According to new research, the vast majority of organisations have asked candidates inappropriate and potentially illegal questions during a job interview.
Researchers of the study found that 85% of interviewers have asked questions such as ‘Are you physically fit and healthy’, ‘Have you any plans to start a family’ or ‘Did you grow up outside of the UK’.
All of the above questions are potentially breaching the law, which requires all potential employers to treat candidates fairly.
It’s true though however that many interviewers could be completely unaware that what they think is innocent questioning could be a legal grey area, with 47% saying they have never had official training on what questions to ask in an interview.
Below are the top 10 inappropriate interview questions that hiring managers have asked:
- What year did you graduate? (59%)
- What year were you born? (55%)
- Do you have any children? (56%)
- Are you physically fit and healthy? (53%
- Are you in a relationship or married? (51%)
- Have you got any plans to start a family? (42%)
- Where is your accent from? (46%)
- Will you need flexible time for family life? (46%)
- Did you grow up outside of the UK? (45%)
- Will you need time off during half term? (43%)
This highlights the need for training for any person involved in the process of interviewing prospective candidates, so they know what is and isn’t acceptable in the recruitment process. Ensuring all prospective employees are given a fair and honest opportunity to secure a job based on their skills and ability not their gender, personal choices or maternity/paternity choices.
If you need any HR help, advice or tips on interviewing, get in touch.
