What to ask and not ask in interveiw?

Need some tips please, on acceptable questions to ask at an interview.

can I ask if the person has any medical problems that I should be aware of?

Have never heard it in quite as direct a manner. I've been asked if I'm in good health before, or you can ask have they had many sick days or in a bit of a more roundabout way maybe. On acceptable questions - depends on what you're trying to find out! Most panels I've sat on are usually divided into the "ask about the CV" part, the "technical, directly relevant to the particular job" part and then the "general" part, which tries to get a bit more info on the personality of the candidate.

Remember you should only ask a woman what you would ask a man ie maternity discussions are off the table.

Don't know if you can ask at interview about medical conditions but you can request a medical, after interview. Depending on the position you can also ask the interviewee to complete a medical questionnaire pre-interview if there is a safety issue with the job e.g. diabetics can't work in train stations (an issue of much debate).

DavyJones said:

Need some tips please, on acceptable questions to ask at an interview.

can I ask if the person has any medical problems that I should be aware of?

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Ask questions about their ability to do the job in question. Leave the medical stuff to your pre-employment medical.

You can ask,"Do you have any medical conditions or special requirements that may effect you at work"
I try and keep it more social to start to get them more relaxed and more likely to give genuine answers

Complainer said:

Ask questions about their ability to do the job in question. Leave the medical stuff to your pre-employment medical.

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Complainer, you are still thinking big company. Poor DavyJones just wants someone to do a bit or paperwork for a day so each week. Do you think the average company in Ireland has a 'Company Doctor' and sends their potential employees for a medical? Anyway, even if the 'Company Doctor' finds any health problems the company would be on very shady grounds to turn down the employment offer, unless it can be proved that it directly effects the safely of the employee or their co workers in performing their duties.

You can ask whatever you want, you just can't discriminate (under the 9 grounds) based on the answer and asking the question in the first place may leave you open to a case.

You could ask something like 'is there any medical condition that might affect your ability to do your job'. Just make sure you ask everyone those type of questions so you aren't seen to be 'picking' on certain interviewees and bear in mind that certain medical conditions are covered under the disibility section of the 9 grounds you can't discrimate on.

bigchicken said:

You can ask whatever you want, you just can't discriminate

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That's very wrong.

Ask a woman if she plans to have children and see how quickly you find yourself in front of a tribunal.

Towger said:

Complainer, you are still thinking big company. Poor DavyJones just wants someone to do a bit or paperwork for a day so each week. Do you think the average company in Ireland has a 'Company Doctor' and sends their potential employees for a medical? Anyway, even if the 'Company Doctor' finds any health problems the company would be on very shady grounds to turn down the employment offer, unless it can be proved that it directly effects the safely of the employee or their co workers in performing their duties.

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Thanks...I Think.

For the moment , no company doctor. but once this recession ends who knows!

I am used to interviewing tradesman and I know exactly what I need to ask. this is the first time I will be interviewing women.

I ask about the medical thing, because I had a staff member who had a fairly serious condition that I only found out about when they collapsed on a job. Don't really want to be in that situation again. Atleast if I know provisions can be made.

Sometimes a lot depends on what type of job and what type of working environment. I work in a laboratory. In the interview for my first job, I was asked at the interview had I any medical problems that my prospective employer should be aware of.

He told me the reason that he asked the question was because he regrettably had to let a previous employee go, because of a minor medical condition. There are can be very subtle colour changes in test tubes at the end of some chemical reactions, that tell you that the reaction is complete. Unfortunately, the previous employee was just slightly colour blind, (which wasn’t detected in his medical examination) and he was unable to see the subtle colour changes, and therefore he wasn’t able to do this particular laboratory job.

In these circumstances, I thought it was fair enough at the time for the prospective employer to ask me about colour blindness, etc.

jhegarty said:

That's very wrong.

Ask a woman if she plans to have children and see how quickly you find yourself in front of a tribunal.

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Its not wrong.
As i said in my post, asking those questions leaves you open to a case.
It is not illegal to ASK the question, it is illegal to discriminate based on the answer (assuming its under one of the nine grounds). The issue with asking the question is that its very difficult to prove you didn't discriminate and so you are likely to lose any case that may be taken against you. Anyone with any sense wouldn't risk asking it but i was merely pointing out that while it would be stupid, it is not illegal to do so.

Towger said:

Complainer, you are still thinking big company.

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Fair point, though I do recall doing a pre-employment medical from one small (25 people) Irish company in the dark days of the 80s.

Towger said:

Poor DavyJones just wants someone to do a bit or paperwork for a day so each week.

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Are you telepathic?

Towger said:

Anyway, even if the 'Company Doctor' finds any health problems the company would be on very shady grounds to turn down the employment offer, unless it can be proved that it directly effects the safely of the employee or their co workers in performing their duties.

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Agreed, which is why an doc experienced in occupational health matters is preferable to the local GP for these medicals. And the doc should have a job spec or similar to ensure they understand the requirements of the job.

DavyJones said:

I ask about the medical thing, because I had a staff member who had a fairly serious condition that I only found out about when they collapsed on a job. Don't really want to be in that situation again. Atleast if I know provisions can be made.

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To address issues that you intend to make provisions for, ask the relevant questions AFTER the person has taken the job, not at interview stage. That way you can't be accused of discriminating based on the information provided.

One said:

Sometimes a lot depends on what type of job and what type of working environment. I work in a laboratory. In the interview for my first job, I was asked at the interview had I any medical problems that my prospective employer should be aware of.

He told me the reason that he asked the question was because he regrettably had to let a previous employee go, because of a minor medical condition. There are can be very subtle colour changes in test tubes at the end of some chemical reactions, that tell you that the reaction is complete. Unfortunately, the previous employee was just slightly colour blind, (which wasn’t detected in his medical examination) and he was unable to see the subtle colour changes, and therefore he wasn’t able to do this particular laboratory job.

In these circumstances, I thought it was fair enough at the time for the prospective employer to ask me about colour blindness, etc.

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The employer has an obligation to provide any 'reasonable accomodation' for a person with a disability, though I'm not sure if colour blindness meets the definition of disability from the Employment Equality Acts. I'd wonder if there was any alternative way of doing these tests which didn't require use of colour. About 8% of Irish men are red/green colour-blind.

bigchicken said:

Its not wrong.
As i said in my post, asking those questions leaves you open to a case.
It is not illegal to ASK the question, it is illegal to discriminate based on the answer (assuming its under one of the nine grounds). The issue with asking the question is that its very difficult to prove you didn't discriminate and so you are likely to lose any case that may be taken against you. Anyone with any sense wouldn't risk asking it but i was merely pointing out that while it would be stupid, it is not illegal to do so.

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True

bigchicken said:

Its not wrong.
As i said in my post, asking those questions leaves you open to a case.
It is not illegal to ASK the question, it is illegal to discriminate based on the answer (assuming its under one of the nine grounds). The issue with asking the question is that its very difficult to prove you didn't discriminate and so you are likely to lose any case that may be taken against you. Anyone with any sense wouldn't risk asking it but i was merely pointing out that while it would be stupid, it is not illegal to do so.

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Complainer said:

True

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Tell that to this guy : [broken link removed]

No more medical questions prior to an offer being made in the UK;

[broken link removed]

My husband has a pre interview form for the interviewee to fill out and one of the questions on it relates to their medical condition to do the job in question. eg. Do you have any medical conditions that may interfer with the position, if so please give brief details (or words to that effect)