asking personal questions in an interview

[Andy008]

last summer I went for a job with a field marketing company. At the interview the office manager told me he lived in the same town as my parents, and proceeded to ask me what they did for a living. I refused to answer the question, as i immediately believed it to be irrelevant. Speaking later with a recruitment consultant, they told such a question should never be asked in an interview, and that doing was extremely unprofessional. Has this happened to anyone else?

[Hgrove]

No, but I have been asked if I was going to get pregnant (the last time I was asked this in an interview was in 1997).

[MargeB]

Andy, it's probably illegal if he didn't declare it on his data protection register (www.dataprotection.gov.uk). You can check his company's entry on the register.
Serves for nothing though, personally I'd just answer the question, unless they were pimps, drug dealers, or communist dictators. The guy has the right to not hire you for undisclosed reasons, if he thinks you 'demand your rights', he'll probably pass you by. I've been asked muchhhh worse. Just answered. It's the way the world is...

[willow74]

i worn a smart trouser suit to an interview a few years ago and was asked if i wore skirts sometimes

i was younger and foolishly didnt say anything.

[ursula62]

I was once asked at interview whether my motivation was money or God....

I didn't get the job, so I obviously gave the wrong answer!

[Hermia]

I was asked for the date of my last period in an interview - I nearly fell off my chair in shock!

[Hgrove]

P.S. I was also asked what my husband did.

[ianess]

According to my local council's procedures it's illegal to even ask what sex you are.....you're supposed to give that type of personal information in a sealed envelope which will only be opened after the interview and they've decided to offer you the job!

Crazy or what??

[CiderMonkey]

When I went for an interview for a shoe shop when i was 16 the manager asked me if I had a lot of freinds. I thought that was a bit weird but seeing some of these answers.. it wasn't that strange compared to them!

[LordyGeordie]

I once went for an interview down south and was interviewed by a rather snotty ex-public school city type.

Going through my CV he came to my old school and said 'I don't believe I've heard of that one'. well he probably wouldn't bearing in mind it's a rather average comprehensive in north-east england.

needless to say I didn't get the job.

as for andy 008s question it was irrelevant to ask what your parents did. but it could be that he was just trying to work out if he knew them seeing as how he came from the same town. when somebody says they know someone who lives near me, it's one of the first questions I ask to figure out if i know them.

it really wouldn't have hurt to have answered the question he was probably just trying to make conversation. you don't say whether you got the job or not. my guess is not as your response would have immediaetly alienated yourself and the boss.

[El D]

If an interviewer does not ask the same question of the various applicants technically it can be viewed as discrimination because the criteria must be the same. It was unprofessional but not to the extent to make a fuss about imo. Field marketing is not the most highly regulated field anyway =)

If an interviewer asks personal question throw a few back his way and see what happens . . .