What You Can Ask At An Interview

Jack Shand, CMC, CAE

© Leader Quest and Jack F. Shand

Whether as the employee responsible for hiring in your organization, or a volunteer serving on a hiring (or search) committee, it is important to understand what questions you can and cannot ask a job applicant.

Here are a few examples:

Don’t Ask: How does your family feel about you being away at conferences and trade shows? [family status questions are prohibited]

Ask: 25% of the job involves travel including being out of town for several days at a time. Are you able to meet this requirement? (this is legal if asked of all applicants)

Don’t Ask: What year did you graduate from college/obtain your degree? [the question will probably enable a prospective employer to determine the applicant’s age]

Ask: What degrees, diplomas and training do you hold that will help you perform in this position?

Don’t Ask: Appreciating volunteers is important to us. What social organizations do you belong to where you’ve had volunteer experience? [the employer cannot ask about the organizations an applicant supports unless it is a job requirement, e.g., you can ask a lawyer applying for a job as General Counsel if s/he is currently licensed to practice by the governing regulatory body]

Ask: Appreciating volunteers is important to us. Tell us about an example where you successfully provided management (or project) support to a group of volunteers.

Don’t Ask: I see from your résumé that you grew up in Europe. What languages did you learn at home? [information could be revealed about ancestry/culture]

Ask:  As a national organization our policy is to serve members in the two official languages of Canada. Do you speak English and French fluently?

Don’t Ask: On a couple of occasions during today’s interview you have referred to your partner’s work as a lawyer. Is your partner male or female? [this question is asking for information about the applicant’s sexual orientation]

Ask: What person may we contact in the event of an emergency at work? (BUT ask this only after the person is hired)

To prepare for an interview the keys are to (1) ensure that questions are directly relevant to the job requirements, (2) be consistent in what you ask each applicant, and (3) check with your local Human Rights Commission or similar agency if in doubt about what can be asked.

This article contains material of general interest only and is not legal advice or intended to replace a consultation with a legal professional on any particular matter.