last week\u2019s HR Minute on illegal interview questions that we\u2019ve decided to offer up some interview questions that are perfectly legal to ask when screening a candidate. As we discussed last week, it is illegal to discriminate against candidates for employment based on their nationality, religion, race, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n