Page 177 - You're Hired! Interview Answers
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You’Re hiRed! inteRview anSweRS let it go. You will need to find your own moral ground on this, but remember,
the law is on your side. A potential compromise is to say, ‘OK, I will answer
that question, [if indeed you are willing], but you need to be aware that you
shouldn’t have asked it.’
‘this is a full-time post, how will you manage with childcare?’
This is inappropriate again, as it is usually asked of women and opens the
door to discrimination. Further, irrespective of gender, childcare arrangements
should not form part of the hiring decision and should therefore not be asked
about. Therefore, use our advice on the previous pages.
KNOW WHAT THE LAW SAYS
It is worth knowing the employment legislation in broad outline so that you
can recognise when an inappropriate question is being asked.
A final point to make is that the burden of proof lies with an employer. This
means that if you are rejected for a role and you believe that the decision has
been based on unfair discrimination, then it is up to the employer to prove
otherwise – one of the few cases in law where a party is guilty until proved
innocent. Good employers will be aware of the legislation and will be compliant
with it. They will create an audit trail of the selection process, for example
interview notes, as a means of defending themselves in an instance where an
appeal is made on grounds of unfair discrimination.
In terms of how you actually deal with an inappropriate question when
confronted with it, there are two approaches. You can point it out at the time
and explain why you are not prepared to answer, or you can answer, but keep
a note of what has been asked. In the spirit of openness, we suggest indicating
the inappropriateness of the question, but answering if you are prepared to.
The key thing is to give thought to this before the interview, rather than being
caught out on the day.
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