Posted under Diversity, Interviewing, Job Search, Women on April 9th, 2008
Your job interview is going just as you envisioned and prepared for. You think you’ve nailed it. Then you’re blindsided with an illegal, inappropriate, or offensive question. Minorities, women, people with disabilities, and immigrants are more likely to encounter this dilemma.
So what do you do if it happens to you?
We recommend reading Emily Sanderson’s detailed post How to Answer Questionable Questions in a Job Interview. “Whether the question is legal or not, you still might have an incentive to answer it,” says Bill Coleman, senior vice president and chief compensation officer at Salary.com. . .”
What if you believe that this is not a totally insensitive, discriminatory interviewer, but that the person slipped up in the phrasing of the question? Perhaps you are truly interested in this company, and feel that the interviewer’s insensitivity or inappropriateness may not be representative of the employer as a whole. On the other hand, you may believe that the interview does reflect the company’s treatment of people of different backgrounds.
This delicate situation becomes a real balancing act. We recommend that you choose to address these questions in a manner that supports your best interest in securing a job that fits your values and goals.
While you can’t control the questions that are asked, you do control how you respond. Think about how you might TRIUMPH™ over illegal, inappropriate, or offensive questions by using the simple options below.
Take a step back; evaluate the question and the situation.
Respond to the question directly.
Identify the intent behind the question and respond indirectly with an answer that relates to the requirements of the position.
Upstage and ignore the question by redirecting the conversation.
Mention the error diplomatically.
Politely refuse to answer the question.
Hit the road. Gracefully and professionally excuse yourself.
To see examples for implementing the TRIUMPH™ strategy go to Diversity Intelligence . Posted by Murray A. Mann
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