Interview Questions that you are Not Allowed to Ask - Age

Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment are a Leading UK Sales Recruiter

With recent age legislation coming into the workplace you have to be careful about discrimination towards applicants nearing retirement or those more youthful candidates.  It seems quite innocent to ask 'what year were you born' but technically this is now an illegal question as it could be argued that you've made a recruitment decision based upon age.  Whilst a grey issue it is also technically illegal to ask for a candidates date of birth on an application form though we are unaware of any precedents that have been set on this subject.  Other questions to bear in mind are:
 

Illegal: "How old are you?"

Whilst this seems like a simple question, it is in fact loaded by discrimination troubles. However to be safe, do ensure that the candidate is legally old enough to work for your organisation. Conversely you can ask "Are you over the age of 18?" Especially if they look like a particularly young candidate.
 

Illegal: "How much longer do you plan to work before you retire?"

You may not want to hire an older worker who will retire in a few years but you cannot dismiss an applicant for this reason. Instead, find out what the candidates plans are for the future as they may plan to work for a number of years. You can ask this alternative question instead: "what are your long-term career goals?"

 

About The Author


Robert Scott, Managing Director of Aaron Wallis

Robert Scott

Managing Director at Aaron Wallis Recruitment

Rob is the Managing Director of Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, a national recruitment agency specialising in sourcing sales and marketing staff for businesses across a broad range of commercial sectors. Before setting up Aaron Wallis, Rob spent ten years at a specialist Sales and Marketing recruitment division of a £0.5BN recruitment group, leaving in 2007 as Marketing & Sales Director to establish Aaron Wallis.

With over 20 years experience in recruitment, Rob is a History graduate with a PgCert in Management Practice and a trusted authority in the sales industry; in 2013 leading the most extensive survey of sales professionals in the UK. From guiding employers through the recruitment process to helping candidates find their dream job, Rob's advice has been quoted in leading publications such as Business Insider and The Independent, as well as OnRec, who host The Online Recruitment Awards every year.

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