Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Bob Russell — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 09:32:30 GMT

It was probably a good thing that you were asked these questions - it allowed you to move on to another interview without regret.

The legal action possibility is all too real. Most employers will reach for the phone to get legal advice prior to making any major staffing decision as the 'rules' are complicated and the potential penalties draconian.

I suspect from a number of such complications that the legal helplines are run to minimise the likelihood of an insurance claim rather than to protect an employer. As a result I suspect they create a degree of paranoia in us mere mortals!

Race, religion etc are important only where a particular belief may interfere with work. In our profession very unlikely to be relevant. Smoking is a bit different as smokers tend to leave the back door open when they go out for a drag and increase my heating bill! We do not have any smokers here at the moment.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Ana Marques — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:54:36 GMT

I apologise for the delay in my reply, was in the BSAVA congress the last few days. Thank you for all the comments, I know this is a tricky subject without a straight answer.

I completely understand the employer's point of view and their concerns when hiring a new employee, of course you want to make sure you hire someone who will be a team member and a good professional. Certainly there will be a few individuals out there seaking to take advantage (I was surprised by so many of you mentioning and being afraid of legal action) but I would think most of us have honest intentions.

Surely we are colleagues not enemies and while some of us might have had bad experiences, I find that generalisations (although useful in some instances) are frequently problematic. And of course, compatibilty does go both ways. For example, last week I had a veterinary surgeon cancel a job interview via the receptionist with no explanation other than "we are very busy right now". This happened when I was arriving at the practice and after travelling from abroad to be there. While regrettable, it was an isolated case and I was very glad not having to work with someone who treats people in such a disrespectful way.

I agree that the probationary period should allow the employer to observe our competence and professional conduct (punctuality, communication skils and personality). Kirsty, you mentioned you are not allowed to enquire regarding sickness but when I applied to several internships in the country, this was a common question (i.e. how many days of sick leave in the past 6 months or year) and in my opinion a much better way to assess a prospective employee regarding their health status.

Personally I don't see how being Christian, Muslim, single, with kids or even smoking can affect your job performance. Gillian makes a very good point, it comes down to your work ethic, maturity and sense of responsability.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Bob Russell — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:36:52 GMT

Do not get caught even suggesting that pregnancy status is in any way an issue! Quickest way to a tribunal and the surest way to be found at fault! Failing to disclose pregnancy at interview is a really sticky one - say you are and move on to the next interview or face the backlash when you start work, disclose the fact and are seen to have not been completely open at interview about something that is very relevant to a new employer.

I am not sure how I would tackle this one (as a bloke not likely to need to do so!), this happened to us. I have to say some staff members were put out and felt it was a bit underhand. From my point of view rather irritating but completely understandable.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Edward Jones — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:22:55 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"] ... or the vet who anounces she's pregnant 1 week after being employed. They are milking the system ...[/quote]

So how long do they have to be working for you before they can get pregnant and not be 'milking the system'?

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Clive Ansell — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:19:05 GMT

I have had a few occasions where I have managed to carry on working despite feeling half dead etc - not sure whether I am a hero or a fool?

I remember one occasion feeling really rough with a severe head cold, battling through a busy Friday night consults, and instead of the boss saying "cheers mate for having a go" - he just came through and moaned that I was 20 minutes behind and clients were moaning - I so easily could have walked out.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:11:10 GMT

Touchy!!

As I said

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]Everyone may need time off at some time, but if people want to take the mickey then they will find some excuse or other![/quote]

I did not say that everyone who is taking time off is skiving!

My point is that trying to judge whether someone is going to be absent a lot based on their personal circumstances or previous health is usually pointless.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Mark Welsh — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:41:05 GMT

Lucky you! Some of us are not gifted such health or have partners that can take up the slack when the children are home from school sick etc.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:21:58 GMT

Sorry Clive - I guess I missed a smilie.

I also had very little time off when I was a young, single vet. But some people do.

People either have a good work ethic or they don't! Everyone may need time off at some time, but if people want to take the mickey then they will find some excuse or other!

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Julian Earl — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:39:25 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

I agree with the comments that we employ human beings with character, personality and not just a blank faced individual with set skills. I can see no reason to discriminate on grounds of race, gender etc. I do discriminate on grounds of capability and sometime personality. This may be on grounds as basic as gut feelings! All our staff have families and with give and take things work well so a young family would not be a bad thing!

A new member of staff is joining a 'family' and we have to do what we can to employ people that 'fit in'. Personal questions (not overly intrusive ones) just help us to see the whole person.

