When I was interviewing for one of my first jobs, the company wanted know if I was married, and wanted to meet with my husband to be sure he didn't mind the travel involved.
After I got the job, we had hiring criteria for the people who worked for me as part-time merchandisers, including being a married woman whose kids were in school, with time available mid-day to work, and who only needed supplemental income.
Back then, you didn't hear that much about discrimination, but, that was only one blatant example. Federal and state laws prohibit prospective employers from asking certain questions that are not related to the job they are hiring for. That doesn't mean you won't get asked, even today. There are still companies that aren't aware of the rules or will try and discover what they want to know, regardless of the law.
Here's more information on discriminatory interview questions, what hiring managers can ask, and what they shouldn't be asking candidates for employment, plus options for handling discriminatory interview questions.
Job Interview Resources
- Job Interview Questions
- Difficult Interview Questions
- Best Answers to Interview Questions
- Interview Thank You Letters
Photo © Andy Hwang