Find that job: Lesson 92. Interview: the No-Go areas
It looks like gone are the days when nervous interviewees had to answer all sorts of probing questions about their age, marital status or lifestyle. The British consumer organisation 'Which?' has produced a handbook highlighting the 'no go' questions for employers interviewing job applicants. Here's more:
Yes, there was a time when interviewers would mercilessly grill their prospective employees and ask them various probing questions. Not any more. Political correctness in the workplace, in the UK at least, means that bosses are simply not allowed to ask you certain questions during an interview. If they do - they could fall foul of discrimination laws and get large fines!
So, what is allowed and what isn't? Well, all the questions asked during an interview must follow strict criteria and must refer only to your ability to do the job properly. As bosses can't judge this ability on the basis of your age, sexual orientation, religion or lifestyle, they have no business asking you about these things! Here are some of the no-go questions: How old are you? Are you married? Are you gay? Are you planning to start a family soon? Are you a member of a trade union? What is your religion?
Bosses are complaining that with these rules in force they can't find out what type of person a candidate is or whether he'd fit in with their company and staff. They also say that candidates adopt a false persona during an interview -in order to impress. But a recent study has found that bosses, too, mask their true personalities at interview. They too pretend to be someone they're not!
Maybe that's why so many businesses now are supplementing interviews with psychometric tests and other assessments. But - beware - many employers are now consulting social networking websites such as Facebook to find out more about you
a SłOWNICZEK
interview - rozmowa kwalifikacyjna
no-go area - tu: temat tabu
interviewee - tu: kandydat, osoba, z którą przeprowadza się rozmowę kwalifikacyjną
probing - dociekliwy, wnikliwy
age - wiek
marital status - stan cywilny
lifestyle - styl życia
handbook - podręcznik, przewodnik, informator
to highlight - podkreślić, uwydatnić, zwrócić uwagę
employer - pracodawca
job applicant - osoba ubiegająca się o pracę
interviewer - tu: osoba przeprowadzająca rozmowę kwalifikacyjną
mercilessly - bezlitośnie
to grill - tu: ostro przesłuchiwać, 'maglować'
prospective - potencjalny, ewentualny, przyszły
employee - pracownik
political correctness - poprawność polityczna
workplace - miejsce pracy
to fall foul of sth - zadrzeć (np. z prawem)
fine - grzywna, kara pieniężna
to follow strict criteria - przestrzegać ścisłych kryteriów
to refer to - odnosić się
ability - zdolność, umiejętność
boss - szef
to judge - oceniać, osądzać
married - żonaty, zamężna
to start a family - założyć rodzinę
trade union - związek zawodowy
in force - tu: obowiązujący
to fit in with - pasować (do kogoś/czegoś), zgadzać się, dostosować
staff - personel
to adopt a false persona - przyjąć osobowość udawanej postaci, udawać kogoś innego
to mask your true personality - maskować swą prawdziwą osobowość
psychometric test - test psychometryczny
assessment - ocena
social networking websites - internetowe strony towarzyskie
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