Employment and Career Resource Blog » interview

Questions that Employers Can and Cannot Ask an Employee During an Interview

casinocareers — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:22:58 +0000

The following will assist you to determine the questions which Employers may or may not ask you during a pre-employment interview.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal make hiring decisions based on race or perceptions of race, or based on gender. *

An employer may not ask you about your religious beliefs, what holidays you celebrate, or what religious institution you belong to. *

In 20 U.S. states, (http://www.unmarriedamerica.org/ms-statutes.htm) an employer may not ask you if you are married, widowed, divorced, intend to be married, are in a committed relationship or how many times you have been married. They may not make decisions based on your marital status or their perception of your marital status.

Employers may not ask you about your family or plans for your family. They may not ask about the number or age of your children. They may not ask if you intend to have children. And they may not ask about the living arrangements of your children. It is even illegal for employers to refuse to hire a visibly pregnant woman based on her pregnancy. *

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 prohibits discrimination against potential employees over the age of 40.
The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prevents agencies receiving federal funding from discriminating against potential employees on the basis of age – for all age groups.

Minors have certain restrictions on the types of work, work times and number of hours per week they are allowed to work and this may cause them to be excluded from certain types of employment.

A company may not discriminate against a qualified person based on certain physical disabilities. An employer may require a physical examination of an employee but only after making a job offer and only if all employees are subject to the same examination. *

Asking questions about a person’s ethnic background or ancestry is another violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.*

It is illegal for an employer to discriminate against a potential employee based upon U.S. citizenship status or a person’s country of origin.

However, it is legal and required to ask all potential employees if they are authorized to work in the United States.*

A proposed bill called the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is currently before congress and if passed, it would make discrimination based on sexual preference illegal at the federal level.

Currently 25 states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect against potential employers discriminating against potential employees on the basis of sexual preference. However, in five of those states the laws only apply to employers with public workplaces.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of current or past military service. An employer can ask you about military experience as an example of former employment, but should not ask how you were discharged or if your current military service will interfere with your ability to do your job.

However, if you are applying for a job with the federal government, you may be asked about your military service because the Veterans’ Employment Opportunities Acts (VEOA) of 1998 and 1944 entitle veterans to receive preference when applying for federal jobs.

It is legal to ask about organizations that are relevant to the job, such as trade organizations. However, employers should not ask about organizations that would reveal information that might be protected such as age, ethnicity, sexual preference or religion.

While it is not specifically illegal to discriminate against a person based on height and weight, it is illegal to do so if the same restrictions are not applied to all employees in the same way or are used to hide another type of discrimination.

* This law only applies to companies with 15 or more employees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This article was published by Salary.com in a newsletter issued June 10, 2009. Salary.com builds on-demand software around a deep domain knowledge in the area of compensation to help customers win the war for talent by simplifying the connections between people, pay and performance.

Negotiating Your Employment Agreement

casinocareers — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:20:43 +0000

Introduction

One of the most critical steps in the Employment Process is securing an employment agreement that provides you with a clear understanding of how you will be compensated, benefit entitlements and other aspects regarding the job (to be reviewed in the next published segment). When discussing these points with your potential employer here are several suggestions and issues to consider before accepting a position:

Compensation:

There are two aspects to negotiating your compensation: -What are you presently being paid?, -What the market will pay for the job? What you are presently being paid should consider current base salary, annualized cash bonus, stock options or grants and their exercise date, profit sharing programs and level of participation, and the timing/expectation of your next increase. What the market will pay for the job can be determined by asking your potential employer what they expect to pay for the job and, you could research via the internet or employment agencies what a job with such credentials would be paid. The components of compensation include:

Base salary and the timing of the next increase — get historical perspective on what increases one might expect
Bonus expectations could be valued as a percentage of base salary — get the timing in which such bonuses are paid
Stock options/grants and the eligibility for participation in the program — general information about the stock grants, vesting rights, number of shares and price of exercising the options
Profit sharing programs and the level of participation (normally a % of base salary predicated on the results of the business)
Frequency with which salary and bonuses are reviewed and paid
Is there a stock purchase plan, and employee stock ownership plan or related program in which you can participate in the growth and prosperity of the corporation

Benefits:

You should quantify your benefit entitlements by understanding the value of the benefit programs you have and ensure that you get similar or relatively the same benefits.Benefit programs to consider and to study when considering a job offer include the following:

Medical Coverage and Dental Coverage:

Do you have a flexible plan where you have choices on the type of medical program you can select
Are there only managed care or HMO programs
What are the deductibles and co-payments
Do you make a contribution for coverage
Are there pre-existing exclusions, thereby delaying the receipt of medical coverage on the day you start the new job causing you to perhaps need to pickup COBRA coverage
Are prescriptions drugs separate, or covered at all
Dental programs are assessed based on their reimbursement levels or co-payments, deductibles, calendar year and lifetime coverage limits and orthodontia limits, and your level of contribution for such coverage

