1. Don’t Answer That Interview Question

Inappropriate interview questions and how to respond (diplomatically).

September 10, 2009

By Lisa Vaas, The Ladders.com

He was in his early 50s, and he looked every bit of it.

The questions on the job application went right to his age.

After stewing over the form and discarding his first draft, he filled out a second copy. Then, he sat and waited for his interview. As he waited, an attractive, young woman entered the room for a job interview.

She was called in before him. She wound up getting the job.

He didn’t. He did, however, receive $50,000 after filing age-discrimination claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The above encounter happened to a friend of Matt Rosen, who shared the story with TheLadders but asked not to identify his friend.

Rosen has seen employment discrimination from almost every angle. He has been a certified labor and employment attorney since 1981, has worked in human resources since 1995, and recently found himself looking for a new job. He’s been on both sides of the interview table and witnessed many inappropriate questions that can lead to discrimination.

“Every place, it’s mind-boggling,” said Rosen, who recently began HR and legal work for Franklin Street Financial in Florida . “You are always asked for birth dates, for EEOC (-related information such as race and disability status). … Places, in my viewpoint, just ask for too much.”

The reason interviewers ask inappropriate questions varies. Sometimes they discriminate, as they did in the scenario above. Sometimes they need the information for internal statistics, he said.

And then sometimes interviewers are simply trying to make conversation, according to Ellen B. Vance, senior consultant and advisory services practice leader for Titan Group, a Richmond, Va., human-resources consulting firm. “Many inexperienced hiring managers use questions about family as an icebreaker for interviews, not realizing that what seem to them as innocent inquiries about spouse, children, etc., are unlawful.”

Most job seekers don’t want to sue over these practices. They just want to know how to deal with them diplomatically. Job seekers want to avoid appearing combative and thus jeopardizing their chances of being hired and want to avoid handing over information that can be used against them in discriminatory situations. Knowing what questions to shy away from is the starting point, and knowing how to skirt them is the next step.

Answer the questions they should have asked

Vance typically advises job seekers to redirect inappropriate questions back to the interviewer. For example, if asked whether you have children, you can respond by saying, “It sounds like family is important to you — tell me about yours.”

“By redirecting, the applicant is not placed in the situation of being perceived as adversarial,” Vance said. If an interviewer presses, she suggests that another response option is, “I am perplexed by your question because I cannot determine why my age/my marital status/my nationality is critical to performing this job. Would you shed some light on why you are asking this question?”

“If that doesn’t cause the interviewer to catch their mistake, then the applicant is left only with the option of saying, ‘I would prefer not to respond to that question,’” Vance said.

Don’t answer these questions

Here are more questions that can and can’t be asked, according to HR professionals and the EEOC. In all circumstances, try to find out why an interviewer is asking a particular off-limits question, and then steer the conversation into addressing particular, relevant concerns, in the following ways:

Nationality: It’s illegal to ask a job seeker about his nationality, his citizen status, his native language, or how long he’s lived here. If asked, instead explain that you’re legally able to work in the United States .

Religion: It’s not permissible to ask what religion job seekers practice, what religious holidays they observe, or their religious affiliations. If an interviewer probes these verboten areas, try to find out what the interviewer is concerned about and to address these concerns: working certain days of the week, for example, could be a legitimate concern.

Age: Do not answer questions about age beyond stating that you are over the age of 18. Interviewers shouldn’t ask how close you are to retirement but can ask what your long-term career goals are.

Marital and family status: While it’s permissible for interviewers to ask whether you have ever used another name in work or academic situations, it’s not permissible for them to ask questions about your maiden name or marital status. Don’t answer questions about whether you have children or what your child-bearing plans are, but do explain whether you’re available to work overtime or whether you can travel, particularly on short notice.

Gender: If gender comes up, steer the conversation into what traits and abilities you can bring to the job.

Health and physical abilities: It’s inappropriate to ask job seekers if they smoke, drink or take drugs. Your height, weight, use of sick days, presence of disabilities or past operations/sicknesses are similarly off limits. Interviewers do have the right to ask if you’ve violated company policies regarding alcohol or tobacco, whether you use illegal drugs (as opposed to simply “drugs”), whether you’re able to lift a given weight or reach items on shelves that are at a particular height, how many workdays you missed in the past year, whether you’re physically capable of executing the position’s specific duties, and whether you can perform the job with or without reasonable accommodations.

