Guidelines on Employement Interview Questions

Any question asked during the selection and interview process must be related to the job and the performance of that job. Even so called "legal" questions can be improper if the employer can not demonstrate a job related necessity for asking the question. Legal questions can also be suspect if they are used in such a way so as to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. For example, asking only females if they are available to work weekends and evenings can be viewed as discriminatory. Although this is a legitimate question, it is improper if not asked of all candidates.

Keeping these things in mind, the following list provides some general guidelines on the kinds of questions that should and should not be asked during the selection and interview process.

Topic	Unacceptable	Acceptable
Attendance & Reliability	Do you have any children? How many Are you pregnant? Are you married?	What hours and days can you work? Are there specific times that you cannot work? Do you have responsibilities other than work that will interfere with a specific job requirement such as traveling?
Citizenship/National Origin	What is your national origin? Where are your parents from?	Are you legally eligible for employment in the United States? Same as above.
For Reference Checking	What is your maiden name? What is your father's surname What are the names of your relatives?	Have you ever worked under a different name? None None
Arrests and Convictions	Have you ever been arrested?	Have you ever been convicted of a crime? If so, when, where and what was the disposition of the case?
Disabilities	Do you have any physical or mental disabilities? Do you need an accopmmodation to do the job (may be asked only after a job offer has been made and accepted)	Can you perform the duties of the job you are applying for?
Date of Birth	When were you born?	If hired, are you able to furnish proof that you are over age 18?
Personal Finances	Do you own your home? Have you ever declared bankruptcy?	None None
Organization Membership	Are you a member of any social clubs, societies or lodges?	Inquiry into applicant's membership in organizations which are considered relevant to his or her ability to perform the job.
Military Record	What type of discharge did you receive?	What type of education, training, work experience did you receive while in the military?
Language	What is your native language? Inquiries how applicant acquired ability to read/write/speak a foreign language.	Inquiry into languages applicant speaks and writes fluently only if the job requires the ability to converse in an additional language.
Race or Color	Comments or inquiries regarding the applicant's complexion or color of skin.	None
Worker's Compensation	Have you ever filed a workers compensation claim? Have you had any prior work related injuries?	None None
Martital Status	Do you wish to be addressed as Mrs.? Miss? or Ms.?	None
Address	How long have you lived at your current address? Do you own or rent your home?	None None
Education	When did you graduate from high school or college?	Do you have a high school/GED or college degree (if having such degree is part of the job's requirements)?
Personal	How tall are you? How much do you weight?	Only permissible if related to bona fide occupational qualification

The information provided on this page is from utdallas.edu.