By the time students approach the end of their final academic year, the colleges and institutions starts flooding with a stream of prospective recruiters and different companies. Nervousness and anxiety surrounds you as you begin to register and prepare for various job interviews. The urge to give in the best and give an impressive performance to attain a better future creates a performance pressure on the candidates. But, at times, all the dreams and determinations come crashing down inside the interview room owing to certain inappropriate issues that come up in an interview. The candidates may spend an eternity preparing for such interviews but some unexpected issues can leave them stumped in the interview room and destroy their chances at the available opportunity. These inappropriate issues in a job interview are discussed in detail in the article given below. Knowing about these problems beforehand can help you tackle them better so, read on and stay prepared!
Inappropriate Problems Of Job Interview
Problem From The Employer’s Side
It is quite natural for a few eccentric interviewers to trouble the interviewee with strange and difficult questions. But there is an ethical line that no interviewer can cross during an interview. There are certain guidelines to be followed under which an interviewer cannot ask certain types of questions and the interviewee can even refuse to answer these questions. Some of these unethical are mentioned below:
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How Old Are You? – The recruiter has no requirement of knowing a candidate’s age (unless age is an important criterion such as in the defence forces etc.) and can be cross-questioned by the candidate regarding it.
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Are You Married? Or How Many Times Have You Been Married? – Another personal and irrelevant question that a candidate can refuse to answer is, ‘are you married?’ A candidate’s personal life has nothing to do with the interview.
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Are You In A Committed Relationship Right Now? – Now, why would an interviewer want to know this bit of detail about the candidate, is beyond the comprehension of all experts. You can warn the recruiter not to cross his boundaries if such a question arises.
Other Irrelevant Questions:
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How does your spouse feel about you working here?
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Whom do you live with?
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What is your sexual orientation?
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What's your ethnicity/nationality?
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What is your first language?
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Were your parents born in this country?
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What is your racial background?
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Are you religious? Do you attend church?
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Do you intend to have children? How many?
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Do you have children?
Inappropriate Behaviour
Apart from the inappropriate questions, there are certain inappropriate and insulting behavioural traits also that a candidate must be cautious about. There is a set code of conduct which both the candidate and the recruiter need to follow in an interview room. An interview is a formal meeting and should be kept that way. There are times when the recruiter starts mocking and laughing at the candidates’ answers. They can also get harsh and insult the candidates out of frustration. Such a case should immediately be brought to the notice of higher authorities of the company or organisation for relevant actions to be taken.
Problem From The Candidate’s Side
Indecent Appearance
Most of the candidates who attend their first interview are not aware of the importance or the need of being formally dressed for an interview. They come either overdressed or underdressed for this formal meeting. Your appearance gives the recruiter, a valuable first impression. Therefore, a decent, professional and neat look is highly desired.
Show Up Unprepared
Unpreparedness is another situation that can cause problems in an interview. A candidate is expected to have basic knowledge of his/her field of study, about the field of job they are applying for along with a brief background about the company and its current economic situation. Usually candidates are given almost a week’s time to prepare for the interview, so utilise this time effectively and give it your best shot!
Odd inappropriate job interview issues can definitely be avoided if both the candidates and employers understand their respective roles and duties carefully.
