Just because a question is popular doesn’t mean that it’s a good question to ask during a job interview. Questions that don’t add to the interview in a meaningful way are only wasted time and space. But how are you supposed to know if you’re asking those questions that you just don’t need to be asking? You might not, but here are a few below you should avoid in any interview for any position.
Do You Have Friends or Family Who Have Worked for Us?
Some companies ask this question because they have a strict policy about letting family members work at the same store, but since you’re a small business and you probably don’t have this sort of policy, there’s no reason you need to ask this question. For example, if the person front of you is the nephew of someone who totally tanked at your company, they don’t want to feel like they’re being judged for someone else’s mistakes.
What Do You Do in Your Spare Time?
We all do things in our spare time, and some of those things are stranger than others. But there’s nothing wrong with spending your spare time however you’d please, so why would you judge someone for doing what they’d like when they have time on the side? That doesn’t interfere with your company, so don’t let it interfere with your interview either.
Does Your Family Know You Must Travel for This Job?
We all know that asking about gender, race, and other sensitive issues is both tacky and illegal during interviews because sometimes it presents a bias that you don’t even know about. The same thing goes for questions about family. You aren’t allowed to discriminate against someone because they can’t travel for a month because of kids, so just don’t ask.
Remember what the point of an interview is: to see whether the person in front of you is a good candidate for the position, or not. Don't let anything else distract from that goal.
