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What You Can (and Can’t) Ask in an Interview

Posted by on May 10, 2019

An interview is a big deal—not just for the candidate, but for the company as well. When you’re interviewing a potential new member of your team, you get your best chance at determining whether or not this person would actually be capable of doing the job, and how well they would fit into your company culture. Needless to say, it’s important that you, as the interviewer, put a good amount of thought and preparation into the questions you ask during an interview.

 

However, as you may know, there are some questions that you may feel naturally inclined to ask that are simply not permitted in a professional interview setting. The answers to these questions could make you liable if the candidate feels that he/she missed out on the job for discriminatory reasons.

 

Here are some general categories you should avoid in interview questions, along with sample illegal questions for each. (Note: this list is not comprehensive, but rather a short list of examples.)

 

Note: In this case, it’s acceptable to ask if the candidate is eligible to work in the U.S.

 

 

Other smaller categories you shouldn’t ask about include:

 

 

After hiring, it will be appropriate to share some of this information, as employers will need to have certain information for tax purposes.

 

When making your list of interview questions, follow these general rules:

 

 

These basic guidelines will be a great starting point when it comes to keeping your interviews both legal and productive. By following these best practices, you’re more likely to find the employee you want without putting your company at risk.

 

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