Illegal Interview Questions & What to do When Asked

• What is your marital status?
• What does your husband/wife do?
• Do you plan to have a family?
• How many kids do you have?
• How old are your children?
• What are your child care arrangements?

What are the most common inappropriate questions related to politics that are asked in interviews?

Although currently there are no federal laws that prohibit private employers from asking political affiliation questions, you can always choose not to answer if you are uncomfortable with being asked about your political affiliation or anything related to your personal political beliefs.

What do you do when you are asked an illegal interview question?

When asked an illegal interview question, the choice in how you respond is entirely up to you. You could answer the question briefly and move on to another subject to avoid more unwanted questions, or you could ignore the question altogether and redirect the conversation to a different topic. If the question is blatant and offensive, as an interviewee you have every right to end the interview and leave.

Conclusion

If you are a job seeker navigating the interview process, it’s important to be aware of the questions that employers can ask, and ones that they should never bring up during an interview. If an illegal interview question is asked that makes you uncomfortable or you prefer not to answer, it is entirely reasonable to either change the topic of conversation or simply state that you prefer not to answer.

If a question is blatantly discriminatory or you are pushed to answer an illegal question, consider ending the interview. Working for a company that has no regard for the privacy of their potential employees is not a place that would foster a workplace of inclusion. 

Don’t waste your time applying to positions with companies that have no interest in fostering a workplace of inclusion, and who could potentially ask illegal interview questions during the interview process. With this in mind, check out our diversity job board, which consists of more than 30,000 career opportunities for diverse job seekers in a wide range of industries. Companies include Hertz, CVS Health, Campbell’s, and more, who are seeking to offer exciting careers to diverse talent. Learn more and register for our Hirepurpose® diversity job board to receive job alerts.