What To Say When The Hiring Manager Asks About Your Religion In A Job Interview

[cbayer]

http://www.businessinsider.com/when-hr-asks-about-religion-in-interview-2014-5

JACQUELYN SMITH

MAY 19, 2014, 4:59 PM 3,802 9


David Wall/flickr

Despite all the increased awareness, warnings, and abundant corporate training available today, some hiring managers still openly ask illegal questions during the job interview, says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."

One of the most discriminatory queries of all is, "Which religion do you practice?"

"It may be that you're dealing with an inexperienced hiring manager," Taylor says. "But more often than not, interviewers who inquire about religion are trying to get at your work schedule. Questions about whether you observe certain holidays or attend a place of worship have little to do with your job, and you have no compelling reason to shed light on them. If a company wants to know more about your availability or schedule, they should not link it to a religious inquiry."

While you don't have to answer the question, you also don't want to come off as combative and hurt your chances of securing the job. So what do you say when put on the spot?

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/when-hr-asks-about-religion-in-interview-2014-5#ixzz32MFtIm5B

[Todays_Illusion]

1. Good tips on how to respond to the illegal question.

How about one on age.

[cbayer]

3. Good question.

I think some of the responses here could be adapted around the issue of age, but one generally puts there birth date on any application, so is the question technically illegal?

[2naSalit]

18. DOB is illegal too

most applications I see have the question that asks whether I'm over 18 or whatever age is legally adequate for things like selling/serving alcohol. The only place DOB is allowed is on background and security clearance or bonding forms/applications.

If I were asked such a question, I'd ask why they are asking such a question and give them the silent, "you know better" look. It is something taught in work search classes at some state employment agencies - like in CA, WA etc. You know, those classes they mandate for unemployed getting benefits for more than a couple weeks.

I learned about that in HR courses associated with my MPA degree.

[cbayer]

19. I did not know that DOB was illegal.

It seems like everyone asks for that (I am not specifically referencing job applications, though).

I went to Supercuts the other day and they wanted my telephone number. I asked why in the world they would want that and she gave me some spiel about record keeping and how they never used it, etc.

I gave her a fake number.

I know this is off-topic, but I really object to retail places wanting any kinds of personal information from me at all.

[2naSalit]

21. Indeed!

I never give them actual info, I always give them some made up info... they sure as hell DO use that info! When the Internet sh*t hits the fan, I'll be going offline and may even can my phone. I've had about enough of this crap, when I google my name and ten pages of my residence history show up... That stuff has to go. If it doesn't, I'll probably find a way to stop participating in the personal info-stalking craze.

[cbayer]

22. This is why I don't do Facebook and still just have a stupid phone.

I am lucky not to have a regular, permanent address, so stalking has not been a concern of mine.

But that's a very unusual way to live and I fear for those that are covering the web with their personal information - which is just about everyone who uses the internet.

[2naSalit]

23. Agreed.

I don't use any social media but I have learned that even when you don't, someone you know does and if they mention you or someone gets into their address book files with your e-mail, you're made public.

I do agree about the no permanent address, used to be able to do that as an over-the-road drive but since I had to retire from that and go to college, the gig is up.

So I have e-mail, this site and my phone... the rest is residual but it's out there.

I have to go do some chores, have a great day and watch out for intrusive queries!

[Todays_Illusion]

29. I don't think date of birth allowed, the problem is with immigration law ID requirement.

So you can't be asked your birth date, but must show ID to establish the right to legal employment.

However, when handled correctly the ID doesn't come until actual hiring, not at interview time.

[yeoman6987]

6. I have never been asked this question ever

However, over time, coworkers may ask me if I am a particular religion. I tell them yes or no and tell them what I am. No big deal really. I think it is all part of getting to know your coworkers. However, I have never been asked during any interview.

