WOMEN / INTERVIEW SPECIAL...................... Are you single?

Are you single?

In hindsight, the above question may not seem offensive. But what if your prospective employer were to pose it to you during a job interview?
There are ways to tackle such inappropriate questions

During a job interview, most candidates are prepared with answers to quintessential questions like `where do you see yourself five years from now?'; `why should I hire you?'; `why are you quitting your current job?' However, there are times when you are caught off-guard ­ in a not-so-good way, that is! Picture this...
Are you in a relationship?
When do you plan to start a family?
Why are you still single?
Your first reaction? “How inappropriate!“ Your personal choices and priorities are not a reflection of who you are as a working professional. And it clearly isn't any of your new employer's business! “All the above questions are personal, intrusive, inappropriate and irrelevant that have no bearing to the position that the candidate has applied for. A candidate needs to be evaluated on his/her capabilities and skills with respect to the role that he/she has applied for,“ says Sonali De Sarker, director HR, NetApp India.

Dr Shikha Bharucha, consultant with DDI says, “During an interview, the candidate is not the only one being interviewed.
Candidates are also assessing you and your organisation. The interviewer is a representative of the organisation and it is his or her responsibility to leave a positive impression on the candidate; they could be our future employees or even customers.“

Shouldn't you be losing weight?
Do you normally dress like this?
Aren't you a little too old for this role?
Questions around one's marital status and ability to handle work pressures as a result of family responsibilities; plans to have children and inappropriate personal questions regarding interests, clothing preferences, physical appearance, personal time interests and other related aspects are downright inappropriate, says Paneesh Rao, sr VP and head of HR, India & Middle East, Atos India. “Asking inappropriate questions in the garb of humour or light-hearted banter is borderline harassment,“ he adds. Could this expose the organisation to reputational and and litigation-based risks?
“Certainly! Some emerge from sexist attitudes that stem from traditional stereotypes of gender roles and these are tantamount to discriminatory hiring practices.
When hiring managers ask such questions, they inadvertently reveal either their personal attitudes or in worse cases, the culture within the organisation as a whole,“ Rao says.

In today's volatile job environment where candidates are finding it difficult to find a job, barging out of your interview room is certainly not an option.

“Without placing themselves in an adversarial mode, women candidates should firmly respond by seeking clarity from the hiring manager as to how their age/ marital status/personal interests, is critical to performing this job.
Such inappropriate questions must definitely not be answered unless hiring managers are able to appropriately reframe the question in a manner that establishes relevance to the job in hand,“ says Rao. “We ensure that we never pry for too many personal details as long as the candidate looks composed, enthusiastic and confident. We also undertake extensive training for all hiring managers to ensure that they maintain proper conduct during interviews,“ says Saurabh Nigam, VP HR, Snapdeal.com.

Ninad Karpe, CEO, Aptech concludes, “As we see the rise of Gen Y, who are very conscious and protective about their personal and professional space, we have to be extra particular about what is acceptable and what is not. Many candidates are not comfortable about disclosing their personal facets and HR managers should respect that.“ So, the next time you are posed with a question that is offensive to you; ask yourself, do you want to work for a company that is more concerned about your `single status' instead of your competencies?

Q UESTION: IF THE CANDIDATE (COULD BE A MAN OR WOMAN BUT PARTICULARLY WOMEN) IS WELL-GROOMED AND WHAT THE INTERVIEWER CAN INTERPRET AS `GLAMOUROUS', THEY ASK WHY THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO BE A MODEL OR AN ACTOR!

Suggested candidate response: You don't have to be a model or movie star to be well-dressed. I think every profession demands good grooming (say it with a smile).

Q UESTION: TEN YEARS DOWN THE LINE,WOULD YOU STILL BE INTERESTED IN A CAREER OR WOULD YOU `SETTLE DOWN' INTO IMAGESBAZAAR THE ROLE OF A `HOMEMAKER'?
Suggested candidate response: I can only talk about my current passion to do well in my career. As life progresses, one will have to take situations as they come and do what is best at that point in time.

Q UESTION: THIS IS A TOUGH JOB REQUIRING YOU TO WORK IN OUR FACTORIES/RURAL MARKETS.DO YOU THINK AS A WOMAN, YOU ARE UP FOR IT?
Suggested candidate response: In this day and age when women are working in anti-terrorism squads or in riot police forces, this question is really not relevant any more.

CONTEST QUESTION: Have you ever been posed with an offen sive question during a job interview?
Participate in this contest by logging on to http://www.ItsMyAscent.com Your tales will be printed in Ascent! Viren Naidu TAS140528