I think it's pretty well known that employers are prohibited from asking questions related to personal information, like age, national origin, or family status.

Given that, though, I sometimes find it fairly hard to talk about myself without bringing some of those things up on my own. I'm married and have a baby and these things are central to who I am. If I avoid mentioning it, I feel awkward, but I would hate to get screened out of a job because they might see those things negatively.

My question for y'all is do you volunteer information you know they can't ask about and why or why not?

6/4/2009 2:50:48 PM

Yes, I've talked about this when being hired and I encourage others to talk about I interview them... asking "So tell me about yourself" is a legal question, haha. I don't know why they would be so dry and not ask this, unless it's the first interview and they're reading a script (sounds like your situation).

6/4/2009 3:02:20 PM

Yeah, if your personal information is important as far as what makes you what you are, then don't be afraid to mention it. Don't get into mentioning anything too gruesome or personal (Well back in 2002 I had this terrible infection that made me smell like gouda. This taught me a lot about how to deal with people who are assholes and how much I dislike cheese). If being a mom has made you a better person, improved your resolve, made you a harder worker, improved your time management, etc then don't be afraid to mention that. I've mentioned that diabetes has made me more determined and a lot better with working with numbers (there's lots of projecting, estimating, calculating of blood sugars and carbohydrates with this disease and my treatment method, so I've always got numbers on the brain).

Any employer who doesn't want to get sued would see your willingness to explain how your personal experience makes you a better worker and a better fit for the job as a positive thing, not a negative thing.

6/4/2009 3:14:27 PM

Here's the relevant information regarding what's legal to consider when hiring someone: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html. Yes, age, national origin, even marital status (as long as it's not pertinent to the job) are off-limits for the interviewer to ask, but that doesn't stop you from talking about them, especially if they will help your case.

There's no need to avoid mentioning your family, and honestly the responsibility of it will probably be seen as a plus.

If the hiring staff at the company is so squeamish that they shy away from anything personal for fear of being sued, then you probably don't want to work there. They're probably run by their HR.

6/4/2009 3:31:42 PM

Having a balance in your life outside of work is a plus when I interview. Cant tell you how many people I hire then make up reasons their performance suffers because of their at home issues.

A staple question I normally ask is what a balanced work place means to them since I cant ask about home situations, etc. Im not sure I favor candidates who are married, have kids, etc but theres something to working hard for yourself vs working hard to support a family.

6/4/2009 3:53:08 PM

Having a balance in your life outside of work is a plus when I interview. Cant tell you how many people I hire then make up reasons their performance suffers because of their at home issues.

A staple question I normally ask is what a balanced work place means to them since I cant ask about home situations, etc. Im not sure I favor candidates who are married, have kids, etc but theres something to working hard for yourself vs working hard to support a family, or whatever the reason is you work.

I should mention though if you open the door, be prepared to answer a follow up question on what you bring up. A good interviewer could tie your response into the job so dont open the door if you don't want anyone to pry.

What kind of job is it? I know a buddy of mine went to interview for the police department. A big part of the conversation with the hiring folks was making sure the family was okay with the new work (transferring from street to SWAT). Some type of jobs/companies/industries are probably more open to the personal side of you than others.





[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 3:59 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 3:53:56 PM

Well so I've interviewed at several companies recently and the interview styles have been on both sides. One company seems to be looking almost entirely looking at personality (sales engineering in a small office, they want to know if I'll fit in and if I have the temperament for the job), but other companies have focused on skills or experience. In these, I try to work in the personal details partly so I'm not just remembered for my resume bullet points.

So what has generally happened has been that I bring up the baby in small talk in the 2nd interview. On balance, I figure that married with a kid probably is a good thing for an employer (stability, responsibility), but you never know if someone has an attitude against it (more days out, more money in insurance). I guess I worry that it could affect the size of an offer (lower salary to balance the insurance or whatever) esp. because I'm competing with other new grads for these jobs.

6/4/2009 7:20:30 PM

Quote :

"Given that, though, I sometimes find it fairly hard to talk about myself without bringing some of those things up on my own. I'm married and have a baby and these things are central to who I am. If I avoid mentioning it, I feel awkward, but I would hate to get screened out of a job because they might see those things negatively. My question for y'all is do you volunteer information you know they can't ask about and why or why not?"

