political affiliations?

had a hiring manager asked what my political affiliations was....found it kinda strange to be asking. is it even legal/ethical?

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Asif Dasl

A conservative liberal or was that a liberal conservative? Oh wait neither!

No they shouldn't be asking you what your political affiliations are. If it matters there are probably other problems in the road ahead.

veritas_libertas

dangtran09 wrote: »

had a hiring manager asked what my political affiliations was....found it kinda strange to be asking. is it even legal/ethical?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's not legal...

eMeS

Legal, yes. ethical, who knows....

Political affiliations are not a protected class, so sure, you can ask that when you're hiring, and you can make hiring decisions based on it.

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/index.cfm

MS

apena7

I'm a pedestrian.

steve13ad

In my field, State Government, affiliation can be a condition of employment.

Asif Dasl

steve13ad wrote: »

In my field, State Government, affiliation can be a condition of employment.

Can you be an independent?

CompuTron99

dangtran09 wrote: »

had a hiring manager asked what my political affiliations was....found it kinda strange to be asking. is it even legal/ethical?

Did you answer?

I've been asked worse.

veritas_libertas

Asif Dasl wrote: »

Can you be an independent?

LOL, that how I would answer...

Honestly though, I would never take a job where the interviewer asked such a question. It's not a good sign.

dangtran09

CompuTron99 wrote: »

Did you answer?

I've been asked worse.

i did answered...and i guess it must have been "wrong" and thus i didn't get a response

networker050184

veritas_libertas wrote: »

LOL, that how I would answer...

Honestly though, I would never take a job where the interviewer asked such a question. It's not a good sign.

Same here. If political affiliation has anything to do with a hiring process, or the job in general I'd run like hell.

eMeS

veritas_libertas wrote: »

Honestly though, I would never take a job where the interviewer asked such a question. It's not a good sign.

Actually it's a valid question that can be used to gauge how an interviewee will respond in an unexpected situation.

There are two "correct" answers.

1) I research and investigate the issues and vote accordingly.

or

2) What does that have to do with this job?

Which one is correct depends on what type of behavior they are looking for in an employee, either someone who analyzes and researches, or someone who has a pair and is willing to stand up when confronted.

MS

Stotic

The Rent Is Too Damn High Party

networker050184

eMeS wrote: »

Actually it's a valid question that can be used to gauge how an interviewee will respond in an unexpected situation.

There are two "correct" answers.

1) I research and investigate the issues and vote accordingly.

or

2) What does that have to do with this job?

Which one is correct depends on what type of behavior they are looking for in an employee, either someone who analyzes and researches, or someone who has a pair and is willing to stand up when confronted.

MS

I'd have to disagree that this would be a useful interview question. I think there are much better questions that could be asked to gauge someone's response to an unexpected situation. This just crosses the line between personal and professional life. Using questions like this just to screw with a candidate is very petty.

eMeS

networker050184 wrote: »

I'd have to disagree that this would be a useful interview question. I think there are much better questions that could be asked to gauge someone's response to an unexpected situation. This just crosses the line between personal and professional life. Using questions like this just to screw with a candidate is very petty.

Notice how I didn't claim it was "useful". I said it was "valid". So I'm not so sure who you're disagreeing with...

I've been to at least two HR "Interviewing Skills" classes that used and discussed questions exactly like this.

MS

networker050184

eMeS wrote: »

Notice how I didn't claim it was "useful". I said it was "valid". So I'm not so sure who you're disagreeing with...

I've been to at least two HR "Interviewing Skills" classes that used and discussed questions exactly like this.

MS

Well, then I disagree that its a valid question.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the line of questioning to catch someone off guard, and I understand this is not illegal to ask, but there is nothing to gain from asking this type of question that can't be learned through a more appropriate line of questioning. Its basically just slipping through the cracks of discrimination IMO.

tpatt100

At one of my previous jobs I was the sole evil liberal. I am social liberal though. Anyways I got more b.s. Obama bashing emails from my department than actual work related email. I finally said something in a respond to all when I got one about illegal immigration and had pictures of "Mexicans" attached. Were they illegal? Probably not since I guess everybody assumes Hispanics are illegal by nature. Anyways I guess they assumed since I was military that I worship at the altar of the far right. They might have asked to see if you would fit in which is freaking lame.

eMeS

networker050184 wrote: »

Well, then I disagree that its a valid question.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the line of questioning to catch someone off guard, and I understand this is not illegal to ask, but there is nothing to gain from asking this type of question that can't be learned through a more appropriate line of questioning. Its basically just slipping through the cracks of discrimination IMO.

Valid means simply means "legally sound".

