Best and worst ESL interview questions?

[tonytorero]

As we near the start of another academic year, I thought it could be fun to ask you all out there if you could come up with some of your favorite and least favorite ESL interview questions. I've had the good fortune (I think  :blink: ) of being on both sides of this one and have heard pretty much everything.

Hopefully we'll find this therapeutic if this thread takes off. We'll see...

So, one of my favorites (meaning good) would have to be: How set are you in your ways? What do I mean? Well, are you able to cope with being around and/or speaking with people who may have different views from you in a classroom situation. Do you believe you can be objective enough to find common ground with those who may think differently from yourself? We anglos can be bad about this. ...because I remember a certain republican leaning Californian compatriot once who came over here not understanding why people in Spain could be laughing about and critiquing the California Recall / Arnold Schwarzenegger situation as, said Californian, honest to goodness saw Ah-nold as being a tremendously serious politician. She really got herself worked up whenever somebody said something less than favorable about what she believed. She didn't really come here prepared to encounter anyone who wasn't like she was. Kind of defeated the purpose of discovering another country in my opinion. I never got that one.  :blink:

My least favorite had to be the time I was asked who my favorite Beatle was? I was like, HUH!? So, if I say John Lennon, you give me business classes, whereas if I say Ringo, you give me the pre-schoolers right?! What a question! :angry:

Anyone else have a good or bad one they'd like to share? I want to know what NOT to ask this fall!  

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[Charles]

\"Are you married?\" Followed by, \"Why not?\"

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[RebeccaG]

I interviewed for an insurance sales person position...

One of the questions that was asked was...

\"Does your husband know that you are at this interview?\"

What the f%ç&*k!!!!!

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[Iano]

I interviewed for an insurance sales person position...

One of the questions that was asked was...

\"Does your husband know that you are at this interview?\"

What the f%ç&*k!!!!!

Mmmm,

You may have missed out on a Golden opportunity there!!!!

[size=8]Employment Equality Act, 1998 - Part 1, Section 6[/size]:

The Interview

Types of Question and/or Statements to Avoid to be avoided:

\"asking what a husband/wife thinks about you applying for this job (especially to a married woman) can be interpreted as being discriminatory because such questions would not be asked of an unmarried candidate. Equality Officers see such a question as placing an onus on the married candidate to prove that there are no difficulties because of their married status to perform the job - such an onus is not placed on an unmarried candidate.\"

You could've sued for that one! Plus make yourself a tidy penny.

When I studied Human Resource Management, we were given the example of a rather smart young individual who posted her C.V. in for a job which had advertised as stating that the minimum qualification required was a Diploma in the discipline related to the position they were recruiting for.
She never received a call back so, quite disgruntled as she was, she rang the manager of the company to ask why on Earth they hadn't bothered to call her for an interview! The manager replied that because they'd received so many C.V. from candidates who had the Degree in the discipline, they had decided to 'up' the spec and draft only people with the Degree for considerations.

Well! Big mistake! It's illegal to change the specification without going through the rigmarole of accessing the initial candidates, advertising again with the updated spec and then drafting people for interview. This CEO or MD or whatever cost the company a good few thousand as the woman successfully sued them for violating the guidelines set out for companies interviewing and selecting.....

Apparently, there are a few 'compo-junkies' who make a living out of going for interviews and waiting to be asked an illegal or 'unfair' question so they can sue! Usually the companies settle out of court to avoid the hassle so no-one ever catches on that they're professional scammers...

Worth remembering, all you interviewer- employer types!
 

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[RebeccaG]

Hey Iano,

Thanks for that very helpful bit of information! I will tuck it away in my file of \"things to know\" in case I ever move back to the United States!  

The USA has a long arm of the law, but I don´t think it would have applied in my case as the job interview was here in Spain!

I´ll have to say that I have had many interesting job interviews like the one for a very well known international non-profit when I was living in Valencia. I was being interviewed by 5 of the regional presidents as well as the president of the Comunidad Valenciana for this organization. All but one were more interested in my marital status and if I had any kids than my actual ability to do and get the job done! Madre Mía!!

Then there was always the job interview that I had for a teaching position, the interview was conducted all in Spanish!  

Yes, working and living here can certainly be interesting!    

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