CREDIT: CANDIS BROSS
Depending on how much you prepare, you cannot be certain on what the interviewer will ask, but at least you can know what the interviewer is not allowed to ask.

Applying for a job can be an intimidating process. Depending on how much you prepare, you cannot be certain on what the interviewer will ask, but at least you can know what the interviewer is not allowed to ask. These questions can seem harmless and light-hearted or your employer could be trying to relate and make the interview more casual. However, there might be things in your past that you do not want your future employer to know that could prevent you from having a fair chance to pursue the opportunity.

According to an article

According to an article published on the Huffington Post called “10 Questions Employers Can’t Ask You In A Job Interview”, some of the topics that cannot be discussed in an interview include:

– Religious affiliation

– Political affiliation

– Being pregnant

– Ethnic background

– Disabilities

– Financial struggles (i.e. debt)

– Smoking, drinking, substance use

In any interview, the goal is to make a great first impression in order to be eligible for the desired job. CEO and general manager of Downtown London Janette MacDonald said it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe and legal environment that focuses on your skills and potential in the particular field.

“Employers can ask questions but you should not interrogate the person you are hiring,” Macdonald said. “It is important to be conversational, you are just having a chat with the person, and they will be able to be honest about who they are.”

Macdonald said interviewees should ask the employer questions as well.

“They need to make sure they are working for someone who believes they can get the job done with their own personal business and be flexible with needs that the employee may have.”

As a future employee, you may want to share specific things about yourself that would be personal for an employer to ask. Macdonald said that she learns more about the people she is hiring once she begins to go through situations that can occur at the job.

“There is an element of honesty on the employer’s part.

There needs to be full disclosure,” Macdonald said. “We are obligated to give people a reality for what they are in for and we want them to stick.”

“I hope people have integrity and will be honest rather than dishonest. Both the employer and employee need to be open when it comes to the workplace.”

Respecting the law is the employer’s responsibility, but the employee’s responsibility is to ensure that they are able to be the best fit for the job.

“Employers need to use common sense but should follow their gut. It is important to ask open-ended questions to get the employee’s honest answer,” Macdonald said.

“Employers need to know their questions before the interview and they should notify the employee that they will be taking notes to remember specific things.”

Kathy McLaughlin, manager for Downtown London, said it is important that potential employees can let their work determine whether or not they are a good fit for the organization.

“We have recently hired a marketing co-ordinator … and it has worked out very well so far,” McLaughlin said. “[He] is a graduate from Western’s media program who has done some volunteer work for us and worked with us under a government grant. We have kept him on and offered him the opportunity because of the work he has done for us thus far.”

When it comes to hiring a person for a specific position, the ability to do the work necessary for the success and progression of the organization should be the main priority.

“We are looking for a person who fits the team dynamic. It is important to find an employee that is willing to roll up his or her sleeves and be a team player,” MacDonald said. “Ethnicity and gender do not matter, it is about finding the best person for the job.”

Being able to find the right person can be difficult, but the right person can be lost if the employer is not careful when creating the environment for the interview. It is important to understand the law as an employer and employee to make sure an interview does not become a lawsuit.