Examples of this kind of question include:
- So, do you have any kids?
- Your name’s quite unusual; where does it come from?
- How would your wife feel about you having a 3-month secondment to Malaysia?
Before you do anything to respond to questions that you think are inappropriate:
Stay calm
Don’t react
Choose whether or not to answer
Remember that not all interviewers have had in-depth training on what they're allowed to ask. It might be worth giving them the benefit of the doubt - the first time!
Make sure you avoid the, perhaps, instinctive response of snapping “how is that relevant?”If you do choose to answer, do it in your natural style.
One of the most effective techniques is to avoid answering the question. For example:
My partner is very supportive of my career and I don't forsee any concerns in the future.
If you're really not comfortable answering a question, you could reply (with a smile and positive body language):
“I’m sorry, I’d rather not discuss XYZ, if that’s ok with you.”
If lots of inappropriate or dodgy questions arrive, first take a step back and ask yourself whether it’s a company-wide attitude, or just your interviewer. If you think it’s company-wide, then it’s worth considering whether you really want to work for them.
If you believe the answers you gave were used to discriminate against you, then you can put in a complaint, after the interview, but you should take expert advice, before doing this
Bear in mind that these questions may be a test, to see how you react under stress or see how much integrity you have. Or they may be important to the company, for example, seeing how you feel about extended foreign travel or long working hours.
Trust your instincts on whether a question is unreasonable. If you think it is, then make sure your response is professional.
If you feel you want to take things further, then make sure you’ve checked out your rights first.
Rest assured, it rarely gets that far. The vast majority of dodgy questions are asked innocently (and perhaps naively), so the most useful response is to smile your way through and put it behind you. Whatever you do, don’t let a single bad question spoil the rest of your interview performance – you’re worth more than that. |
