I had a weird question asked at a job interview today.

[Check12]

The setting was a meeting with the VP of engineering and the company founder.
The founder asks: "when you are at home, what do you use your computer for?"
I was kind of thrown off center with this one, and answered that I surf the web and do audio production projects.
Anybody have an idea why this guy would ask such a question? seems like an invasion of privacy to me.

Yea, well after surfing the porn sites, I log on to Al Jeezera and chat with the jihadists.

What a weird question.

[NMMNG]

1. They're probably reporting back to the FBI or NSA after every interview

[Robeson]

2. Is the owner a rightwing whack-job?.....

...or a religious fundie? Oh, wait, that's kind of the same thing. But is he?

[Check12]

5. Yea, I think he is..

I just googled the guy and found a forum on intelligent design where he was posting his belief in ID
Also there is a paragraph in the about page of the company that thanks god for our talents...
His wife donated $500 smackers to the RNC. So.. I think the guy is a wingnut of a high degree.

[Robeson]

6. I knew it. Only a rightwinger would come out of right-field with that....

...type of question. If he was not a rightwinger, he wouldn't give a damn what you do at home, but would be more concerned about how you would do your job from 8 to 5. Sorry you have to deal with that kind of stuff. I've seen it all my life.

[laheina]

3. I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

Someone in your field that has techie projects that they do as a hobby might be a more versatile employee. Especially if the projects that you do don't directly relate to your work--like audio production projects. You can see stuff from alternate angles, and it's also a release.

Nobody ever wants to hire someone who obsesses about work all the time.

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. They're trying to find out what kind of person you are

That's what interviews are these days — psychological profiles. Your qualifications for the job are secondary to whether you're a "team player." They want to make sure you won't rock the boat, you'll be cost-effective, you won't leave for another job in six months, etc.

They're all bastards and I hope they die soon.

[underpants]

16. DING! that is the correct answer to any and all interview questions

They're all bastards and I hope they die soon

No matter what they ask use that answer.

[LaurenG]

20. This is it and

they want to know what you'll be looking at online when no one is watching.

[Minnesota Libra]

7. Questions like that are common now........

.....and are obviously designed to fish for information. They want to see if you will give something away about your true online activities. Certain words, most people would consider fine, might just get the attention of Homeland Security - otherwise known as The SS 2006.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Welcome to DU Minnesota Libra.

:hi: :toast:

[Minnesota Libra]

12. MrsGrumpy - Thank You for.....

....the warm welcome. :loveya:

[wain]

9. Left field questions raise a flag for me

Not that I'm a great interviewer, but many managers do not do well at interviewing. Usually attributable to poor or last minute preparation.

When I'm the interviewee, I'm interviewing a potential boss just as much as he or she is interviewing me. Throwing questions out of left field is a negative impression for me. It suggests using cute techniques learned in a seminar; it's also a bit disrespectful. I really want to respond with a question to the interviewer as to the validity of any response to the success of hiring the best person.

Tough questions pertinent to the job, okay. But, left field questions are a definite turnoff for me.

[livetohike]

14. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Patiod]

32. Welcome to DU, wain

:hi:

[GalleryGod]

34. Patti! Less than a Week. Now !!!

[SoCalDem]

10. In 1971, I was asked if we used birth control and if I planned to

get pregnant soon.. The bank did not want to "waste" valuable training on me if I planned to quit and have a baby..

Times have changed, kids..

[Blue Diadem]

18. My daughter was asked a similar question about 18 months ago.

She went for an interview and the guy asked her how many children she has and if she was planning on having anymore. I can't remember all the personal questions he asked but she said he was someone she definitely wouldn't work for.

[grace0418]

23. She should've reported him.

Questions like that are illegal.

[Blue Diadem]

26. In our rural area, it's like fighting a losing battle. She ran across

obvious bias more than once.

[Sequoia]

38. In 1992 my boss lady said she

didn't want any of her "girls" having babies. One did anyway and we had a trade show in New York. The baby was newborn but the witch told her she had to go to New York anyway so she brought her mom along to help care for the baby. The witch was very upset and even hated it when the new mother would come to work with curly hair. This same witch would take her dopey dog to New York with her though. She was the most hateful person I ever worked for. EVER.

I don't have a computer at home thank goodness.

[OhioBlue]

39. I had a similar question

asked of me abt 2 yrs ago at an interview. The guy asked me if I had children... I gave him a surprised look and said "no"

He obviously picked up on my shock at the question and replied with something like...

"well, you know it is important, it does matter, you could have to take a lot more time off if you had children and they were sick and such"...


I'm not good at hiding my emotions... he obviously picked up that I was irritated by the question but even more by his response after I said no.

All that kept going through my mind for the rest of the interview was "whatever mfer - you wouldn't have asked a guy that"....

needless to say... I didn't get the job.

[MANative]

11. Technically, not a legal question. If they

ask anything outside of directly work-related questions, they are subject to discrimination charges. I'd reply with a question of my own - "What impact would my home computer use have on my job?" That usually shuts em up pretty quick. ;)

(I've been an HR exec for about 20 years, BTW, and now have my own business training companies on how to interview legally and stragetically.)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. It might shut them up...

...but it probably won't get you a job offer.

