There’s no room for mistakes during the interview process. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a bad hire can cost your company as much as 30% of a yearly salary. The interview is an important opportunity for candidates to showcase their talent and personality as well as an opportunity for your company to highlight its employer brand.
Your employer brand also depends on a good hiring process. Happy employees write better reviews about their company on Glassdoor. Likewise, candidate interview reviews on Glassdoor influence and inform the perceptions of your company for fellow job seekers.
Companies use different tactics to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for their company, from written assignments and presentations to oddball questions that test for creativity and problem-solving abilities. According to Glassdoor data, J.W. Business Acquisitions asked a candidate, “How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?” Similarly, to gain insight into a candidate’s thought process, Delta Airlines reportedly asked in an interview, “ How many basketballs would fit in this room?”
Although there are a variety of questions that interviewers can ask to measure candidates, it is important that interviewers understand that there are some questions that should never be asked in an interview.
Federal and state laws protect employees from discrimination by age, race, gender, national origin, citizenship, disabilities, marital status, sexual orientation, arrest and conviction record, military discharge status and pregnancy status. The purpose of a job interview is to determine whether someone has the ability to do the job.
To prevent discrimination lawsuits, share this list of questions that cannot be asked to candidates with hiring managers ahead of time.
For more information on how to conduct better interviews, check out our checklists and interview templates for hiring top talent.
