General Chat

English Law is quite clear on some aspects of interviewing, especially when interviewing woman.

You cannot ask about children or or marital status. If the question is asked they can decline to answer.

As for hobbies, these can tell quite a lot and I suggest that anyone only puts down something that they have a knowledege of. Could always say genealogy!!!

The story I posted earlier is absolutely true but it was the only time I have had such an experience. Usually people mention family life in the course of their interview so no real problem


Bridget

Thanks Ann
But that was most of the interview
Just glad I knew my fish

Mo, the reason hobbies questions are asked are to get you talking about yourself, to see how you communicate and to relax you for further questions.

Ann
Glos (ex personnel office - pre HR days).

My first interview for a carer was with the local council.The director of social services himself did the interview ,together with the home manager.
I had had no experience other than looking after my parents for a short tme,before they went into a home.As questions were on care,I could only answer from personal experience,not as qualified carer.
Must have done ok ,as I got the job.
But one of the questions on the application form was what hobbies have you got..I put reading and breeding tropical fish.I then had to spent 20 mins or so being grilled on what fish we had,where they came from,how they bred ect.
Still dont know to this day what that has to do with working as a carer.
Can only guess at people had lied before as to what hobbies they had put down on their application form.
So be warned,dont lie about your hobbies
lol

I would think that it would be okay to ask general personal questions eg do you have family but not to ask if you are divorced, in a heteresexual relationship or gay and do you live in the immediate area and maybe what are your hobbies and then these questions can be answered how the applicant wants.

I have been interviewing applicants for nurse, careres, chefs and any other role in the delivery of nursing and general care since 1972 and what is allowed to be asked and what isn't is in fact quite easily available. However sometimes I think we have gone to far to protect applicants.

EG About 15 years ago I was inteviewing a candidate for the position of a Manager of a 102 bed nursing Home. therefore by law he or she had to have registerd nurse qualification etc and be able to show that he or she had previous experience etc in this type of work.
What I was not allowed to ask was did she have children who were depenednet on her...Now this caused a major problem. She was offered and accepted the post, having of course obtained all the refs , legal checks and interview through the Registered Manager Board.
One evening I was called back to the home because the Police had arrived and taken the manager to the staion!! What had she done?

Well she had been leaving a seven year old boy on his own whilst she was working, he took himself ro school, came home alone and if she was working an evening she left him by himself.

If I had know about this child it WOULD NOT have stopped her from being appointed BUT we could have helped to manager the sitiuation..

I had four children of my own plus two step children and have always worked BUT we must protect the vulnerable



As for being British of course I am but I AM ENGLISH!!!!


sorry for the long story but I never forgot that episode and now I try to get more info outside the interview room in general chit chat and more and more fathers are taking care of their children and they are usually so straight forward about their committments that I do not have to ask!!!


Oh I have rambled AGAIN


bridget

Dear MaggieWinchester and Duncan

Hello

Maggie....I agree. I am English, not flippin' European!! I always tick UK box, but add English! Allright, if folk want to get technical, a bit of gypsy too.

Duncan........ same here. The application forms at me job still say year of birth and you have to show your birth certificate!

That reminds me..... a few years ago, human resources sent round forms for us to fill in.

One part was about marital status:

Single, engaged, co-habitating, married, separated, divorced, widowed or other sexual orientation!!!

I cannot repeat the responses from my colleagues at the time!
One filled in all boxes!

Needless to say, another useless paper wasting exercise by HR.

Best wishes
xx

Hi

I occasionally interview people, and have been briefed that there is a change in rules due to agism. Apparently application forms should no longer ask for age or date of birth, and also should not ask about length of service in previous jobs, so somebody reading the application form is assessing the applicant with no idea of his age.

Having told me all this, my firm are still using application forms which ask for date of birth and length of service in previous jobs!

Duncan

Fully agree with you Elizabeth.
My life outside of work is mine - to do with what I want.
It pees me off when it has the 'ethnic origin' bit. You can be irish, Welsh, Scottish or British!
Am I instantly branded a nationalist by scrubbing out the 'British' and writing 'English'?
I always thought Britain was Scotland, N Ireland, Wales and England, but apparently one is not allowed to be English any more.
*Note the Royal 'one' * LOL

Never really understood the reason for that question - we're all British! Are employers really interested in what part you come from?

Dear Ladies

Hello

Thank you all for your thoughtful answers.

Good for you, Arctic Blonde, what a cheeky beggar, that employer!!

I have found in the public sector, where I work, that sometimes
individual managers, etc push their luck when interviewing people.

My personal feeling is that far too much info is kept on employees.

Since, the employer pays for you to do a job only, I don't feel
a persons life outside of work should be brought into the workplace.

Oops! That sounds a bit strong!!

Best wishes to all
xx

I don't think that it is allowed to ask females any question that you don't ask males. As a rule all interviewees for a job should be asked the same or similar questions. I am pretty certain that questions on religion, politics or health should not be asked (most firms will have some sort of health questionnaire maybe but it shouldn't form part of the interview. I think most of these 'rules' came in post 1973 AB but even then it was not a good question to ask at interview. Nowadays it would fall foul of equality rules.

I was once asked (in the late 70s when I knew it should not be asked) by a local councillor when applying for a job in local government. 'what will you do if your children are ill?' My answer was, 'My husband will take time off to look after them'. I got that job.

It depends what sort of personal information they are storing Elizabeth. I think some they would be allowed to store as long as they abide by data protection laws.

Ann
Glos

*frantically searches memory cells for lists of interview questions*

I don't think they actually can ask personal questions, Elizabeth.

I am sure there will be someone along with more up to date knowledge than me but I am fairly certain interviewees must not be asked about their family life, religion or health, whether they are about to have children, whether they have any dependants etc etc... some questions will be a part of the monitoring form (can't remember what it is called but it is to do with ethnicity)

However, there are some instances when certain questions can be asked, and that is aimed at finding out what aids a disabled person might require in order to be employed with that company... I THINK that has to be after offer of a post, though.

Love

Daff xxxx

Dear All

Hello

Do you think employers should be allowed to ask what they like at job interviews?

Would you be happy to answer questions about your religion, family, health, etc?

What do you think about an employer storing personal information about their staff?

Best wishes to all
xx