ASK HR: Isn’t this question too intrusive to ask during an interview?
The interview itself is simply a discussion that seeks to confirm that the candidate really possesses the skills indicated in the CV, and assessing the principles that he or she ascribes to. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Whatever you are doing on your job search is your private business, and you need not tell, but how you respond to the question may cost or land you a job.
- Always tell the truth. If you are not interviewing elsewhere, just say so.
- Talk about focusing on one opportunity at a time.
Q. I recently went to a job interview for an accountant’s position, and one of the questions the human resource manager asked was which other companies I was interviewing with. I thought this was intrusive, so I refused to disclose other companies I had interviewed with, pointing out that it was a confidential matter, which led to my dismissal from the interviewing room.
As a job seeker, am I obligated to disclose such information?
I feel like I am on the spot here because this is question I like to ask my candidates. I do it first out of curiosity, just to know who else is hiring and also to get a feel of the candidate’s priority in their job search.
Sometimes I read something about the candidate’s character; the defensive ones reply with a quick no; the spontaneous ones reveal the companies they would like to work for, giving me a rare opportunity to evaluate how their skills match their dream employer; while the clueless ones just chat around the question, which tells me they will lie. So yes, there is a reason many hiring managers ask this question.
Whatever you are doing on your job search is your private business, and you need not tell, but how you respond to the question may cost or land you a job.
Always tell the truth. If you are not interviewing elsewhere, just say so. Talk about focusing on one opportunity at a time.
Remember to add that the role you are discussing is the one that suits you most and is the only one in your radar at the moment. If you have been to other interviews, an appropriate answer may be around your desire to pursue more challenge and casting your net wide. You do not have to give details on the companies you are in talks with.
We all have different experiences with interviewers. Whereas some are easy to warm up to and create a good rapport, others are just too formal to a fault, while others are sometimes disorganised, leaving you confused.
Where you feel there is goodwill and genuine interest for the information, you may respond with more details, but if you feel that the information is being sought in a threatening manner and may be used against you, politely decline. Refusing to reveal such information should never be a deal breaker.
