Interview Questions You Do not Have to Answer

After submitting you job application, complete with a cover letter and resume, depending on the appeal the employer got from your resume, you were invited for an interview. You got ready for the interview and headed to your potential future employer to answer every single interview question. Job interviews are moments to take questions and as an applicant it is never the most comfortable moments no matter how much you have prepared for it. There are certain questions that you might not want to answer and others that are illegal because they violate human rights.

It is important as a candidate attending an interview to take note of the illegal job interview questions. This will help you understand the employer’s limits and when not to respond because sometimes a hiring manager asks a question that completely stumps you. Here are five illegal interview questions you should never have to answer and tips on how to respond if an interviewer asks them anyway.

1. How old are you?

Hiring managers are welcome to dig into your work experience and education, but they should not ask about your age. It is an innocent question but employers are prohibited from asking it. If you sense an interviewer is trying to root out your age, steer the conversation back toward your relevant skills and experiences.

2. Are you married?

Hiring manager may ask about your personal life as a way to get to know you better. Asking questions about marital status could also be helping them to make assumptions about your level of commitment to the job or even use this question to discriminate against your sexual orientation which is illegal. If you sense an interviewer is veering into overly personal territory, steer the conversation back to the job at hand.

3. Do you have kids or when are you planning to?

A hiring manager may have concern over potential productivity affecting factors as an applicant would be exposed to after gaining the employment. How an employee plans to manage personal affair such as pregnancy and child care systems is not an interviewer call to take. Also, the question may be learning if the applicant has restrictions that would prevent them from getting the job done.

4. Religious affiliations

Sometimes, a hiring manager will not hesitate to ask about where you worship. This question is only relevant if only you are applying for a job at a church or any other faith-based organization, which make hiring decisions strictly based on religion. You do not have to answer this illegal job interview question.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

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5. Do you have any mental or physical disability?

This is an illegal question that a hiring manager should not ask in an interview because it is discriminatory. If the hiring manager asks you this question, just ask them why they want to know. This is because in companies hiring machine operators need to know of any disability so that they can know where to place you.