Have you ever been Coerced during an interview?

Brid Hegarty

We spend so much time thinking about what's the best way to answers in an interview, that we forget how to deal with an interviewer who is out of line. Have you ever let your guard down in an interview? Have you ever answered a question that they shouldn't have asked just so as not to kill the node? Or have they ever tried to get you to agree to something prematurely?

It can be very hard to know how they'll take it too. Will they think you are arrogant to stand true to your own principals. Could it be something that they consider perfectly normal to ask, or are they just acting as if it's a perfectly normal thing to ask? I would be surprised if there are interview coaches who have the intelligence to coach people along these lines!

The Mighty Quinn

any specific examples yourself?

Jequ0n

I am very interested what questions and situations you encountered in your interviews OP. Surely something must have triggered you to start this thread.

MarkR

Depends on the question, which you haven't posted. Is it a question they weren't legally allowed to ask, or did you just not think it should be a question?

https://www.hays.ie/resources/career-advice/handling-inappropriate-interview-questions

The Equality Acts of 1998 and 2004 prohibit employers and potential employers from discriminating against anyone on the basis of:

• Gender
• Marital Status
• Race/Age
• Disability
• Family status
• Sexual orientation
• Religion
• Member of the travelling community

Brid Hegarty

@MarkR Is it a question they weren't legally allowed to ask, or did you just not think it should be a question?

It didn't just happen once. I believe it's quite common out there. I'm more interested in hearing others' experiences though.

I had one guy describe how (if hired) that I'd be bringing back the field report details to the the office staff, and that the office staff were girls. He then said something like "would you be okay with the girls?" or maybe it was "would you be able to get on with the girls, you know?". Should've said to him "well do your girls need a particular sort of charm?"

Another time one dude just said "married, kids?". Interesting he didn't even bother to phrase in the form of a question... probably so that he'd have deniability.

Jim_Hodge

Brid, yet again you seem to be overthinking situations. Did they ask about your inter-personal skills by any chance?

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522488#Comment_119522488

You're obviously a re-reg. But why do people have to be so nasty and infantile?

Jequ0n

“I had one guy describe how (if hired) that I'd be bringing back the field report details to the the office staff, and that the office staff were girls. He then said something like "would you be okay with the girls?" or maybe it was "would you be able to get on with the girls, you know?". Should've said to him "well do your girls need a particular sort of charm?"”

Well he clearly realised that there might be an issue for you with this task. I hope you gave him one of your challenging stares at least.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058260308/have-you-ever-been-coerced-during-an-interview

I've once had an interview with Gartner in the UK for a customer facing sales role. The interview was like a police cross examination in a cheap movie. Initially it looked like a "good cop bad cop" scenario where managers entered the room, then left again, then the next manager came. Apart from professional questions, further questions often deviated from the job and the experience, and went even into very private matters, personal lives, even sexual intimate questions.

I decided to end this thanked them for their time and interest and left.

Some friends of mine reported a similar interview style, but others who worked for them many years before didn't.

Pauliedragon

I've been asked a few times how old I am and marital status but didn't bother me. One question that always baffled me is the "do you smoke" question. Does it matter? I don't smoke but was always curious. Most of my interviews are hospitality/retail so a lot of the time it's not people fully trained in what they can and cant ask but always wondered if anyone else got offended by the age/marital question.

Pissy Missy

I remember one of my interviews back in the day, the interviewer said he'd be recording the interview which was a formality. I thought it was weird but whatever. The interviewer was later investigated for embezzlement and inappropriate behaviour. It was brought to my attention that interviews aren't meant to be video recorded, he even denied it to my face that it never happened. Not surprised he was fired soon after.

dennyk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527104#Comment_119527104

If it's hospitality/retail, they probably don't want someone that's going to be popping out for ten minutes twice an hour for a smoke break and come back in stinking of stale tobacco smoke for the whole day. (Seriously, smokers are often completely oblivious to just how bad they smell...)

I remember back in the US that was a pretty common question in many jobs, but there it was because health insurance providers charge employers a huge premium for having smokers on their group policy. Some jobs even drug test for nicotine and charge their employees a hefty premium if they're found to be using, or sometimes even just fire them (or refuse to hire them) outright.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522519#Comment_119522519

persuade (an unwilling person) to do something by using force or threats.

You started this thread asking about coercion and so far you have not come even close to providing a single example of this happening. Which is not surprising because it makes absolutely not senses what so ever. You have spent time talking about discrimination, but not coercion. So you should not be surprised that people are starting to get tired of this.

Before you go any further, can you actually provide an example of be coerced at an interview and I really mean actual coercion as commonly defined.

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528027#Comment_119528027

Well if that's the case then you could say that Harvey Weinstein didn't coerce all those women. They were grown women and they weren't forced to give him massages. So how were they coerced? Well, because of the context. Because he had something that they wanted, and because they had to make their decisions quickly. It 's the same in an interview. People enter an interview in a more supplicant manor, and are therefore more susceptible.

I wouldn't get too caught up on the exact meaning of coercion, and whether or not I've provided examples myself. The thread title after all, is 'Have you ever been coerced?'. It is an under-estimated issue.

Fred Astaire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528559#Comment_119528559

You need help.

Sardonicat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119527756#Comment_119527756

But what if they test positive for nicotine because they are using nicotine replacement treatment like gums or patches? That's very unfair on people who don't actually smoke anymore.

B.A._Baracus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522455#Comment_119522455

I gave the thread a chance and read up your that post there...

