Wes Bucey
Prophet of Profit
Bill Pflanz brings up an important point about age discrimination - it does NOT make good economic sense for an organization to practice age discrimination. On many levels, the plain fact is many studies show the worker in his 50's and 60's is more likely to be a steady full-time worker with fewer unplanned absences than the twenty something worker.
Other studies purport to show the 50+ worker is more efficient on the job.
There is no benefit to linking to such studies in this thread; our task here is how to deal with the various inappropriate, even illegal, questions some ignorant interviewers are asking candidates.
The questions Ralph reports are VERY TYPICAL from idiots.
When you encounter questions like this, you have several decisions to make, usually in this order:
"18 hour days? Ha. Ha. Next you're going to say the company pays triple overtime past 8 hours, right? Good joke! Scary, but good."
Other studies purport to show the 50+ worker is more efficient on the job.
There is no benefit to linking to such studies in this thread; our task here is how to deal with the various inappropriate, even illegal, questions some ignorant interviewers are asking candidates.
The questions Ralph reports are VERY TYPICAL from idiots.
Examples:One interviewer "asks how long are you planning to continue working"?
.Another one asked "Do you think you have the necessary energy to do this job"?
Here's the deal:Another big shot production manager asked "Are you willing to spend 18 hours a day on the job"
When you encounter questions like this, you have several decisions to make, usually in this order:
- Is this idiot really representing the organization policy or is he just stupid and his superiors would be appalled to learn he asks these questions?
(Two separate interviewers asking similar questions strongly indicates stupid policy versus stupid individual.) - If this guy is just a lone idiot/bigot, should I be offended or pass it off as a joke? (In another post later in this thread, we'll talk about converting verbal gaffes by either interviewer or candidate into a type of humor to avoid having the interview come to a crashing halt.)
- Is this guy a social misfit trying to make a joke? (I once had an employee who was a technical whiz and sincerely wanted to help us, our customers, and suppliers, but we could not let him out alone without a "keeper" because he would blurt out whatever stray thought came into his head - the poor soul had absolutely no "social filter" for his mouth. I'm too embarrassed to even repeat some of his gaffes 15 years after the fact.) Added in edit (3-24-2008): After watching some "Boston Legal" tapes this weekend, it occurs to me my tech whiz may have had Asperger's Syndrome - a form of high-level autism. Who knew?
- If my impressions are even remotely true, is this an organization where I could fit in, regardless of whether they agree to hire me? Remember, the interview is a two-way street. You are sizing up the company, its policies, its premises, and, most of all, its personnel as a place you would or would NOT want to work.
"18 hour days? Ha. Ha. Next you're going to say the company pays triple overtime past 8 hours, right? Good joke! Scary, but good."
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