Better to put out information you think might be helpful to make their decision easier. Also, neither side wants to have surprises when you actually start -- makes for a bad work environment

I don't see how the kid thing helps you, though. At best, if everyone else there also has kids, then its safe to mention. If everyone else there does not or they are workaholics, then I question whether you would fit in that job.

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 7:53 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 7:50:05 PM

Is asking someone if they smoke and their height off limits?

6/4/2009 8:41:46 PM

I think it depends a lot upon the job, and agree with the idea that it's better to disclose than not. It was a big plus for my current employer (state of NC) because it explained why I was willing to forgo the high pay and long hours of private sector IT in favor of lower pay, set schedule and stability of working for the state. At one other place I interviewed, the family situation was seen as a negative (not a good fit from my perspective either), and a couple of others stressed flexible schedules, daycare, and other benefits that appeal to parents.

From the standpoint of someone who's been out working for longer than most of you kids , if you have to hide who you are in the interview, you won't be happy in the job. Does that mean anything in this economy? That's something you have to decide for yourself.

6/4/2009 9:11:32 PM

I asked a dude the other day to give us an idea of his biggest workplace pet peeve... he pretty much told me it was a question I was not supposed to ask during an interview.


It was quite entertaining. He will not be working with our company.

6/5/2009 2:23:06 AM

^ Sounds like his biggest pet peeve was being asked questions. Ain't that a bitch?

6/6/2009 12:51:56 PM

Dude do not mention having a baby in an interview unless you find out your boss has one too......dur

6/6/2009 8:08:15 PM

^^,^^^half of an interview is just making sure you know how to act right in front of people,


for instance not telling somebody who might give you a job that he shouldn't be asking something instead of just dodging or lying

6/6/2009 11:49:41 PM

When we interview folks, depending on the position, we'll cater or take them out to lunch. While it might still be treated as part of the interview, it's very informal and we'll ask such questions as marriage, kids, where they're from, etc, just to carry on a conversation.

Only one candidate said they didn't feel comfortable answering the question if they were married. I really don't see why it's such an "off limits" question.

6/7/2009 2:26:39 AM

I never disclose my race during interviews.

IT KEEPS THEM WONDERING

6/7/2009 11:35:12 AM

^^if the candidate is female, easy to see why its off limits

6/7/2009 11:46:26 AM

Quote :

"if the candidate is female, easy to see why its off limits"

lol, EXACTLY. And if it's "part of the interview" (regardless of the presence of food), it's illegal.

6/8/2009 10:21:41 AM

Would you really want to work for a company that would not hire you because you had a kid?

6/8/2009 10:24:31 AM

^ well, they might hire someone who'd be more likely to work 80 hours a week, or they might use the information to their advantage in negotiations. I wouldn't want to work somewhere that's *hostile* to having employees with kids, true, but I think I could sniff that out without having to volunteer my personal situation.

The point of this is not to clam up when someone asks me what my favorite sports team is or if I like delicious pie, but to keep close to the vest information that could be held against when an employer is choosing between candidates or putting together an offer.

6/8/2009 12:19:16 PM

Quote :

"I really don't see why it's such an "off limits" question."

Maybe they're going through a divorce/hard times with their marriage. That's probably all that was on their mind and they didn't want to go telling you all about it so they dodged the question.

6/8/2009 12:40:53 PM

I think the real issue is: how many people would feel comfortable telling your interviewer that they just asked you an inappropriate/illegal question?

Or, where is the line for you? "Sir, are you married?", "Sir, what are your religious beliefs?", "Sir, how big is your cock and will you come home with me and stick it in my wife while I poke you in your pooper?"

6/8/2009 12:51:23 PM

^

the sharp answer: "Is that a factor in whether or not I get the job?"

the soft answer: "Oh well, if you want to know a little bit about me to get a feel for who I am, well I like to play frisbee with my dog and I can play yankee doodle dandy by knocking on my forehead"

6/8/2009 5:15:55 PM