Life Insurance:

Protection of your family is a function of benefits for your surviving family. Issues to consider here when valuing life insurance programs should consider your present plan with the following provision of the new employer’s plan:

Is it multiples of your salary
Will you need to make a contribution
Is there a separate program in the event of accidental death and dismemberment
Is there dependent coverage for your spouse and children
Is there a separate plan for business travel and accident
Are there any programs that will provide your family with survivor income benefits, i.e., income continuation normally a % of base salary for the surviving spouse and a less of a % for the dependent children

Pension Program and 401k Programs:

When you leave a firm you give up certain vesting privileges which can only be replaced with a more generous pension program or 401k program, so consider the following:

If there is a profit sharing plan, is there a program in addition to the profit sharing plan
Is it a cash value formula, meaning you can take the money with you if you leave the organization following vesting
What is the formula and when are you vested
How old should you be and with how many years of service before you are eligible to vest, retire early, or have normal retirement

Short term and Long term Disability Benefits:

Coverage during a disability are critical to consider when accepting a position, it is protection for you and your family while recuperating from an illness or surgery. Normally short term disability benefits are for up to six months and start with a statutory provision (state provided), companies however normally provide you with an option to purchase additional coverage usually an amount stated as a % of salary with a formula driven on tenure.The same is provided for Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage. However, the key to LTD is coverage can be purchased for disabilities that exceed six months and the payment can be tax free provided you paid fully for the coverage.

Other Benefits:

Consider the impact of taking on a new position and the value of vacation entitlements. You can negotiate time off with pay (dependent on your level and position), tuition reimbursements, and eligibility for receiving payments toward college, or other related business courses, company car or use of company car services, office space and dimensions, club memberships and dues, flexible spending accounts, or tax free contributions made by you to use for certain unreimbursed medical expenses and dependent care accounts. It is of even more value when a company subsidizes the use of dependent care facilities, workout facilities and cafeteria privileges.

Other Important Issues to Consider when Negotiating Employment Prior To Accepting A New Position

In our next segment we will review the negotiation and consideration of programs that involve the following:

Career Planning
Potential Job Ladders and opportunities for Future Advancement
Job Postings
Employee Development Programs
Clear Definition of Job, Roles and Responsibilities and Reporting Relationships-Notice Periods
Severance Arrangements and Outplacement Assistance
Probationary Periods and Performance Review Philosophy
Other Special Privileges and Programs

Nervous about an interview? Interviewing strategies….

casinocareers — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:30:28 +0000

In addition to interview strategies, there are also some interview rules to follow. Keep in mind, every employer interviews differently. Each hiring individual either follows strict or informal hiring guidelines. You may receive an interview with a “tough as nails” hiring manager or you may be interviewed by a soothing, soft-spoken assistant who utilizes no structured interview questions at all. No matter which one you receive, be prepared for the worse. Below you will find a list of interview tips which will help guide you through both types of interviews.

1) Be confident, but not arrogant. A common mistake people make is attempting to make themselves sound like superwoman or superman. A company wants to know you can help them but not by taking them to the “Arrogance Super Bowl.”

2) Answer positively. From time to time, an interviewer will touch on a sensitive portion of your past, i.e., reasons for leaving, short-term employment, or lack of skills. These are the times when you should say to yourself, “turn a frown, upside down.” Try answers like these:

Reason for leaving: “I felt I needed to take my career into a more positive direction, which is why I am here with you today.”

Short-term employment: “Shortly after I began, I discovered that position was not going to challenge my abilities or allow the room to grow I require.”

Lack of skills: “I am sure that at first glance it appears I do not have the necessary skills to fill the position, however, I am can assure you I have the drive to conquer any challenges you set forth. I can definitely handle this position.”

3) Laugh a little. The interview will go more smoothly if you are relaxed and comfortable. Caution: Don’t become too relaxed; a lax conversation can bring forth certain conversation topics that you aren’t prepared to talk about.

4) Don’t be afraid to answer a question with a question if you do not understand the question. Get it? For example, ask questions so that you may better answer the interviewer, i.e., “What area of the business are you referring to?” or “Can you elaborate further?” I am sure I speak for most interviewers when I say, “I would rather you ask a question to get further details than answer the wrong question.”

5) If you are relaxed, be cautious. A relaxed person tends to “rattle” off more information than necessary. Scenario: You are relaxed, drinking the coffee they offered you, and you just completed the story about the funny thing your daughter did that morning before you left. You feel this person is your friend and there isn’t anything you can’t tell them, right? But, just as you think you have landed the job, the interviewer asks why you intend to leave your current position. At first you may laugh, with the hopes you can compose yourself before you answer, but with no avail. The dirt starts pouring out like a gossip session and BAM. You just committed a big interview NO, NO. Beware of the nice interviewer.

By Teena Rose, Résumé to Referral