Residence: It is inappropriate to ask how far away a job seeker lives, but it’s permissible to ask if the candidate can start work at a given hour or if he is willing to relocate.

Criminal record: It’s inappropriate to ask if a job seeker has ever been arrested, but it is permissible to ask if she has ever been convicted of a specific type of crime that relates to the job.

Military service: It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a member of the National Guard or Reserves, but it is legal to ask if the job seeker anticipates requiring extended time away from work.

If worst comes to worst
If you feel that your employment rights have been violated, you may file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC. Here’s the EEOC’s information page on how to do so. The EEOC also provides an in-depth look at what constitutes discriminatory employment practice under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

 

 

2. How to Answer the ‘Tell Me About Yourself’ Interview Question

Don’t be afraid of this question; instead use it as an opportunity to position yourself for success.

September 22, 2009

By Lee E. Miller, The Ladders.com

When I was a human-resources executive doing hiring interviews, I almost always began my interviews with candidates by requesting, “Tell me about yourself.” I did that for a number of reasons, the most important of which was to see how the candidates handled themselves in an unstructured situation.

I wanted to see how articulate they were, how confident they were and generally what type of impression they would make on the people with whom they came into contact on the job.

I also wanted to get a sense of what they thought was important.

Most candidates find this question to be a particularly difficult question to answer. That is a misplaced view. This question offers an opportunity to describe yourself positively and focus the interview on your strengths. Be prepared to deal with it. These days, it’s unavoidable. Like me, most interviewers start off their interviews with this question. A lot of interviewers open with it as an icebreaker or because they’re still getting organized, but they all use it to get a sense of whom you are.

The wrong response

There are many ways to respond to this question correctly and just one wrong way: by asking, “What do you want to know?” That tells me you have not prepared properly for the interview and are likely to be equally unprepared on the job. You need to develop a good answer to this question, practice it and be able to deliver it with poise and confidence.

The right response

To help you prepare, I spoke to a number of career coaches on how best to respond when faced with this question. Heed the career advice that follows to ace this opener:

The consensus of the coaches with whom I spoke :

• Focus on what most interests the interviewer
• Highlight your most important accomplishments

Focus on what interests the interviewer

According to Jane Cranston, a career coach from New York , “The biggest mistake people being interviewed make, is thinking the interviewer really wants to know about them as a person.

They start saying things like ‘Well, I was born in Hoboken , and when I was three we moved …’ Wrong. The interviewer wants to know that you can do the job, that you fit into the team, what you have accomplished in your prior positions and how can you help the organization.”

Nancy Fox, of Fox Coaching Associates, agrees. She notes that “many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.” She recommends starting with your most recent employment and explaining why you are well qualified for the position. According to Fox, the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. “In other words, you want to be selling what the buyer is buying.”

Think of your response as a movie preview, says Melanie Szlucha, a coach with Red Inc. “The movie preview always relates to the movie you’re about to see. You never see a movie preview for an animated flick when you’re there to see a slasher movie. So the ‘tell me about yourself” answer needs to directly fit the concerns of your prospective employer.”

Previews are also short but show clips of the movie that people would want to see more of later. They provide enough information about the movie so that you could ask intelligent questions about what the movie is about. Hiring managers don’t want to look unprepared by reading your resume in front of you, so Szlucha advises “to provide them some topics to ask you more questions about.”

Highlight your most important accomplishments

Greg Maka, managing director at 24/7 Marketing, advises job seekers to “tell a memorable story about your attributes.” For example, if you tell an interviewer that people describe you as tenacious, provide a brief story that shows how you have been tenacious in achieving your goals. “Stories are powerful and are what people remember most,” he said.

One great example is that of Fran Capo, a comedienne who bills herself as “the world’s fastest-talking female.” She offers the following advice: “Whenever I go on auditions or interviews. I have a “set” opening I use. … I tell the interviewer what I do in one sentence and then say, ‘A and I also happen to be the Guinness Book of World Records’ fastest- talking female.’ Then I elaborate.” According to Capo, the main thing in anything you do is to be memorable, in a good way. Your goal when you answer the ‘tell me about yourself’ question is to find a way stand out from everyone else.

And, be brief

Maureen Anderson, host of The Career Clinic radio show, stresses the importance of keeping your answer short: “The employer wants to know a little bit about you to begin with — not your life story. Just offer up two or three things that are interesting — and useful. You should take about a minute to answer this question.”

