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It is possible they can make some determinations of what your personality type or how driven you are based on what you do in your spare time. For example, do you play video games or are you a competitive runner ?
I heard of one interview coach who held a seminar at a career fair mention a woman was in the process of getting her dream job... went through the phone interview, and 2 in-person interviews. Last one was with shareholders, upper management, and CEOs in a semi-formal lunch setting. The CEO approached her and asked her "I know I shouldn't ask this, but I'd really like to know... are you married, and do you have kids?" So much for the dream job
I've heard that it's "illegal" to ask this question, but does anyone know whether there really is a law somewhere banning such questions?
I suppose some would fear admitting to married/kids because it implies you can't work beyond 40 hrs/week. But in my book, someone who's got kids is automatically a hero. Raising children (and staying married for that matter) forces us, or most of us anyway, to become much more patient and better communicators and nurturers, which are great traits for long term getting along with people on the job!
^^^It's not illegal to ask that question, but, as an interviewer, we shouldn't, because if we pass on you, you may be able to claim we were biased in some fashion.
I actually like the question about what you do for fun, because, it
A. Opens people up
B. You can see what motivates them
People get excited about fun things and their hobbies, and to me, that is great. As a manager, I want happy people... If people are happy outside of work, they tend to be happier at work. Everyone has (or should) things that drive them outside of work, and that to me is great. When I have been asked things like that, I mention that I work really hard so that I can travel... Other people spend money on going out, at the bar, etc, I save my money so that I can travel out of the country once or twice a year.
I ask that question quite a bit even in non interviewing situations...........it is just a nice way to relax someone and get them down to their basic self and put you on a more human level. For example, if I am talking with a customer I will sometimes say "What do you do for fun?" or if I see them with a fishing, motorcycle, or car t shirt on I will ask if that is their interest. It is amazing the things you can find out about a person when you start talking about their hobbies.
The whole "what do you do for fun" is annoying because it's impolite to ask that of a stranger. At most, you discuss neutral subjects like the weather, maybe sports, maybe cars. But peaking into someone's private off-work activities is kind of intrusive and Big Brother-ish. I just make stuff up when asked. Yeah I like playing with my kid, I like shopping, I read, I watch movies with my wife, that kind of neutral pablum. If they say "What kind of books" then I will say, "Books related to XXXX" where XXXX is the exact position I'm applying for (just kidding ) .
I've heard that it's "illegal" to ask this question, but does anyone know whether there really is a law somewhere banning such questions?
Quote:
Originally Posted by IonRedline08
^^^It's not illegal to ask that question, but, as an interviewer, we shouldn't, because if we pass on you, you may be able to claim we were biased in some fashion.
It's not illegal, but perhaps borderline or "solid gray area" due to what IonRedline08 mentioned. Also, you risk turning off good candidates, since the idea is, "if they're asking these questions during an interview, just imagine how inappropriate and wrong things will get if I decide to work here".
Quote:
Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts
I suppose some would fear admitting to married/kids because it implies you can't work beyond 40 hrs/week. But in my book, someone who's got kids is automatically a hero. Raising children (and staying married for that matter) forces us, or most of us anyway, to become much more patient and better communicators and nurturers, which are great traits for long term getting along with people on the job!
The problem with this line of thought is that it's always based on perception. One employer may think this is admirable... especially if some of them also have kids of their own. OTOH, you're too unavailable if you have 3 kids. Their bottom line is, they want someone who's available and can do the job. In more cases than not, having them is a distraction than a benefit, but it can be good in the sense that you're working for family and can be more diligent about your work too.
In my case, I did volunteer I was single when I was considering a job across country, as they cited previous concerns of moving to a remote area, and while the employee was fine with that, the family/spouse ended up not being able to go through with it few months to a year in and ended up quitting. Since they pay candidates to relocate there, they stand to lose a lot there.
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