
30 Interview Questions You Can't Ask and 30 Sneaky, Legal Alternatives to Get the Same Info - nickb
http://www.hrworld.com/features/30-interview-questions-111507/
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henning
And we're supposed to respect assholes like this?

It's good to know there are employers who waste valuable interview time
wondering whether the guy with the funny-sounding name with a great track
record and a degree from IIT is a (gasp) _Hindu_! A god-damned heathen Hindu!
Jesus H. _Christ_ , we do not hire heathens at this here company.

~~~
mynameishere
Reading between the lines...bigotry against Christians.

In any case, calm down. I would frankly think twice about someone who actively
worshipped a magic multi-armed, elephant-headed monstrosity.

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comatose_kid
Your post demonstrates bigotry against Hindus - no reading between the lines
is necessary. Before you post ignorant comments, perhaps you should read the
Bhagavad-Gita.

What if the best coder you had ever seen happened to be a Hindu? If you still
thought twice about this person based on their religious belief, I would think
twice about your judgment.

Most (all?) religions require their followers to take something on faith,
which implies suspending scientific, critical judgement. And most people
believe in some religion (computer scientists included - Knuth is an obvious
example).

In other words, beliefs have little to do with intellectual
ability/productiveness/excellence in software. Get over it.

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mynameishere
If somebody _literally_ believed in a multi-armed, elephant-headed monstrosity
up in the clouds granting wishes[1], I would THINK TWICE about him. I reserve
the right to THINK TWICE about people who are completely deluded. As an
employer, might I still exploit this person's labor? Quite possibly. But you
better believe that modern-day medievalists give reason for pause. Most people
are only nominally religious, or behave so, which is expected.

Sorry for repeating myself, but when I say something that is 100 percent
reasonable, I don't really like taking a lot of shit from people.

 _ignorant comments, perhaps you should read the Bhagavad-Gita_

The day I read the Bhagavad-Gita or Rama-rama Ding Dong for that matter in
order to _reduce_ my ignorance is the day I die.

 _which implies suspending scientific, critical judgement_

...which implies stupidity. I know, I know. That's the problem. I don't want
people suspending scientific, critial judgement.

[1] Or whatever the hell it does--it's not relevant.

~~~
comatose_kid
Suspending scientific, critical judgement wrt religious beliefs does NOT imply
stupidity - I thought my previous post made that pretty clear.

As to not wanting to read the Bhagavad-Gita, I don't really care if you do or
don't - but don't expect to be taken seriously when you deride Hinduism.

And if you don't like taking a lot of shit from people, perhaps you could try
respecting others first.

~~~
mynameishere
_but don't expect to be taken seriously when you deride Hinduism_

There's a whole army of people on reddit and elsewhere who deride Christianity
endlessly and are very much taken seriously when they do so. It's a common
double-standard, and I'm always amazed when people get offended by it merely
being pointed out.

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sanj
Sneaky is right.

It's good to know that the HR industry is trained to be a giant pool of snakes
right from the get-go.

My advice: At most companies that I'd work for, the HR person carries very
little weight. If you get any questions that you think are "sneaky", ask why
they're asking.

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edu
I like this one:

    
    
      What you can't ask: Do you take drugs?
      What to ask instead: Do you use illegal drugs?
    

Hum...

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DanielBMarkham
Is anybody of the opinion that these questions are somehow immoral? Like: how
old are you? Got any kids? Live nearby? How tall are you?

Some of these are obviously too intrusive, like what's your religion. But
heck, most of this is stuff we'd ask each other over drinks at a mixer anyway.

With the hiring laws the way they are, it is no wonder that HR folks have
gotten the reputation as conniving. It's a job I would never want to have in a
million years.