To make sure it is succinct and covers what you want it to cover, she suggests that you “write your answer out before the interview, practice it, time it and rehearse it until it sounds natural. Then practice it some more. The goal is to tell the employer enough to pique their interest, not so much that they wonder if they’d ever be able to shut you up during a coffee break at the office.”

Rather than dread this question, a well -prepared candidate should welcome this inquiry. Properly answered, this question puts the candidate in the driver’s seat. It gives candidates an opportunity to sell themselves. It allows them to set the tone and direction for the rest of the interview, setting them up to answer the questions they most want to answer.

 

 

3. Resume Tips: What to Bring to a Job Interview

Don’t come empty-handed, but don’t waste interview time with your portfolio.

June 12, 2009

By Lisa Vaas, The Ladders.com

Your resume worked: You’ve scored an interview. Your shoes are polished, and your business suit is back from the dry cleaner’s. Now, what do you pack into your briefcase?

Professional recruiters such as Jacqueline Hudson, a senior account executive for Renascent Group LLC, prep job candidates before an interview to make sure their briefcases — and their heads — contain all the documentation they need.

“We send them articles as well as questions that may be asked and information on the company to make sure they really know what they’re going into,” Hudson said.

To make sure that you, too, are prepared for what you’re going into, here’s a check list of what to take to an interview as well as what to leave behind, gleaned from recruiters, resume writers and job seekers.

What to take:

1. Resume hard copies

The interviewer likely has a hard copy, but it is good practice to have several copies printed and ready to provide the interviewer and others you might meet on interview day.

2. References

Stephen Van Vreede, an MBA and certified professional resume writer who works with TheLadders, suggests clients provide a separate document with references only if an interviewer asks for it. “A lot of people will try to go in and dump this stuff on the interviewer,” Van Vreede said. “You want to only provide it when asked.”

Van Vreede advises job seekers provide three professional references. These don’t have to be letters; in the case of professional references, a simple list will do. Include references’ names, company name, titles and contact information. For personal references, specify the nature of the personal relationship. While most job seekers now provide mostly professional references, don’t skimp on personal references if the reference has a relationship with the company.

3. Resume addenda

An addendum is any documentation that supports a claim (usually a bullet point) in your resume. It is mostly used for IT candidates to provide details on projects they’ve managed or programs and systems they’ve developed. Van Vreede recommends candidates use an addendum as a way to prevent a resume from getting bogged down with details but still have details ready upon request. It should include details such as cost savings, vendors you’ve engaged and efficiency gains.

But don’t use an addendum to bog down the interview, either, Van Vreede said. He suggests describing a given project verbally in the interview, then offering to leave the addendum with interviewer.

4. Portfolio

A professional portfolio is appropriate for showcasing materials created in the course of work, especially by creative professionals, including marketing pros, those in media or advertising, architects, or artists.

5. PowerPoint presentations

If applicable, offer to show presentations in place of or in addition to addendums and portfolios. Be careful not to overtake the interview or waste the hiring manager’s time.

6. Insightful questions (four to five)

Insightful questions pertain to a specific organization’s history, marketing tactics, standing amongst its competition, future and/or past product offerings, research and development, leadership, philosophy, and/or work environment.

Renascent Group’s Hudson advises job candidates to have at least four or five questions to ask an interviewer. The most insightful questions show that you’ve done your homework. You’ve read news articles about the company and won’t be surprised if the interviewer mentions, for example, that it’s recently undergone a data breach and is revamping its point-of-sales technologies. Or perhaps the organization has run afoul of regulatory compliance and plans to remap data backup procedures.

The more knowledge you have about an organization’s pain points and points of pride, the better you’ll be able to suggest ways that you can help with your specific accomplishments, experience and core competencies.

Demonstrating knowledge about the company also accomplishes a number of things:

• It relieves your interviewer of the task of educating you.
• it gives you a chance to delve into your own credentials.
• it demonstrates that you are competent regarding doing your due diligence when approaching an opportunity.
• it demonstrates that you are motivated about the position and the company.

7. News articles or corporate collateral that mentions you or your work

8. Certification list

IT professionals often come with a “boatload” of certifications, said Steve Burdan, a CPRW certified professional resume writer who works with TheLadders. He advises clients to put the “creme de la creme” of this list onto their resumes and to put the entire list onto a separate sheet to provide interviewers if appropriate.

