This 1 Phrase Shuts Down Illegal Interview Questions.

There are illegal / inappropriate interview questions that NO interviewer (namely in the United States) should ask. And yet…odds are you have been asked at least one of these questions before. Here’s which questions you should avoid answering, and what to say when they are (inevitably) asked.

What is considered an illegal interview question?

Some of the things an interviewer should not ask you in the US include:

• Age (they shouldn’t ask graduation years either)
• If you’re a parent
• If you’re married
• Religion
• Country (they can ask you if you’re legally able to work in the US)
• Health (they can ask if you’re able to perform the duties of the job)
• Race
• Sexual Orientation
• Previous salary (check this for your state)

Often when these questions are asked, the interviewer is untrained. Instead of getting flustered, take this as a data point about the company, and follow the script laid out below.

How to respond:

A lot of advice talks about being confrontational here, and calling the company out with a phrase like “That information is not important to the duties of this role.”

In an interview you always want to be building rapport, so that response may hurt your chance at establishing a positive relationship with the interviewer.

Instead, when encountered with these sensitive interview questions you can do one of two things. 

One option is to answer the question truthfully, which you are not required to do. Sometimes this is the path of least-awkwardness. If you already answered one of these questions don’t worry about it, just continue nailing those other interview questions and remember a company should not hire you based on this information.

The second option is to answer the question with my graceful yet killer phrase that will shut down those illegal interview questions. This phrase will establish a respectful relationship between you and the interviewer while radiating your competence and confidence in the interview. 

Here is the phrase:

“I am happy to provide the pertinent personal information and documents you need when an offer is presented.” 

This phrase is perfect because truthfully they will get all your personal information for employment & tax purposes once you’re hired. It signals to them that it’s not really a question they should be asking, without being abrasive.  Be sure that each step of the interview is building rapport, even in your emails afterward.

What to do when they are adamant about getting the answer:

If you used the phrase above and they insist on getting this information, don’t get mad, get curious. 

Ask this to determine if this company is sketchy or simply not properly trained on how to interview.

Here it is:

I’m unfamiliar with companies requiring that information at this stage, could you walk me through your interview process and any other pertinent information you will need from candidates?

Both of these responses will shut down illegal interview questions you are not obliged to answer during the interview process. If you’d like more information on how to respond to interview questions check out the Job Interview Secrets ebook.

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Madeline Mann is an HR & Recruiting leader who is known for her award-winning job search YouTube Channel, Self Made Millennial, and her acclaimed coaching program, Standout Job Search. Mann’s career coaching programs have led to thousands of success stories, and her work has been featured in Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and more.