[unblock]

2. why would i want that job after a question like that?

i'm always astounded by advice to job-seekers that completely ignores the perfectly valid option of just saying no to a terrible job.

why is it that employers should have a laundry list of red flags that let them justify saying no to a candidate who answers a single question perhaps just not quite the right way, while candidates shouldn't have a comparable list for employers?

for me, any company that asks a blatantly discriminatory and illegal question is a company i would not want to work for. why expose myself to discrimination, or become part of discriminating organization? why sign up for spending time on likely lawsuits and settlements from sloppy corporate practices like that? why would i want to see money for my bonus or raise instead go to pay a settlement for someone else they discriminated against?


i understand some people in certain situations might be desperate for a job, any job, and might choose to take a lousy job knowing its flaws, perhaps with the idea of continuing to look for a more suitable opportunity even while starting at the lousy place. for them, sure, advice on how to answer this question diplomatically might be welcome. for me, though, i'd politely decline to answer the question. in my younger days, i'd politely finish the interview and later turn them down. the older i get, the more likely i think i am to just say, "this isn't going to work out and i don't want to waste anyone's time, so let's just end this here."

[cbayer]

4. Well, an HR person may not really have anything to do with the actual job.

And they might just be ignorant of the law or clueless about why this is an inappropriate question.

Would you really reject a job that was otherwise exactly what you wanted just because an interviewer asked you about your religion?

Like you point out, you may be in the position to just turn around and walk out, but that's just not true for many, many people.

[unblock]

5. there's no excuse for illegal activity like that. none.

in fact, it's the non-hr people who are more likely to be ignorant of the law. no one has any business being in hr and not understanding the basics of interviewing legalities.

if the company doesn't take the law seriously enough to do the minimal training it takes to make sure that anyone doing interviews knows the few topics to absolutely avoid, that's a disaster in the making and i would want no part of it.


i actually quit a job as cto i because the ceo asked me to avoid hiring gay people. the company was in austin, texas, not long after they made what he was asking me to do illegal. i am pleased to say the company went straight into the crapper after i left and folded entirely within the year.

[cbayer]

8. No excuse, I agree, but my point was that it may not

be representative of the company as a whole or may just be ignorant.

I think it's ok to be prepared to challenge the question without getting all up in someone's face or walking out.

Once hired or not hired, there may be an opportunity to make a more formal issue of it and to let the interviewer's superior know that they have an issue.

Your last scenario is really an entirely different situation and I too would have quit that job. I would have also probably pursued some kind of action against them.

[unblock]

11. i agree that it's fine for people to continue to try to get that job.

i'm not at all claiming that everyone should just stop the interview then and there. i'm merely noting that any proper "advice" for job-seekers should also note that interviews are a two-way street and you should consider whether or not you really want to work for a place where they ask such questions in interviews. the conclusion depends on the person, the situation, etc.; but advice columns like this invariably assume that turning down a job is never an option.


as for legal action in my situation, (a) i'm not gay, so i wasn't personally discriminated against, and (b) 5 minutes with any lawyer and that ceo would be denying that the conversation ever took place (c) as i said, the company folded, i would never have been able to get anything out of them anyway.

[cbayer]

13. Really good point about the two way street.

For me, a candidate that asked questions about the job in order to determine if it were a good fit for them would be attractive.

But I'm not sure that is always the case.

Glad you go the last laugh in the situation you were in previously.

[yeoman6987]

7. The majority of people who apply to jobs

are desperate to get the job and would probably accept the job regardless of questions asked if they got a job offer. Not saying all, but majority.

[unblock]

12. true. or at least, they want to keep their options open and decide later.

as noted above, i'm merely saying that the "just turn down the job" option should be included, along with the ways of trying to still get the job.

[TlalocW]

9. I was asked

I responded Ancient Aztec with a straight face and then stared at the HR Rep while she struggled to figure out if I was kidding or not. After 20 seconds, I let her off the hook and told her that question was illegal.

I got the job.

TlalocW

[cbayer]

10. Was she unaware of the illegality of the question?

[TlalocW]

14. I'm not sure

She just went, "Oh, okay," which was rather non-committal. This was in Tulsa which is known for its extreme religionosity (patent pending).