What to omit:

1. Generic questions

Generic questions pertain to issues intelligent job seekers should have found out on their own. If a job seeker needs to ask an interviewer how large the company is, for example, or what countries the company does business in, he obviously didn’t invest time in researching the organization.

2. Cell phones

Don’t forget to turn off your cell phone during interviews.

3. PDAs or beepers

Same goes for all mobile devices. You might need your PDA or mobile device to access your schedule or other data, if requested by the interviewer. But be sure to disable the phone function during the meeting.

 

 

4. When to Bring Up Salary in an Interview

Don’t ruin your perfect “first date” with a potential employer by talking compensation too quickly.

October 5, 2009

By Andrea Sobel

Job interviews, like dating, have a lot to do with timing. In my many years as a recruiter, I’ve heard the following story countless times from my associates: They had sent the “perfect person” (excellent skill set, right presentation) to an n employer for an interview. The candidate could feel it was going well. The job was nearly his. Then the candidate got a bit too confident and “blew the deal” by popping the big question: “What will you be paying me?” or “What kind of raises can I expect in this job?”

While these questions are important and clearly must be broached before a job is accepted, the timing was off. And timing is everything.

Needless to say, one inappropriate question about salary can ruin your chances. Sadly, it is usually impossible to turn that around. The salary discussion has a time and place. Just like in the case of that good-night kiss, it’s generally at the end of the date. In job-search terms, this discussion is best saved for the end of the interview process.

You would never meet someone for the first time and immediately lean in for a kiss.

In the same way, the salary discussion is much more appropriate once the company has “fallen in love” with you.

In other words, a conversation about salary is not suitable until there is a sense of commitment on the employer side. In fact, once the employer has decided you are “the one,” the salary discussion works to your benefit. This generally doesn’t happen at the first meeting. Maybe not the second. There is inevitably an end to the interview process. That is the moment.

Deflect in the early stages

During the first interview, the employer is getting to know you. She is deciding if you have the skills; will fit into the culture; and (usually) whether you will make her look good. The first meeting is all about you selling your skills in relation to the job listings. No matter how well you are getting along, don’t lean in for the kiss; this is still not the time to discuss money, regardless of how well you’re getting along.

Believe me, even in this first meeting, the money question will come up.

When it does — deflect.

Of course the offer is important to you, but your answer should initially let the employer know that you are seeking a position that includes X, Y and Z. You trust they will make a fair offer. If pressed, you might have to tell the hiring authority what your current compensation is (it’s probably on the application anyway), but do some fancy verbal footwork to indicate that you are looking for the right position with the right kind of company. Do not actually answer the salary question right now. Again, just let them know that your priority is finding the right job. There will be plenty of time to discuss dollars down the road.

Even if the manager tries to get you to commit to a number, you are playing a guessing game at this point. Whatever you say can be wrong — either too high or (perhaps even worse) too low.

One of the benefits of working with a recruiter is that he does all the dirty work in this area. Most likely, he would not have sent you in for a job where it didn’t look like the salary could be worked out. I normally advise my candidates to refer the employer to me (the recruiter) to move this discussion forward. I can be the “bad guy,” even asking for more money than the employer had intended to pay because, for example, they will need to match another offer. This way, the candidate gets to keep her hands clean and can spend all the time selling why they are right for the job. I can make sure all sides are happy in the end.

Now that you’ve gotten the timing down, how to negotiate is always tricky. It is the company’s place to put an offer on the table. So, when you are asked what you are looking for, I recommend throwing the question back: “What do you have in mind?”

Present your case

Hopefully this will give you a good starting point. If the number sounds good, then go from there. If the number is low, then it’s time to present your case. This is when you bring in other offers, what your current situation is (pending raise, possible promotion, great vacation plan). Since you’ve waited till the company has mentally committed to wanting you, there is a strong possibility they will take your information under consideration and up the offer.

You might have to meet them halfway, but you will be considering the whole package, the potential and the company. If it still doesn’t feel right, there is often something else that can be added to sweeten the pot. This might be a sign-on bonus, extra vacation, a work- from-home day or a review at six months instead of a year. Remember, there’s a fine line between being too demanding and feeling like you are walking into a good situation.

