This means you'll need to get information about their personal habits and lifestyle. However, (here in the States, at least), this also means you need to be aware of Title VII.
"Title VII" refers to a section of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits employment discrimination. And while it doesn't strictly prohibit the following questions, you still shouldn't ask them in an interview because they might indicate an intent to discriminate.
- What is your religion?
- Are you pregnant?
- What is your political affiliation?
- What is your racial background?
- What is your age?
- Are you disabled?
- Are you married?
- Do you have children or plan to have children?
- Are you in debt?
- Do you drink alcohol or smoke?
I personally think it's downright stupid that you can't ask certain of these questions. (Obviously, you'd want to know if an employee is an alcoholic before you hired them; yet I doubt that anyone would reveal they were even if you asked them point blank.)
However, for the most part these questions are inconsequential to your hiring process. Age shouldn't be a factor in who you hire. And things like sex, race, and religion should have no bearing on who you hire, either.
Then again, factors like how many children a person has and if they are a single parent could have an impact on how reliable that applicant will be. (I can tell you from experience that a young single mom or dad is going to have a lot more absences than a young single person who is childless.)
Also, if an applicant has bad credit that can also be a reflection of their character. If they're going to be handling large sums of money (like bank deposits), then you definitely want someone who isn't going to be tempted to steal from the cookie jar.
So how do you get certain vital information about your candidates without breaking the law?
Well, you can require that every applicant submit themselves to a credit check, a background check, and a urinalysis test (especially useful if they'll be driving a company vehicle or driving their own vehicle while on the clock). So long as your hire consents, you are perfectly within your rights to do so. Just make sure they sign a written consent for each test and check.
Secondly, if the potential hire volunteers information during an interview, that's on them and not on you. Asking open-ended questions can often elicit detailed responses from applicants that will reveal information you wouldn't normally get from them.
Now, am I telling you to break the law here by discriminating against certain applicants?
Absolutely not. But I am saying that you need to gather all the information you can about each applicant so you can be sure you are making the best choice in who you hire.
So, gather your info and choose wisely.