Waaaaaaaaay overthinking things

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528559#Comment_119528559

And this is exactly why people are getting tired out it. Rambling nonsense not even remotely related to your original post. We take it at this point that you are not in the slightest serious about the topic as usual.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528559#Comment_119528559

What the hell are you on about? Not only do you seriously overthink everyday interactions and comments, you find spurious connections to what are patently obviously situations that are in no way similar. Your premise doesn't come close to even a remotely correct definition of coercion: it actually is insulting to anybody who has experienced true coercive behaviour. These threads are becoming more and more deranged and removed from any semblance of normality. Either that or you are deliberately trying to wind people up. Whichever it is, you need to take along hard look at how you interpret what are, to most people, the daily cut and thrust of life.

anndub

Yes. I was asked if I had any personal commitments that would make it difficult for me to be available to stay after hours at short notice.

In other words, do you have kids. I'm almost certain if I had been male I would not have been asked that question.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119529434#Comment_119529434

Since it was phrased so carefully, I'm almost certain that all candidates were asked exactly the same question.

And it's not an example of coercion: you were not forced to abandon your kids to roam the streets (or to leave your dog to be locked alone in the day care overnight, or your elderly parents unfed and unable to get into bed all evening).

You were asked about commitments which might make this role a bad fit for you. Simple respectful, legal question. Simple answer with no more information required than you want to give, Eg "Yes, I have a commitment, but it can 90% of the time be re-arranged with 15 minutes notice. Would that be workable?"

anndub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119529755#Comment_119529755

With all due respect, you are drawing an awful lot of conclusions about the ethics of a company based on a one liner I quoted from a single interview.

I worked for the company for 6 years after that interview and can say with absolute certainty women with children were quickly filtered out at interview.

You are correct, it is discriminatory not coercion. That came later

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119529434#Comment_119529434

You can't be certain and you were not asked if you had kids. This may surprise you but there are a lot of people with commitments that they need to attend to other than kids - sick partners, parents, a second job, education etc...

Jim2007

People seem to forget that an interview is ALL about discrimination. If you get to the interview stage, you probably have at least on paper the basic skills needed to do the job and now they are trying to who they'd like to have come work with them. And if anybody thinks for a minute that they will employ someone they don't like, then you are going to be disappointed. They intend to hire a white woman, single between the ages of 25 and 35 of middle European extraction that is exactly what they will end up with. They might make a mistake or two at the interview stage but they'll sort this out during the probation period.

From my point of view you are wasting your time trying to land job you will never get to have. Most of the anti discrimination laws around recruiting are just for show, if continuance of service is a necessary criteria for a position and the employer can't ask the kids question, they'll just filter out young women and a go for a man or an older woman instead and if they want a young person because they are cheaper they will do that to.

anndub

Boards has become very sanctimonious. You can't tell your own personal experiences without people telling you it's all in your imagination!

Descrimination is not a natural part of the interview process. The interview process is ideally designed to filter candidates in or out based on their hard skills, soft skills and also whether their personality appears to be a good fit for the team they will be joining. Roles should not be filled based on the gender, ethnicity or age of a candidate. I'm not saying they're not on occasion but that is morally and ethically inappropriate and should at no point be normalised with a shrug of the shoulders and an "it happens to it's fine" attitude.

Your personal circumstances outside of work should never be a deciding factor. They are not relevant to the role unless you are entering the room saying "I'll need every second Tuesday off because my kid has ballet". Other than that, as adults, all participants should be trusted to be able to meet the minimum requirements of a role if they have applied for it! Probation periods are there to be used if a candidate has been dishonest about their ability to meet the minimum requirements of a role.

In my case, had the job advert stated "occasional unscheduled overtime will be a requirement in the role" that would have been enough. The question I was asked was strongly discriminatory.

I find it utterly bizarre that any one would enter an interview room having decided they are going to hire a young , single, white woman of European extraction unless they were some kind of sexual deviant at which point discrimination laws are less of an issue in comparison to the sexual misconduct cases that are coming their way.

Jequ0n

It was not a discriminatory question. If you get hired and you turn out to be the only person in the team who can’t stay overtime when required the manager will have a problem.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119532738#Comment_119532738

I'd say the thing is that the most burning reason to hire, is to fill an vacant position, and do that rather sooner than later. Later is costly, as the position is unfilled, company not covering certain work, etc...

If there is any coercion or coercive questions in the interview process it's most likely down to bad management, and out of place hiring practices. It's also not very welcoming for the applicant, - anybody who has alternative offers will take them.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119532738#Comment_119532738

Not once in thirty five years did I ever come across an employer who hired someone they did not want to hire. Believe what you want.

Brid Hegarty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119528868#Comment_119528868

If, for example, an interviewee for a work from home position, was asked if they would be okay with their "logged in" work activity being monitored via a PC camera, keyboard usage, they would more than likely say 'yes' in order to get the position, even if they have suspicions about the legality of such a thing. A lot of people would feel that this is coercion.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119536561#Comment_119536561

More hypothesising.

I think your problem is that you don’t understand the purpose of an interview. This isn’t simply an interrogation which determines suitability based on how rehearsed your responses are. It’s a chance for the employer and the interviewee to assess and determine suitably of the role and company for themselves.

If you hear that you’d be expected to do something or adhere to things you don’t like then you know that this isn’t the role for you.

With all due respect: you are constantly overanalysing behaviours that are perfectly normal but who seem to pose a threat to you. Get some help for your low self esteem.

bucketybuck

I once asked an interviewee if he had any problem doing the job that was advertised. The next day I was arrested for coercion.

True story.