Memory Nguwi
Many managers get an opportunity to sit in job interview panels. In talking to some on social media, I feel that most of them have never been trained. The number of people that I see asking the wrong questions in job interviews is scurry.
Today I want to help those new to job interview panels or experienced folks who still ask the wrong question. The questions I list below are discriminatory, and in other jurisdictions, they are illegal.
Age – Do not ask candidates about their age. This is disciminarory. As you may be aware, age has no relationship with job performance. While knowing someone’s age would help the organisation determine if someone is above working age or they have not exceeded retirement age, it is unfair to ask such a question in a job interview. You could collect this information through an application blank. Even in such a case, you need to indicate that age is only required to verify if the candidate is above working age and have not exceeded retirement age. Untrained interviewers ask questions such as; You look young, how old are you, or you look old how old you are? In some instances, you get questions like: Why did you not indicate your age on your CV? How old are you?
Energy – Some untrained interviewers ask the following question: This job requires an individual with much energy, it’s a high-pressure job, you do not seem to have that kind of energy. This question is outright unfair. The issues being raised here have no relationship with the candidate’s ability to do the job.
Marital Status – It is unfair to ask someone about their marital status in job interviews. The main reason is that it has nothing to do with the ability to perform in role. Additionally, this question is discriminatory.
Tribe – Some people, due to inexperience, ask questions that are discriminatory based on tribe. For example, some ask; Your accent sounds like you are from Manicaland, is that where you come from? This question is irrelevant as it has nothing to do with the candidate’s ability to do the job.
Another question that tends to hit candidates who are not in the private sector is: I see you worked for organsiation X, which is known for such and such crimes; how do we know we are not hiring a thief by offering you this job. Such questions are not necessary and tend to knock off the confidence of a candidate.
Number of Children – You can not ask a job candidate how many children they have as this question has no relationship to job performance. This question does not help the panel to decide whether the candidate is a good fit or not.
In some instances, we see very unfortunate questions being asked, like: When are you planning to have your first child?
Pregnant women – It is unfair to ask a female candidate whether they are pregnant or not in a job interview regardless of your observations in the job interview. Suppose the organisation has a policy of not hiring pregnant people at the time of the interview, look for another way of making such a decision without putting that question to a job candidate in an interview. It is grossly unfair to do so.
Schools Attended – there is no reason for you to ask candidates about schools and colleges attended. Again that is a useless question as that has nothing to do with the ability of the person to do the job, and if that is a genuine concern to your organisation, you can check on the CV provided by the candidate.
If you want your organisation to have a good reputation as an employer of choice, its recruitment systems must avoid any form of discrimination. This includes not asking any of the questions above as part of your interview process.
Memory Nguwi is an Occupational Psychologist, Data Scientist, Speaker, & Managing Consultant- Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a management and human resources consulting firm.
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