In the last Advisor, we shared several forbidden interview questions. Today, we hit a few more and also talk about an extraordinary interviewer’s training program to help avoid these costly miscues.
Untrained supervisors sitting in the interview room—who knows what they’re going to ask applicants! One thing for sure, they are nervous, and that means they’re likely to ask some—or all—of the “forbidden questions.”
Let’s look at more questions you can’t ask, this time from BLR’s famous Red Book series, officially known as What to Do About Personnel Problems in [Your State]. Then we’ll get to a tool to do the training you need to avoid their errors … and maybe sleep better yourself.
BLR’s Audio Click ’n Train: Interviewing Skills for Supervisors uses both PowerPoint® slides and a professionally recorded soundtrack to help your supervisors stay out of the forbidden question zone. Read more
What you can’t ask: Do you have or plan to have children?
This seems like innocent conversation, but it’s setting you up for a discrimination lawsuit. You might be especially tempted to ask this question for a position that involves working with children, but even then it’s a no-no. Instead, ask, “What experience do you have working with children?”
What you can’t ask: Can you get child care easily so that you can travel on short notice?
Again, don’t ask about children and child care. You can get the answer to this question by simply describing your requirements: “The person in this position often has to travel to outlying facilities with only a day’s notice. Can you meet that requirement?”
What you can’t ask: Tell me about the organizations you belong to.
Again, this appears to be an innocent question, but it’s not. The question tends to elicit information about the applicant’s religious, racial, or ethnic affiliation, and that’s information you don’t want, and legally can’t have. A better question: “Tell me about any memberships or organizations that contribute to or affect your ability to do the job.”
What to Do?
The questions above are just the tip of the forbidden question iceberg. How do you keep your supervisors out of the forbidden zone? The answer is simple, and the experts all agree on it:
Train, train, and train some more.
The key to training supervisors is good training materials. Good and inexpensive would be even better.
One program that’s both is BLR’s Audio Click ’n Train: Interviewing Skills for Supervisors. It uses PowerPoint slides and a professionally recorded audio soundtrack to impart its lessons and make them stick.
What would it cost to keep your supervisors from asking illegal interview questions that could lead to a major lawsuit? How about less than $150? Accomplish it with BLR’s Audio Click ’n Train: Interviewing Skills for Supervisors. Click to learn more.
This comprehensive interviewing program teaches your supervisors how to:
- Recognize legal and policy issues related to interviewing.
- Identify styles and types of interviews.
- Plan an effective interview strategy.
- Develop good questions.
- Conduct successful interviews.
- Take precautions to prevent discrimination.
Why use a soundtrack? Three reasons, say the BLR program creators. First, it’s far more engaging than visuals alone. Second, it ensures consistency if you’re training multiple groups. The same message is given to all. And finally, you’re freed from the task of narrating the program. That makes the program self-teaching. And, for those of us who are “presentation challenged” (ourselves included!), it’s priceless.
We highly recommend this program and suggest that you click here for more information or to order—satisfaction assured.