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One in Five People Have Been Asked
Improper Or Inappropriate Job Interview Questions
March 28, 2001 (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) - As if running the gauntlet of job interviews and pounding on doors weren't tough enough, many Americans are encountering problems in job interviews when seeking employment.
In a recent survey conducted for FindLaw (www.findlaw.com), 21 percent of adults said they have been asked an improper or inappropriate question in a job interview situation. Among adults between the ages of 35 and 54, the proportion was even higher -- nearly one in four (24 percent). Results were also slightly higher for women and minorities.
The national survey was conducted for FindLaw by the polling firm of Ipsos-Reid Express using a representative sample of 1,000 adults nationwide, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
People surveyed were asked, "Have you ever been asked a question in a job interview that you considered improper or inappropriate?" Slightly more women than men said they had been asked an improper or inappropriate job interview question. Twenty-three percent of women answered "yes," compared with 18 percent of men.
Members of minorities were more likely to say that they had been asked improper or inappropriate job interview questions, with 27 percent responding "yes" compared with 20 percent for Caucasians. In addition, people with higher levels of education were more likely to say they had been asked improper or inappropriate job interview questions. Twenty-four percent of those with a college degree responded in the affirmative, compared with 12 percent for those without a high school diploma.
Fair hiring practice and civil rights laws have made it illegal to ask job applicants questions concerning race, beliefs, marital status and other personal information, and businesses violating these laws can be subject to penalties. However, not every question that a job applicant might consider inappropriate or improper is necessarily an illegal question.
Job interviewees as well as job interviewers can learn more about what questions are legally permitted in job interviews at www.findlaw.com.