• 13
  • September
    2010

In the whirlwind of preparation, questions and follow-ups that constitute most interview processes, it can be hard to tell whether or not you are getting a fair shake. Employers make hiring decisions based on many different things; some are legitimate and others inappropriate.

While you can't account for everything that goes on during the screening process, the interviewer's questions can reveal a lot. Based on what you are asked, you may be able to roughly gauge what attributes the employer is looking for.

Regardless of intention, there are some questions that cannot be asked during a job interview. Not coincidentally, many of these subject areas coincide with common areas of workplace discrimination. 

In a recent article for Investopedia, Porsche Moran tackled eight of these off-limit subject areas.

  1. How old are you?
    If you are 40 years old or older, you are protected from answering any questions regarding your age. Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, employers are barred from discriminating against older employers in favor of younger (cheaper) employees.
  2. Are you married?
    According to Moran, an interviewer cannot even ask whether or not a certain individual would prefer to be addressed as "Mrs., Miss or Ms." This sets the tone for the iron-bound rules of conduct surrounding questions about marriage. In short, there can't be any of them.
  3. Are you a U.S. citizen?
    An employer can ask if you're legally authorized to work in the United States, but he or she cannot question your citizenship or immigration status. Once a job has been offered, an employer will likely ask you to fill out an I-9 form to verify your employment eligibility.
  4. Do you have any disabilities?
    Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, employers are required to accommodate workers with disabilities to the fullest extent possible without spending too much money or causing too much difficulty themselves. It is illegal to deny anyone a job based on a physical or mental disability.

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