[/quote]

I would go even further than that. I peruse CVs, see what is helpful and constructive experience and select interviewees on the basis of those. But then, relevant to your comments above, I think that I can tell within the first half hour whether I would want to work with this person. Nearly every new graduate has similar practical skills nowadays, and it does then very much depend on personality, attitude, confidence and so on. They are almost invariably asked to stay for half a day or more so that every one else in the practice can develop an impression as well; and, of course, the interviewee learns more about us at the same time.

Someone up there^, Martin I think, commented on the hazards of not knowing whether someone was a drugs risk - it is quite easy to ask a potential nurse or lay assistant whether they have ever injected anything. Experience counts, after all.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Clive Ansell — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:32:27 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]

I have suffered from depression since being a teenager. In consultation with my consultant I have now agreed that I am likely to be on anti-depressants for life (or at least the forseeable future). Does that make me a bad vet?

[/quote]

No, of course not, being ill does not make one a bad vet.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Clive Ansell — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:29:28 GMT

no way - I've not missed a day through illness or had any unexpected abscences in 15 years.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:14:56 GMT

I don't understand this issue with vets with a family. In my experience young, unattached healthy vets have a lot more unexpected abscences which, afterall, are the most disruptive ones. I won't say they were ALL hangovers....... .......maybe they are just unable to work through a mild cold?

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

An On MRCVS — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:49:52 GMT

Forgive the anonymous post but I am too cowardly/cynical to believe that self-disclosure might not affect my chances of getting a job in the future.......

I have no objection to probationary periods or to queries about recent sickness absence (for the record 1 day in 8yrs). I do object to being judged before people know me, according to their own generic beliefs about my illness. I would like to think there will come a day where we can be honest about mental health issues but unfortunately I think that is a long way off (a feeling only strengthened when I read the RCVS draft "health" protocol......but that is a debate for a different time and place maybe).

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Chris Barker — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:09:06 GMT

[quote user="Utlendigur"]
There was a very brave post on this forum a few months ago asking about anti-depressives. Someone who obviously realised they had an illness and were responsibly seeking help and treatment. You seem to be implying that you would regard with suspicion (and possibly refuse to consider employing) any person who was (or ever had been) in the same position. There are well known problems within the profession re stress and depression, and attitudes such as this would surely stigmatise suffers further and prevent them seeking help - thereby putting themselves and patients at risk. Just because someone is/has in the past been depressed doesn't make them bad or ciminal.

[/quote]

You are overinterpreting my comments. I was highlighting the very real health and safey issues which face practice owners and the dfifficulty we have in identifying potential problems amongst employees and future employees. We had a locum colleague who committed suicide the week after she had spent a week with us. We all recognised that she was depressed, we urged her to seek attention, to find someone to talk to, as she had closed herself off from us. Did she get the barbituate to end it all from us? We will never know. But until all vets/VNs in such situations have their Dangerous Drug cupboardm keys taken away from them ( and the redraft of the GTPC hints that should we fail to do so in the future WE might be the ones up before disciplinary...) then this situation may occur again... And again... I would rather avoid this and if this means that I would choose not to employ someone curently under therapy for depressive illness then I am just going to have to ask you for your understanding.

Don't take me wrong on this - depression is a subject of immense significance for the profession. I have now lost two veterinary friends who have taken their own lives, and I was of those asked to speak at a session held at the RCVS on this very subject. And depression afflicts me from time to time - my own black periods do not make me pleasant company.

But while we can express concern and sympathy for those afflicted, while we lobby the RCVS to achieve a greater understanding of how their demands impact on us, the working vets, as an employer running a business seeking to establish a functional, effective team it is a significant risk to employ someone who's mental state may compromise their ability to work effectively in what can be a stressful environment. And so I regret the constraints now imposed on interviews.

Even when you were allowed to ask, you had to choose your questions carefully! Pre-Disability Act, when I asked an applicant whether there were any current medical issues which could impact on their work and whether they were on any medication, the applicant said no. However when the applicant joined us a couple of weeks later I asked the now colleague to fill out an insurance proposal form so that we could take out sickness absence insurance. There then came the admission that immediately before the interview the colleague had finished a prolonged course of anti-depressives. This made our colleague uninsurable in the eyes of the insurance company. The rreatment also impacted on agreements made before engagement, matters which had seemed fine to the applicant while on therapy but deal-breakers once pharmaceutical support was removed. Employment with the clinic lasted but a few days - gratefully the colleague resigned and simplified matters considerably

Chris B

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Utlendigur — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:22:05 GMT

[quote user="kirsty"]

or whether they are on (or have been on...have been caught out once this way) anti-depressives.