When I first applied for jobs before moving there, I interviewed at a placement agency. The owner and the guy assigned to get me a job and I all sat down to talk, and when things were about to end, the owner said, "Well, I'd just like to pray that we get you in with a good company right away," which I took to mean, "Let's hope we have good luck getting you somewhere," until he actually started to pray. At one point, he stopped to look at me, but I was in so much shock I didn't say anything so he continued praying (since I wasn't taking up the prayer), but the next time he looked at me, I had recovered and said, "Amen."

They also referred to be as, "Brother TlalocW," and when they handed me off at the company they had gotten me on with, they called me that in front of my manager. We went to his office to talk a little bit, and he asked if I had any questions, and I said, "Yeah... Is everyone going to be calling me, 'Brother?'" He laughed and said no. It was just that placement agency that did that, and while he didn't like the "brother" bit, he did trust them to supply him with good employees. He then told me, "You're in Tulsa now. The first questions you're going to be asked when meeting someone for the first time are, 'What church do you go to,' and 'How many children do you have?'"

TlalocW

[cbayer]

15. Tulsa, hmmmm…..

The prayer thing would have made me really uncomfortable. What a difficult situation.

I've never lived in a place where people asked what church you go to, but in New Orleans there is an assumption that you went to one of the parochial schools and there is a great deal of emphasis placed on that. I rapidly discovered when people asked where you went to school, they meant high school. And, more specifically, Catholic high school This took some getting used to.

[TlalocW]

16. A friend of mine went back to college

In his mid-20s (he previously just did 2 years at a community college) and went to Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO, which isn't too far from Tulsa, which I was living in at the time. He wanted me to come visit so I did, taking Friday off, and I attended some classes with him, which were interesting to say the least. All the teachers prayed before the classes started; guys had to wear suits; women had to dress modestly in long dresses. I walked around in a Superman t-shirt and sneakers though. Anyway, he was taking a Spanish class (which was one of my majors in college), and the teacher broke the class up into groups to do an in-class project. I helped out my friend's group so we finished first, and one of the kids decided to chat me up and asked where I had gone to college.

Pittsburg State in southeast Kansas and then I did some grad work at Oklahoma State.
Oh, OSU is great. I'm from Tulsa, and we liked to go to football games there.
I'm living in Tulsa now.
What church do you go to?
(Forgetting where I was) Oh, I don't go to church.
(Uncomfortable silence) Well, if you're interested, there's this good church at 121st and...
That was YOUR church, wasn't it?
Well, yeah.
(Realizing how I can shut him up) Actually, every now and then I attend St. Francis de Guadalupe's Spanish mass to practice my listening skills.
Oh. (Quickly turns away and talks to someone else)

My friend thought it was hilarious and complimented me later for using conservative Baptist's dislike of Catholicism to derail the kid.

TlalocW

[cbayer]

17. I think you give a good example of how to have one of these

conversations in a way that is not hostile but makes it clear that you do not share their particular position.

[pinto]

20. I've never been in that situation, but think the suggested approaches are good ones.

But in my case, my most important interviews were with a very secular non-profit and various County positions. County policy is clear on any faith based questions - strictly a no go.

[CrispyQ]

24. I had an attorney ask me once if I was married & had children.

I said, "I'm sure you meant to ask me if working past five or on an occasional weekend would be an issue, and it wouldn't."

I didn't get the job, but the HR person who left the message on my vmail said, "He wanted to commend you on your answer to his question about your family."

[cbayer]

25. Well done.

I think that's the point of the article.

There are ways to challenge inappropriate questions in a fashion that does not offend but makes your point.

[freeplessinseattle]

26. When I lived on SLC, UT, they would ask "What ward do you go to?"

Which was a common question I encountered by practically every Mormon I met (a ward is an individual LDS church).

It was a way of being social, I guess, in that they could say, "oh, I know so-and-so who goes there, too." but when I would respond that I'm not LDS, more often than not they wouldn't stop there. They usually wanted to know what religion I was instead, and boy did they look aghast and confused when I revealed I have no religion.

[cbayer]

27. My experience with Mormons has been different, but I never lived in Utah.

The ones I have known have never asked me about religion, though they generally have told me that they are Mormon.

[freeplessinseattle]

28. yeah, the Mormons I've met here are much different

I guess that's a good example of a minority experience!