How to Answer Uncomfortable Questions During an Interview in 2022?

Although this type of situation may be rare, there can be instances where the interviewer may ask you irrelevant or uncomfortable questions.

And while at times, it can happen as an innocent mistake from the interviewer’s side, other times, it can be intentional.

So, what type of questions can be termed uncomfortable or irrelevant questions?

Any question that asks a candidate to reveal information about his or her national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, disabilities, arrest record, military discharges, or personal information is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and is called inappropriate questions.

Here are some examples of some inappropriate interview questions asked by the recruiter:

• Do you have kids?
• What is your native tongue?
• Do you plan to have a family? When?
• What clubs or social organizations do you belong to?
• How old are you? What is your birth date?

So what can you do if the interviewer asks such a question?

For instance, when you and the recruiter may be sharing a friendly conversation, and in the flow of the moment, the interviewer asks you a personal question, you can simply stir the conversation to a neutral topic.

But if you feel uncomfortable and you believe that the interviewer may be purposefully probing, you can deny giving the answer and gently deflect to a more relevant topic.

“I don’t think that is relevant for my skills, But I’d love to tell you more about the work I did in my last organization.”

Lastly, don’t be afraid to deny answering uncomfortable questions. You wouldn’t be happy or satisfied working for a company that discriminates or gives way biased options anyway.

Remember that you will come across other opportunities that are better suited for you.