All in all, the interview process has two distinct parts: the one where you display your talents and the final part where you talk money. You are looking for a great position, then a solid offer. Approaching the parts of the interview out of turn could be the “kiss of death.”

 

 

5. Do You Have to Reveal Your Income?

Discussing your salary history can be the most uncomfortable moment in a negotiation. But what do you really have to say? Follow these steps to be honest without being vulnerable.

October 12, 2009

By Kevin Fogarty

Few professional conversations are more awkward than those about how much money you make.

For job seekers, though, salary and compensation history isn’t just an uncomfortable topic to avoid with a relative. It’s often a make-or-break moment in a long-sought job interview.

You probably don’t want to answer the question about your salary history at all, and most employment lawyers and job-interview experts say your best bet is to dodge the question and focus on your potential value to the company, not your current paycheck.

There is no legal protection to prohibit a recruiter or hiring manager from asking the question or pressing you to provide an answer. So prepare an answer that you can support but also maintains your control of the situation.

Leverage

There is a significant risk of either pricing yourself out of a job or lowballing a potential offer, according to David A. Earle, lead researcher at Staffing.org, an analyst company that measures recruiting trends.

“If you really need the job, you’re at a disadvantage; if you end up taking an offer that’s too low, you’re going to find out about it around the water cooler,” Earle said. “If you’re an in-demand candidate, it’s a different psychological situation. Then there’s nothing wrong with walking in and saying ‘I make $170,000 where I am and would need at least $190,000 to even think about leaving.”

Hiring managers are under enormous pressure to keep salaries down, said Ed McGlynn, managing director of Financial Recruiters LLC and a former senior vice president at Lehman Brothers. But if they press too hard, it might be a sign the candidate should remove the opportunity from serious consideration. “If I got that question in an interview, I’d think, ‘This guy’s trying to get me for the lowest price he can get,’ and I’d have to wonder if I wanted to work for him,” McGlynn said.

Whether the question is asked at all and what part it plays in the negotiation depend largely on leverage — something few professionals have in the job market right now, according to Stephen E. Seckler, president of Seckler Legal Consulting in Newton, Mass., a consultancy that advises law firms on how to manage their businesses more effectively.

“It’s very difficult to not answer that question if it’s asked straight out,” Seckler said. “It’s not usually to your advantage to answer, but saying you don’t feel like answering sends the signal that you’re not a cooperative person. They’re screening you partly to see if (you’re) someone they want to work with, and that could create a problematic impression.”

Most negotiation experts say the first person to speak a number or make an offer is at a disadvantage because they give the other party a target to shoot down – in this case telling a job candidate the number is far too high for the position or budget, whether it is or not.

Victoria Pynchon a veteran litigator-turned professional negotiator as a mediator at ADR Services, emphasizes the importance of preparation. Do your homework, and be able to back up your negotiating position with evidence from Salary.com, professional association surveys and other sources that provide hard, competitive numbers.

Dodge and deflect

Refusing to answer when asked point-blank or lying about how much you were paid in order to push up the amount of any possible offer is the absolute worst option for a job seeker, McGlynn, Earle and Seckler agreed.

“Part of the company’s due diligence on you is going to be checking references, and there’s a good chance they’re going to find out either then or later what your real salary was,” Seckler said. “You’re basically starting out by giving the company a reason to fire you if they ever want to, even if there wasn’t cause for it then.”

The best way to deal with the question is to deflect it, McGlynn said. If you can’t, break your whole compensation package down to show where the value lies. Your salary might have been X, but your bonus was Y for specific accomplishments you can name, he said.

Being honest doesn’t mean being vulnerable, Seckler said.

“It’s very important to know where you stand, and there’s far too much information available online about salaries and compensation to not know how you compared,” Searle agreed. “If you made $142,000 and you know damn well that this position rarely pays less than $130,000 – and you’re willing to take that – then if they come back with an offer of $120,000, you know that’s outside your playing field and they’re just trying to screw you.”

The bottom line

To prepare and execute a salary negotiation, follow these steps:

1. Research competitive salary information for your position, industry and region.

2. Calculate the total value of your last compensation package, including base, bonus, commission and any other extras. Be prepared to be specific and exhaustive.

3. If you’re asked for salary history, ask what the company is prepared to offer.

4. Don’t lie. Expect that the company can and will check every number.

5. Explain why you’re worth what you’re asking based on your research of the market, not your previous salary.