Birth Cert Requested for Job Interview?

what a ridiculous thread title.

But in response to the actual question the OP asked, if they hire you, you start the job and only then they discover you’re not who you say you are, they’ve wasted a lot of time and effort on you. Of course you need to provide the docs before you start.

They've asked for proof that you're eligible to work in Ireland. They've given you multiple options as to how you do this.

An accent does not prove you nationality. Looks at all the American accents in our young folk!

This is pretty standard, Visa sponsorship costs thousands per applicant and that's often billed to the company

Many job applications nowadays will ask applicants if they have the right to work in Ireland and whether they'll require visa sponsorship later

Presumably the OP is an Irish citizen and the company is asking for proof. They can't just ring up the passport office and ask if Joe Bloggs is an Irish citizen on account of the massive privacy breach that would entail

The company will also likely do a background check using a third party. Again this is costly so they're probably trying to filter applicants as early as they can

Pretty much no company gives a reference anymore, at least in the sense of "Joe's a good guy" type of character reference

An employer can't really say anything bad about an employee in a reference because it leaves them open to being sued for defamation.

Also someone might not want their current employer knowing they're looking for a new job. Some managers take that stuff personally

The best you'll often get is a signed letter confirming you are/were an employee. It'll give the dates of your employment and your job title but nothing more

In any case, having a previous employer in Ireland doesn't prove your right to work here, it's possible they didn't do a background check

With that attitude, you’re probably wasting your own, and the potential employers time.

Are any of the criteria unique to your profession legal documents?

Accents mean diddly squat and prove nothing.

Toys out of the pram about a Birth Cert 😂😂.

Jesus Christ 😂😂

“I would've thought that you wouldn't be obliged to show something like a birth cert until you'd actually be hired. Just wondering is there any way a candidate could hide their date of birth during an interview? as they're entitled to do.”

My advice to employers on this issue is to formally request the required information at the point at which a job offer is being made. It can be flagged at interview stage that any subsequent offer of employment will be conditional on the applicant providing the required information within say, two weeks.

It’s convenient for employers to do so in advance as you’ve described because it potentially saves time subsequently. It means a person can start immediately and that there will be no associated delay in providing the required documentation.

However, employers/agencies insisting on ID in advance are at potential risk of GDPR because they’re seeking records that they may not necessarily need. In more serious cases, it may be a form of identity theft from organisations that front as recruitment agencies.

As an individual job seeker, you have the right to insist that any such information will be withheld until a job offer is made. Whether this reduces your chances of a job offer is something you need to consider.

It's not about confirming your identity. It's above work rights. You accent is hardly something they can go by.

What are the "other criteria" that prove your identity?