Questions I was asked in a 3rd Interview.

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So after passing the HR interview (major bank), and after getting passing the english/french and technical tests, and after passing the interview with the head of MIS (financial operations division), I was contacted to meet the head of financial control .
The interview happened last week and I believed back then that I have a big chance; only to be shocked by his questions, note this is for a pure technical job:

"How old are you?"
"Why aren't you married yet?"
"What are your social achievements then other than work?"
"Guys at your age are usually married or heading to, do you have any such future plans?"
"How do you socially interact with others?"
"How sociable are you?"
"Where are you from?" -(which area he means which commonly asked to determine religious denomination)
"Are you member of any club or activity?"

Ugh. Those sound like questions specifically designed to weed out Aspies.

I was supposed to get the final decision yesterday, still no call or email.

Those are some very offensive questions, and, in the United States, they are also very illegal. I hope you succeed in getting the job, if only to show them that you deserve the job despite one man's strange and pointless questions.

Finding and keeping a job is so tough. But I also find that mostly if people start out inappropriate, they continue. Could be a nightmare working in that kind of place. The marriage question seems particularly ugly as seems prejudiced against gays too. Maybe you are better off staying clear of these people?

That's what I was thinking, you forget people can ask questions like that in other places. Yikes. Did they ever call?

Yeah, actually all but maybe 2-3 of those questions are illegal in the states.

I think Boo is in Lebanon.

I hope you get the job, Boo. If not, keep plugging away!

You have a good sense of humor. Take advantage of it.

Also: You could be a good actor and at least pretend you're a social butterfly LOL

I think some of the questions were meant to give the interviewer an idea of how stable and sociable an employee you would be. They want people who are stable, and sociable, but without being way too sociable--in other words no party animals, but no anti social types, either. They want people who will get along well with both customers and the other employees. However, I do agree with the other posters that at least some of these questions are illegal in the states. Unfortunately, that never stops interviewers from asking them, and if you make an issue of it, you can kiss all chance of getting the job "goodbye."

I don't use humor in interviews, I dunno if I had to use it in this particular case.

My answers were mainstream, I didn't know what I was supposed to answer back then, he got me off guard with those, to the marriage question for example I answered "I didn't find the right person yet" - and for the future plans (related to the marriage question) I was like "No marriage plans for now, still seeking meanwhile I am planning soon to enroll in courses in....and in..... to sharpen my knowledge".
I was bit dodgy I guess, what what I was supposed to say? Probably I should have lied and said I have a gf but still in early stage.

For the social question I was like "I am always friendly, easygoing and diplomat with people in workplace and elsewhere".

For the club question I mentioned the gym and the hiking/rafting clubs.


He did not ask a single work or skill related question.

Last edited by The_Face_of_Boo on 09 Jul 2014, 7:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

If you are at 3 interview stage that probably means you have passed all of the work related tests and they know that you are capable of doing the job, now they just want to get to know if you will get on with their team.

The marriage question was a bit too personal I think. Rude of them to ask. Plus the regional/religious question was a bit off as well. That smacks of discrimination.

Your answers all sound ok to me. I am not a memeber of any clubs, so would have been embarassed by the question if I had been asked it, but I think that being a member of hiking and rafting clubs shows that you are a team worker and sociable enough to get on wtih others, so I would say that answer was good.

Asking why you aren't married is super rude. Someone should be questioning the interviewer's social skills.

And asking about clubs you're in makes it sound like you're ten years old.

These are horrible questions, should never be asked in a interview for a technical job. I wonder why they find these things that important?

But doesn't this thread belong in the "Work and Finding a job" forum?

It seems, to me, as if you did all right, Boo.

I thought at first the interviewer could have been flirting, really badly. Boo was there and could better speak to this. It just seemed like things someone might ask if thinking about asking someone out. But I don't know where Boo lives. And I totally agree, those are horrible things to be asking at a job interview.

Seems like they were trying to assess your teamwork skills, but asked all the wrong and inappropriate questions. Its not uncommon for large companies to try to determine how well you will fit in with other co-workers, and there is a lot more politics involved with this.