DDI reveals extent of illegal interviewing

17/02/2009

Negligent interviewers could put their companies at legal risk as well as appointing the wrong people to jobs, according to new research.

Consultancy firm Development Dimensions International (DDI) spoke to over 1,900 interviewers in the 2008 survey and discovered more than half (54 per cent) were unable to identify illegal questions.

Should someone applying for job vacancies be asked questions that are illegal, the hiring company could well face an expensive bill from a trip to court.

The survey also discovered that 47 per cent of interviewers spent less than 30 minutes reviewing the results of interviews before making a decision.

Analysing the results, Steve Newhall, vice president for Europe at DDI, said: "Job interviews are simply not being given the time and effort they deserve, and could be opening up businesses to costly legal problems.

"The average interviewer is far more confident about their abilities than the research shows they should be."

But those with ambitions for successful careers should also be aware how important it is to be properly prepared for interviews.

A 2008 survey of interviewers by American staffing agency Office Team revealed one applicant arrived for interview with a cockatoo on his shoulder and another came dressed in pyjamas.

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