[/quote]

There was a very brave post on this forum a few months ago asking about anti-depressives. Someone who obviously realised they had an illness and were responsibly seeking help and treatment. You seem to be implying that you would regard with suspicion (and possibly refuse to consider employing) any person who was (or ever had been) in the same position. There are well known problems within the profession re stress and depression, and attitudes such as this would surely stigmatise suffers further and prevent them seeking help - thereby putting themselves and patients at risk. Just because someone is/has in the past been depressed doesn't make them bad or ciminal.

Returning to the OP - I have actually been asked straight out "Have you any dependents?". No dressing it up as chit chat.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Bob Russell — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:25:54 GMT

I agree with the comments that we employ human beings with character, personality and not just a blank faced individual with set skills. I can see no reason to discriminate on grounds of race, gender etc. I do discriminate on grounds of capability and sometime personality. This may be on grounds as basic as gut feelings! All our staff have families and with give and take things work well so a young family would not be a bad thing!

A new member of staff is joining a 'family' and we have to do what we can to employ people that 'fit in'. Personal questions (not overly intrusive ones) just help us to see the whole person.

I have to admit we are not always particularly good at it!

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

plantagenet — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:46:39 GMT

[quote user="Derek Copeland"]I am sick to death of all the rules,regulations guidelines and genral hoops I have to jump through just to offer somene a job.Even then if I am not careful with the applicants that didnt succeed they may be able to take me to a tribunal.I understand we all need some protection employees and employers but its all gone quite mad [/quote]

I am with you on that.

I employ people - real flesh and blood characters, who I want to know and, ideally, to like. I am interested in my staff and like to get their kids, if small, something for Christmas or and Easter Egg. My nurses' partners and parents are great at providing service the practice needs - electricians, builders, locums etc.

These questions do help get a whole picture of a person - surely we are more than just our qualifications?

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Rob Loxley — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:49:24 GMT

[quote user="CatherineBoden"]When asked like that it's difficult to turn around and say you wont answer the question without seeming really awkward[/quote]

Surely the answer is "is that relevant?".

[quote user="Bob Russell"]How pathetic is this country? You are not allowed to find out much about a new member of staff before employment and it is very difficult to get rid of them after they have started without facing legal action.[/quote]

You can ask whatever questions you like you just can't discriminate on the basis of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation or religion. Any discrimination would have to be proved; steering clear of questions on say marriage & children is a safe way to avoid the likelihood of a claim - maybe a better question to ask is their flexibility to work overtime (as this is directly relevant to the job). You can ask about health at interview stage specifically to check they can carry out tasks essential to the job.

[quote user="Vikki Halliday"]However, to be successful, you would need to lodge a claim with an employment tribunal, and the practice would have to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that this was not a factor in their decision to not employ the claimant[/quote]

If a claim is made against the employer the interviewee must provide some evidence for their claim (present a prima facie case) in order for the tribunal to find in their favour (unless the employer can prove that the selection was not discriminatory). The standard of proof in an employment tribunal is "on the balance of probabilities" rather than "beyond reasonable doubt".

[quote user="Derek Copeland"]You can have as long a probationary period as you wish because in terms of employment law it means all but nothing[/quote]

You can dismiss employees for fair reasons including incompetence, illness, conduct etc., and unless it's an automatically unfair reason or on grounds of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation or religion, the law doesn't allow for unfair dismissal claims from employees with less than a year's service. In effect the law gives a year's 'probationary' period. Also the statutory dispute procedures that came in a few years back have been repealed and replaced with an ACAS Code of Practice, and should find fewer employers who act fairly but not quite in accordance with previous strict procedures being claimed against.

[quote user="kirsty"]whether they are on (or have been on...have been caught out once this way) anti-depressives[/quote]

Lets maybe do the survey of how many vets and nurses are on anti-depressants first??

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:52:17 GMT

[quote user="CatherineBoden"]

At a previous job the practice was looking for a new trainee nurse and the boss asked the nurses to get involved with interviewing. He wanted the nurses to show them round the practice and chat to them. He also gave them a list of questions he wanted them to ask the interviewees, including things such as if they had boyfriends/partners etc. I thought this was a very sneaky way of doing things and advised the nurses not to ask those questions. Previously when employing a nurse he rejected the more qualified nurse who I thought would have suited the practice better, but she had a child. Although it would be difficult to prove there was any discrimination. He also asked me if I had a partner at my interview although he did it in a friendly kind of way, I think those questions were carefully disguised as a friendly chat but actually they were part of his interview technique. When asked like that it's difficult to turn around and say you wont answer the question without seeming really awkward.