I don't find it a particularly useful interview question either. However, that doesn't mean that people here do not need to be prepared for others that might give such a question in an interview.

MS

UnixGuy

CompuTron99 wrote: »

Did you answer?

I've been asked worse.

really? such as ??

I was once asked why I put on weight

because I looked thinner in the picture on the resume (that's when I reomoved my picture).

UnixGuy

tpatt100 wrote: »

At one of my previous jobs I was the sole evil liberal. I am social liberal though. Anyways I got more b.s. Obama bashing emails from my department than actual work related email. I finally said something in a respond to all when I got one about illegal immigration and had pictures of "Mexicans" attached. Were they illegal? Probably not since I guess everybody assumes Hispanics are illegal by nature. Anyways I guess they assumed since I was military that I worship at the altar of the far right. They might have asked to see if you would fit in which is freaking lame.

wow

Daniel333

Yeah, I worked for a major bank, doing application support for EVPS, SVP and Presidents. That sort of thing. Anyhow, they would screen to make sure you were not too liberal in the hiring process. Some intimation tactics there too of people who had transferred in. I can only think of one real person they drive to quit though.

Anyhow, I am sure it goes both ways. The bottom line is you never want to work for extremists of any kind.

skyline

Wow.....

I can't believe this gets asked. I have never been asked my political affiliation I think I would be too shocked to even answer. Its no one's business what party you favor.

bryan502

ill be whatever the hell the employer wants

it_consultant

You can always ask in an interview "Why does that matter?" or "Why are you asking that?". They may have a legitimate reason, for example the company may be active in one party's causes. If they don't have a good reason for asking, you probably don't want to work for them. You are interviewing them as well.

powerfool

Personally, I would have honestly answered the question, unless I was absolutely desperate for any work. My reasoning is that while it may be unethical and/or questionable, I would rather they hire me because I match what they are looking to have. If for whatever reason I wasn't honest and they hired me, it would be a pleasant environment if we were polar opposites.

On the other hand, some political affiliations (which this varies with every person in degree) are based truly are a core principle(s). For instance, I believe firmly that a breathing human should aspire to X... at that point, it would shape the type of people you would want to hire. Perhaps that could ask different questions to determine that, however.

brad-

should have answered "im whatever you are".

totally unethical, but there's nothing you can do unless you want to try to claim you were discriminated against because of your political views.

eMeS

brad- wrote: »

totally unethical, but there's nothing you can do unless you want to try to claim you were discriminated against because of your political views.

Except that in the US it won't matter. Anyone is free to hire or not hire based on anything that's not a protected class.

eeoc wrote:

It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a job applicant because of his or her race, color, religion, *** (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. For example, an employer may not refuse to give employment applications to people of a certain race.

People seem to blindly claim that discrimination = bad or illegal. That's not the case. Hiring processes are by their very nature discriminatory. If you are hiring for a position then you are trying to discriminate against bad candidates and in favor of good.

However, I am free to discriminate for other reasons. For example, I could ask in an interview, do you own 5 blue shirts. Nothing legally prevents me from discriminating against people that don't own 5 blue shirts.

Absurd example, but the point is that there's almost always a reason that you don't have to hire someone that doesn't invoke a protected class status.

MS

SteveLord

eMeS wrote: »

Except that in the US it won't matter. Anyone is free to hire or not hire based on anything that's not a protected class.

People seem to blindly claim that discrimination = bad or illegal. That's not the case. Hiring processes are by their very nature discriminatory. If you are hiring for a position then you are trying to discriminate against bad candidates and in favor of good.

However, I am free to discriminate for other reasons. For example, I could ask in an interview, do you own 5 blue shirts. Nothing legally prevents me from discriminating against people that don't own 5 blue shirts.

Absurd example, but the point is that there's almost always a reason that you don't have to hire someone that doesn't invoke a protected class status.

MS

And one could only sue anyway..if they could prove it.

apena7

eMeS wrote: »

Absurd example, but the point is that there's almost always a reason that you don't have to hire someone that doesn't invoke a protected class status.

MS

True. I just remembered that you cannot be hired for a school in California if you are a member of the Communist Party or any other party that wants to overthrow our government. There was a bill (SB1322) proposed to remove that disqualifier, but it was vetoed by the Governator. So there's a real-world example of political affiliations as a condition of employment.

eMeS

SteveLord wrote: »

And one could only sue anyway..if they could prove it.

Sure, you can sue for anything. However, in this case even if you could prove it you would still lose the case.

MS

msteinhilber

Was the interview for an organization that would heavily favor the left or right leaning politicians as more beneficial to the company? Not that that matters too much, it's a one party system anyways really