Inappropriate interview questions

HR consultancy Water For Fish has carried out research that shows that inappropriate interview questions included:

• Age-62%
• Marital status-55%
• Health questions-58%
• Sexual orientation-3%
• Political party support-4%
• Being asked out on a date-1%.

Without there being any legal reason to ask such questions employers risk embarrassing legal action under one of the many discrimination acts.

The survey reveals a real need for basic training and professionalism among some interviewers who should be advised of their legal obligations and how they can help their employers avoid an unfortunate discrimination claim arising by basic house-keeping such as retention of interview notes and avoiding inappropropriate and irrelevant questioning.

The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.