4 tips to avoid discrimination in a job interview

Are you a recruiter, employer, or manager that needs to interview applicants for a current job opening? If so, here are four tips to ensure you ask non-discriminatory questions and behave impartially when choosing a candidate.

1. Avoid the personal
You should never ask an applicant about their age, ethnicity, family situation, romantic relationship, religion, gender, or sexual orientation in a job interview. However, this doesn’t mean the candidate can’t bring up these topics on their own.

2. Target your questions
Instead of asking the applicant personal questions to gain insight into their abilities, focus on the requirements needed for the job. For example, rather than directly addressing the applicant’s family situation, ask if they’re available to work evenings and weekends.

3. Prepare ahead of time
Write out all your questions in advance. This will prevent you from improvising and accidentally formulating a question that could be interpreted as discriminatory. Carefully choose your words so you’ll get the information you need about each candidate.

4. Be consistent
Make sure you ask each applicant the same questions. For example, you could create a scoring grid to fill out at each interview. This will also give you an overview of the candidates’ answers and help you make the right decision.

Remember, human rights laws prohibit discriminatory employment practices. Make sure you put your best foot forward by avoiding any questions that may come off as prejudiced.