Interview Question

HRCarpenter · May 2006

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 05-22-06 AT 11:32AM (CST)[/font][br][br]Hi everyone.....I need kind of a quick answer on this one. I have set up several interviews today for prospective employees and I am going over my list of questions that I had prepared a while back. My question is, is it ok to ask someone what they do in their spare time, or am I walking on thin ice on that one? The bulk of the rest of my questions came directly from other reliable sources, however, the owner of my company thinks I should ask this one and I am not sure I can ask it. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

****Thanks for your reply's.....I agree with all of you, and I will inform my boss why we should not ask this question. It's nice to know my gut feeling was correct. I deleted the ? from my first two interviews this morning.

LarryC · May 2006

Asking about hobbies or interests are innocent enough, but for what purpose?

Whirlwind · May 2006

It's not that you "can't," but here's why I don't permit our supervisors to ask that question: People will often answer with information about their religious activities or other information that may form the basis for them to later claim that they didn't get the job on the basis of some protected class or activity. That may seem paranoid but since I don't think the question has much job relevance to begin with, why take the risk?

hrdir03nafcu · May 2006

I would have to agree w/ Whirlwind on this one. A question about activities in the community might be of some value-- gives you a sense of whether this is a civid-minded individual who takes an interest in the community they live: and that might have some work-applicability, esp. if your organization strives to be a good corp. citizen in the community, and the individual's fit with your org's culture.

But I would be VERY careful how you phrase/ask the question. Asking it too broadly amounts to an invitation to the applicant to bring in things you should not be considering in a job interview: i.e., religious affiliation, political leaning, sexual orientation, etc, etc.
Once the applicant brings in the illicit info, it'll be your burden....and a difficult one.... to show that it was not part of your decision not to hire the applicant if they decide to bring a discrimination charge.

And asking the Q so generally, about "what they do in their off time"-- is just WAY too broad. It's bluntly none of the organization's business, and there's absolutely nothing to be gained by going there....but many landmines there to step in!

My bottom line recommendation-- don't ask the question in any form, not even a very limited form.

Dutch2 · May 2006

I have to agree with Whirlwind and hrdir03nafcu why do you need to ask this quetion. What is your busienss purpose for asking this, what are you attempting to find out? Keep your questions to business realated issues. Normally an applicant will tell you much more than you need to know if you simply give them the opportuinity. Just be careful to not write any thing in your interview notes that does not have any bearing on their ability to do the job.

System · May 2006

Here in the Bible Belt, most of the answers will involve either church or kids, neither of which you want to hear.

James Sokolowski
HRhero.com

Paul in Cannon Beach · May 2006

What's spare time?

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