What Not To Ask Your Candidates
Getting to know your candidates is a key function of being a hiring manager, but sometimes having a friendly chit-chat can inadvertently cross the line into an inappropriate and even an illegal line of questions. Below are what might seem like harmless conversation starters in certain settings but are questions that hiring managers need to take care not to ask during any part of the interview process.
Where is your family from?
Where did you live growing up?
What is your native language?
What are you doing for an upcoming religiously affiliated holiday (e.g., Christmas, Channukah, Easter, and Ramadan)?
Do you live with your parents?
What’s your marital status?
Are you single?
Do you have children?
How old are your children?
With whom do you live?
What does your wife/husband do for a living?
Do you live in town?
How far is your commute?
When did you enter the workforce?
What year did you graduate from high school or college?
What fraternity were you in?
What organizations or unions do you belong to?
What clubs, societies and lodges are you a member of?
When you read these questions, were you confident that you would never ask them? Probably so -- few people ask these questions during the formal in-person interview or on a screening call and most know to stay away from asking about race, religion, ethnicity, disabilities, age and health. But what about in a more relaxed setting -- waiting for an elevator with the candidate, taking them on a tour of the campus or having them meet with students and alumni? Some of these questions may come up more naturally as you and your team try to build connections and get to know them. While candidates can share this information, employers cannot ask these types of questions in a formal or informal setting.
The best way to avoid inadvertently crossing the line is to always keep the conversation about the role, the benefits of the institution and department and the candidates' experience. Plus, be sure to provide a friendly reminder to your colleagues, students and alumni who may meet with the candidates to do the same.