[MANative]

17. No doubt about that! But I wouldn't want to work for a company

that doesn't insist on fully legal and ethical hiring practices. That's why I built my business on exactly that premise - teaching people how to be fair, as impartial as possible, and skill-focused in their selection practices. And really skilled interviewers can get boatloads of behavioral insight with totally legal questions. Unfortunately, only about 15% of interviewers (including HR professionals!) have really had extensive training in how to effectively question a candidate.

[eyesroll]

19. I don't think the question itself is illegal, at least not in this state.

If they're fishing for "I help my children with their homework," or "I visit pages to trace my Jewish ancestry," or "I'm figuring out the best treatment for my MS," then, yes.

But plenty of interviewers ask about outside activities -- volunteering, hobbies -- to get a better sense of what the person is like. I don't see how "I play video games" or "I keep in touch with friends and family" can lead to discrimination charges. (Last I checked, gamers and e-mailers weren't protected classes.) Hell, the perfectly legitimate question of "why were you out of work for two years?" can elicit "I stayed home with my child" and lead to family-status discrimination.

(I don't have the HR experience but I do write about it, and have interviewed applicants.)

[MANative]

22. Your point is accurate - my reference was probably not

too clear in that my meaning was that questions un-related to skills and job responsibilities often go down the slippery slope to truly illegal questions related to protected class issues. As you point out, a work-related question can get a personal answer. Interviewers can ask questions about volunteer work and hobbies very safely when they are related to the skills used in that activity. Like "Tell me about how you organized that bake sale for your church." or "How did you get others to cooperate in raising funds for XYZ charity."

[XemaSab]

25. There are many ways to ask about hobbies

that sound a lot less creepy.

I use my computer for two hobbies: birding and goofing off on the 'net (including DU and other political sites). I have other hobbies though that have nothing to do with computer use, including birding, reading, gardening, art, and my animals. I'm not sure that my computer related hobbies would make me a better employee, and I'm actually fairly certain that employers would be appalled at how much time I spend online.

:shrug:

[MANative]

29. The whole key to any line of questioning in interviews

is to look for examples of times when an individual has consistently and successfully used a skill that is necessary for the job to which they are applying. That means that the interviewer needs to know exactly what they're looking for in a skill set, which is often not the case.

It's also true that people use many skills in pursuing a hobby - looking at what you described as your hobbies, I could find your skills in organization, cataloguing, observation, research, critical thinking and evaluation, etc. You'd be surprised at how much you do when you waste time at DU!!! If, however, interviewers are just going on "fishing" expeditions, they're wasting their time and the candidate's; that's not necessarily illegal - just poor strategic operation.

That doesn't mean you can't evaluate a candidate's temperment and personality - whether they're likely to be a good fit for the company's culture - but it does mean that the interviewer needs to be sure that the questions they ask evaluate those characteristics. If everyone in the company is a nitpicker for detail, and you're a big-picture thinker, it might not be the best match!

[MindPilot]

30. Then you would probably enjoy an application form I saved

from a few years ago. It actually asks "How much is in your checking account right now?" "Do you have credit cards?" "Who do you live with?" "What kind of car do you drive?" and other not only illegal but absolutely asinine questions.

[MANative]

31. The only possible reply to that is

Yikes!!!

[mdmc]

13. I use the internet to communicate with friends and professionals

and for research. It is an amazing tool that I often utilize when researching data.

I think it is a good question ( helps see where people are coming from).

[xchrom]

21. sigh -- i HATE questions like that...

there i am -- my brain running over time -- ''why did they ask me that?!?!?'' -- wondering what the right answer is --

the good thing i guess is that i can be REAL gabby -- give me an inch -- i'll take an hour.
so, they usually only ask me one of those.

i mean it's all friendly like -- but i just go on and on.

kinda like my post here.

[grace0418]

24. He also probably wants to see if you'll spend all your time online

when you're supposed to be working. Like if you say "I'm a member of a number of online communities" he'll think "He'll be online posting all day." Sorta like I am right now. ;)

[leftofthedial]

27. I don't think that is an appropriate question

and may be borderline illegal.

[formerrepuke]

28. I use my computer at work for 'extra-curricular' browsing...like DU;

the connection at home is too slow. (no porn at work, of course)

[Patiod]

33. I've had interviewers try weasel questions

"Oh, you went to Penn State? I have cousin who went there - maybe you know her - when did you graduate?" (I don't indicate my age anywhere on the resume)

"When did she graduate?"

"I'm not sure - when were you there?"

"The 80's"

He just shook his head, as if to say "okay, I'll concede that one."

He then asked something borderline illegal, but I thought it was vital, and the way he asked it seemed okay. "Is there anything in your life that would prevent you from being on the road for a week at a time?" I thought that was okay - it's a firm requirement of the job for a focus group moderator.

[GalleryGod]

35. I'm so damned old I recall when Beaver Stadium held 53,000 !

[XemaSab]

36. "Say you're travelling internationally

and you have a 24-hour layover in Papua New Guinea, how would you spend it?"

Yes, I was once asked that. :D

[Hello_Kitty]

37. I work as a technician

And we sometimes ask interviewees what their hobbies are to find out if they really like working on mechanical stuff. Though I never personally ask that. I'm with you, it's smacks of inappropriateness.