‘I told her I wasn’t interested in the job’

“I asked the interviewer what the relevance was to the job scope, and she said, ‘I need to know my team well before hiring,’” the jobseeker wrote.

“After asking for the relevance and expressing to her that I was uncomfortable in answering, the next question was still family-related and personal. Told her I wasn’t interested in the job and left the call.”

Job interviews should be conducted fairly

In Singapore, employers are required to conduct interviews fairly and refrain from asking any questions related to the candidate’s age, nationality, gender, marital status, pregnancy, or caregiving duties. They are also not allowed to ask questions concerning race, religion, language, disability, or mental health during interviews.

Raj Joshua Thomas, managing partner at Tang Thomas LLC and a former nominated member of parliament, advises candidates that if they are faced with such discriminatory questions, they can redirect the conversation by saying, “I’d prefer to focus on my qualifications for this role. Can I tell you more about my relevant experience?”

He also emphasises that candidates are not obligated to answer these questions because “these questions elicit information that should play no role in hiring.”

If a candidate feels they have been treated unfairly in an interview, Thomas suggests that they consider filing a complaint with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) or reporting the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

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