{"id":29,"date":"2018-09-14T08:23:05","date_gmt":"2018-09-14T07:23:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=29"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:15:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:15:26","slug":"employers-ten-things-you-should-never-ask-in-an-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/employers-ten-things-you-should-never-ask-in-an-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"10 things employers should never ask in an interview"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t10 things employers should never ask in an interview\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tStacey McIntosh<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

A wide range of interview questions is essential to help find the right employees for your business. However, asking the wrong questions could bring discrimination claims against you, threatening your company\u2019s finances and reputation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you conduct your next interview, stop and check that you\u2019re not planning on asking any of the following danger questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. \u201cAre you planning on starting a family?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This question may seem fair enough but it\u2019s loaded with potential discrimination. You could be accused of not employing someone because of the cost and resource issues associated with their maternity or paternity leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, avoid any questions about children, childcare or family commitments in an interview<\/mark>. If it comes up in conversation that an applicant is expecting a baby, for instance, stress that this will not be taken into account in the selection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. \u201cAren\u2019t you a bit young\/old for this job?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, this question reeks of discrimination. Even if it\u2019s an innocent question and their age has nothing to do with your final decision, this type of question could come back to bite you. In a nutshell, make no reference to an applicant\u2019s age whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. \u201cAre you an Irish citizen?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A better question, to ask is: \u201cAre you authorised to work in Ireland?\u201d If you do decide to ask this question, it\u2019s important to ask everyone. To only ask people who appear to be non-Irish can also be considered discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. \u201cDo you practice a particular religion?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is obviously a high-risk question. Think about why you are asking the question. If it\u2019s just a case of determining what days someone can work (and it’s relevant to the role), simply ask: \u201cCan you work on weekends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. \u201cAre you planning on retiring in the next few years?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This could still be seen as age discrimination, just worded differently. Remember, any questions to do with an applicant\u2019s age are out of bounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. \u201cIs that your maiden name?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In an interview, any questions about an applicant\u2019s marital status are off-limits<\/mark>. Again, this could well be an innocent question but the danger is still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can still get the information you want, just by asking a slightly different way. For instance: \u201cHave you ever been known by another name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. \u201cDo you smoke or drink?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d think this is a perfectly reasonable question but it could actually be seen as disability discrimination. If you\u2019re worried about potential alcohol issues or too many smoking breaks, it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to ask: \u201cHave you had any disciplinary action regarding the use of alcohol or tobacco?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. \u201cDo you take any drugs?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It seems bizarre but this question is off-limits in regards to legal drugs, but not illegal ones. You can\u2019t ask about medicines or prescription drugs, due to disability discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know about the other sort of drugs, you\u2019re allowed to ask: \u201cDo you use illegal drugs?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. \u201cAre you disabled in any way?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even if it\u2019s obvious that someone is disabled, you can\u2019t ask them about their specific abilities. What you can ask about, though, is what they can or can\u2019t do. For instance, ask them if they are able to perform the duties of the role to determine this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. \u201cDo you live nearby?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Believe it or not, asking if someone has far to commute isn\u2019t allowed. This is in case you discriminate against them based on their geographical location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As always, though, you can get around this. Simply phrase the question differently, for example: \u201cWill a 9am start be suitable for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final thoughts on interview questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a rule of thumb, don\u2019t ask anything that could be construed as discrimination. These areas relate to someone’s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n