[/quote]

That is what we employers have to resort to to get ourselves a fair deal I'm afraid. We've all had a nurse who turns out to have a really poor attendance record due to pre- exisiting illnesses or the vet who anounces she's pregnant 1 week after being employed. They are milking the system as much as we are trying to get fair information we legally cannot ask for. It needs to work both ways and although we needed to move on from sending little boys up chimneys employment law is now discriminationg too much in favour of the employee and there's plenty of free-loaders prepared to take advantage of that. In a small workforce the work shy have a much bigger impact than larger corporations which employment legislation is really aimed at.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

vs0u — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:22:55 GMT

I can't see the relevance of asking personal questions in an interview. People with children do have more time off but on balance they may still turn out to be better overall and it would be silly to reject someone who was otherwise more experienced or a better fit for the practice just because they may take a couple of extra unpaid days off a year when their child is sick.

No-one wants to be a square peg in a round hole but would having a child or being single/married really cause this? More likely it would be down to age, sex or personality. Also bosses can be dishonest/lazy too - applicants asked inappropriate questions should be free to question the interviewer on the same topics!

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

CatherineThomas — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:03:51 GMT

At a previous job the practice was looking for a new trainee nurse and the boss asked the nurses to get involved with interviewing. He wanted the nurses to show them round the practice and chat to them. He also gave them a list of questions he wanted them to ask the interviewees, including things such as if they had boyfriends/partners etc. I thought this was a very sneaky way of doing things and advised the nurses not to ask those questions. Previously when employing a nurse he rejected the more qualified nurse who I thought would have suited the practice better, but she had a child. Although it would be difficult to prove there was any discrimination. He also asked me if I had a partner at my interview although he did it in a friendly kind of way, I think those questions were carefully disguised as a friendly chat but actually they were part of his interview technique. When asked like that it's difficult to turn around and say you wont answer the question without seeming really awkward.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:54:21 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

I interview once which is generally of bu**er all use but is politically correct. We then take up references. This usually covers a few issues but again is often of little value as everyone is now so intimidated by the threat of legal action that often little information is gathered.

Next send the most suitable candidate out with some of the nurse/receptionists to a local cafe and listen to the gossip on their return!

[/quote]

Absolutely. I usually get them to come in for an interview then stay for the morning for work experience and afterwards ask the nurse's opinion - they are invariably right about vets and nurses. During the last round of nurse interviews they vetoed my first choice after talking to her. Problem is they never let me pick the best looking one - not that I would of course be so shallow as to use looks as a qualifying factor.

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Bob Russell — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:44:17 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]

I had a girl come for an interview for a nursing auxilliary/receptionist position and she was so mentally handicapped she could hardly string an intelligble sentence together, I certainly had no need to ask her if she had a disability. She was clearly unsuitable for a job which required communicating effectively with clients - was I discriminating against her by not employing her? After I'd informed her another applicant had got the job she asked me what she could have done to have improved her chances of getting it. Although I wanted to be helpful I was very wary of saying anything unless this was a trap.

[/quote]

The key thing is to be positive about the candidate that got the job - 'more experienced, better qualified etc' rather than point out any weaknesses in their application or interview. This is relatively safe.

Next send the most suitable candidate out with some of the nurse/receptionists to a local cafe and listen to the gossip on their return!

How pathetic is this country? You are not allowed to find out much about a new member of staff before employment and it is very difficult to get rid of them after they have started without facing legal action.

I agree there must be some rules but it has to be in an applicants interests to make efforts to check they are not going to be a square peg in a round hole! I would rather not get a job than face losing it after a few weeks because my employer did not find me suitable. Some personal questions make perfect sense. If you are asked questions that make you feel uncomfortable is it the right job for you?

Where has common sense gone?

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Helen Wallace — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:32:27 GMT

I think it all depends on how the questions are asked. If the interviewer came across as being chatty and asking about my family it wouldn't bother me, if it came across as they wouldn't consider me unless I gave the 'right' answer that'd be a different story.

Also, if they have to sort accomodation for you they may just want to know what size of house you need, smoker/no, pets etc. I can't see any reason for asking about religion.

Remember, you're interviewing them as well. If they start asking inappropriate questions that make you uncomfortable do you even want to work for them?

Re: Job Interviews - Personal Questions

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:25:46 GMT