You may not know it, but it is forbidden to ask certain questions in a job interview. If you are currently in the recruitment process, you need to master these questions in order to identify the red flags potential who will reflect the state of mind of the company.
Geomancis Media is an account maintained by a master of law student. This student and influencer regularly discusses the rights of everyone, particularly young people, on subjects related to housing or any other subject, such as employment. In a series of videos, she discusses the 10 questions that a recruiter is not allowed to ask in an interview. She even mentions possible answers, which we will not discuss in this article, so don’t hesitate to watch her two videos to find out more!
@geomancis_media 10 answers to illegal questions #longervideos #hr #interview #legal
Questions a recruiter is not allowed to ask you in an interview
The questions raised by Geomancis Media and which the recruiter does not have the right to ask which are linked to you, your personality, your convictions, your projects… So many personal elements which mean that the interview can quickly turn into a nightmare . Here is the list of 10 questions that the recruiter cannot ask:
- Are you single or married?
- Do you have religious beliefs? What are your religious beliefs?
- Are you a union member?
- Do you have debts or financial problems?
- Have you ever been convicted by the courts?
- Are you pregnant or planning to have children?
- What is your sexual orientation?
- Do you have health problems? Do you suffer from a disability?
- What are your origins? Which country are you from?
- How old are you ?
@geomancis_media Have you ever heard that 😰? Part 1: @Géomancis Media #longervideos #hr #interview #legal
Why are these questions prohibited in interviews?
As mentioned, these questions concern you personally, so they can be sources of discrimination. Some of the questions mentioned above, such as age, religious beliefs, origin or sexual orientation, are all subjects which are at the heart of discrimination in hiring. By asking you these questions, the recruiter may be trying to find out if you are too old for the position, for example.
The question that often comes up, despite the fact that it is absolutely illegal, is that of pregnancy. Indeed, women are often discriminated against when they have not yet had children, or when they have children, because the employer may consider that they will be absent or be less flexible with regard to hours. .
All of these questions are far too personal to be discussed in an interview or in a company. This is also a subject that you do not have to share with your employer, once in office, with the exception of disability, to benefit from support if necessary of course, or pregnancy, if you fall pregnant after several months of work, in order to warn of your future absence.
What should I do if I am asked these questions in an interview?
If you are asked one of these illegal questions in an interview, you can first try to produce a devious answer in order to highlight your skills and distance the recruiter from these considerations. However, if your interlocutor persists and the interview turns into an interrogation around personal and intimate subjects, you can totally decide to leave the room.
As Gémoancis Media mentions, the HR manager or recruiter is often representative of a state of mind of the company and the employer. You must therefore be attentive to these signals which will make you think that the work environment is not healthy. The question of origins, even if you do not experience racism, reflects a certain ambient discrimination, for example.
