Direct and Personal Questions at an Interview

ci1

Registered User
Messages
284
Hi all,

Would like some opinions. I was at a 2nd interview in the last day or so and I was a bit taken aback by the directness of the questions I was asked. I know myself that they should not have been asked & I did answer, mainly because I did not want to come across as awkward etc. also I did not want to jeopardise my chances of the job by refusing to answer, or question the relavance of the why they were asking.

Whether or not I am made an offer I still feel a bit uncomfortable with the questions and feel that I was being judged because of my status.

What are my options. I was onto IBEC and you have to be a member. I rang the dept of employment and could not get to speak to anyone just for advice or an opinion.

Any Thoughts?
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Perhaps if you were to tell us what the questions were without needing to be too specific ?
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Ok,

was I married?
was I single? the answer was yes.
is that why you are so career driven? (I'm presuming that meant are you focusing on your career because you are a singleton and have nothing else to do)
Am I a career girl?
then asked AGAIN if I was career driven?
what is your personal status?
Do you own your own home?
Do you live with your parents?
Asked my age, and then commented that I looked far younger. (kind of a compliment I guess, but irrelevant to the situation?

I spoke about my hobbies/interests etc and then towards the end was asked to speak more about me personally...
even after answering all of the above. I said that I did not feel that there was anything else important to talk about that had any relevance...

:confused: Am I being over sensitive?
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Was there more than one person on the panel or was it a one to one.
At a job interview back in the eighties I was asked a question about how I punished my son when needed.
What really bugged me was that the guy interviewing me looked about 19 at the time and I now wonder if maybe he had a little fettish of some sort.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Three things come to mind; a) if the questions relate to gender, family status, religion etc. then there could be grounds for [broken link removed]. b) some companies have very strong corporate cultures, their questions may be an attempt to determine if you would be a good 'fit'. c) reminds me of an anecdotal story, candidates at an interview were asked to show the contents of their handbags/wallets, those that did so were not considered, how could they be trusted to keep the companies secrets?!
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

was I married?
was I single? the answer was yes.
is that why you are so career driven? (I'm presuming that meant are you focusing on your career because you are a singleton and have nothing else to do)
Am I a career girl?
then asked AGAIN if I was career driven?
what is your personal status?
Do you own your own home?
Do you live with your parents?
Asked my age, and then commented that I looked far younger. (kind of a compliment I guess, but irrelevant to the situation?

I don't think they are entitled to ask about your marital status anymore as it is discriminatory, but somebody here might know more than I.
Asking whether you were career driven is a common question in my company so I don't see anything out of the order with that.
Owning your own home and your home situation I would have felt was inappropriate in 99% of interview situations, I fail to understand what difference that would make to an interviewer and I personally think it is intrusive.
I don't think either they are entitled to ask your age as this also can be interpreted as discriminatory, the days when you put your DOB on a CV are long gone imho.
 
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Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Ok,

was I married?
was I single? the answer was yes.
is that why you are so career driven? (I'm presuming that meant are you focusing on your career because you are a singleton and have nothing else to do)
Am I a career girl?
then asked AGAIN if I was career driven?
what is your personal status?
Do you own your own home?
Do you live with your parents?
Asked my age, and then commented that I looked far younger. (kind of a compliment I guess, but irrelevant to the situation?

I spoke about my hobbies/interests etc and then towards the end was asked to speak more about me personally...
even after answering all of the above. I said that I did not feel that there was anything else important to talk about that had any relevance...

:confused: Am I being over sensitive?

Only my opinion but I think you are being over sensitive.
The question Woods was asked was bizarre and somewhat scary, however I think your were reasonable.
 
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Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Based on your second post, these were most definitely discriminatory questions.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

You can take a case to the equality tribunal. They cannot under law ask questions about your age or your marital status. Wait until you know whether you got the job or not.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

To me the questions would seem inappropriate alright. Is it a small company with no HR department?

On a lighter note I know a married couple who met at a job interview, though this was in the early 80's. She didn't get the job but he asked her to dinner afterwards and it must have gone well from there.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

They've hit so many no-nos here -- age, sex ('career girl'), marital status. Sounds more like a speed date then a job interview!

You would probably win a small settlement at tribunal, but I would just chalk it up to experience. There was a case a few years ago where a carpenter got a payout solely because something like 'so you're the lady carpenter then' was said (by a woman on the interview panel!) when her name was called to come into the interview room.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

A lot of companies are wary of taking on women of "child baring age". I know how dodgy that sounds but HR is a costly and timely consuming process which if they get "wrong" means they have to go through the whole process again. If a woman of that age gets a position and then becomes pregnant, the company then have to go through the process again for a temp while the woman is off work. This can cripple a small company. The type of questions that were asked as stated by the OP would certainly reveal to an interviewer what the possible plans for the future may have been. I am aware how un-pc this is but in my view thats the way some employers think.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

The questions they asked bore no relevance whatsoever to the job or my ability to do it.

it is a big position, lot of responsibility etc if I was not career driven I wouldn't be going for it would I?
the career driven questions were underpinned by the marital status questions. I don't see any link there.
They are a big international company I assumed their interviewing techniques would be better.

I am asking for thoughts/opinions. I used this as my last source because as usual in Ireland no one will give a straight answer.
I am aware of my rights and boundaries and if people are going to overstep them I'll address it.
but I am looking for feedback and advice before I take it further.

Thanks everyone for your opinions...I'll think it all through again,.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Hi Elefantfresh,

I totally agree with you and I think that this was behind the questioning.

They're making a decision on Monday, time will tell.

:rolleyes:
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

What impression did you get from this interviewer as to why these questions were being asked? Is this interviewer going to be working with you directly or were they HR? I've had similar experiences in the past at interviews. Once I walked out of an interview as I felt the questions bordered on offensive to me personally. And I've had some very un PC bosses who I got on with really well. I think it all depends on the intent behind the questions and whether this will be someone working with you directly in the future who you will have to put up with. Also if the company has this kind of attitude then if offered a position I would look very carefully at the terms and conditions surrounding maternity leave, parental leave and flexi time for the future if your circumstances change.
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Ci1 - keep us posted as to how you get on - if you don't get it, they must by law give you some sort of interview feedback - be interesting to see what they have to say. but of course, you'll get it so we'll never know!! good luck!
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

Having sat on a number of interview boards, I wondered after your first post if it was simply a case of an interviewer getting distracted, or perhaps - and I've been on a board where this happened - that you had addressed everything so well and comprehensively that an interviewer panicked because the interview wasn't "supposed" to be over yet.

From your follow-up, however, the more charitable interpretations do not appear to be justified and I am, frankly, appalled that a large company would interview in such a manner. There are clear inferences to be drawn in relation to their possible assumptions about your longer term career commitment from questions of single/career-driven/age, and some of the other questions are so profoundly irrelevant that I can't see their relevance to anything.

I would be inclined to challenge this, not necessarily by way of the various statutory agencies, but by writing to seek a meeting with the personnel / recruitment manager to draw their attention to possible weaknesses and vulnerabilities in their interview processes (and I'd express it in those terms). But that's a personal decision, and may be more hassle than you want. If you get the job and take it, it may be appropriate at a later date to raise the issue quietly - if you don't, you may want to focus on your job-seeking.

Good luck, either way.
d
 
Re: Personal Questions at an Interview

I had an interview a few months ago, 2 guys one about 60 and the other about 40. The older guy asked me my marital status and the younger guy nearly leapt out of his seat and said "Oh Christ, you can ask her that"

I did anyway cos i didnt mind, incidently i got the job.
 
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