Applicant Interview Questions
In the interview process, all participants must be aware of questions which violate legal protections afforded applicants by Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other legislation which followed. The following list is intended to guide those involved in the hiring
processes of UT Extension in conducting legally sound applicant interviews. Questions regarding this list should be addressed to
Shirley Hastings at hastings@[Link] or 865-974-7245.
Interview
Topic Acceptable Questions Unacceptable Questions
Age Are you at least 18 years old? How old are you?
What is your date of birth?
(Any questions which would divulge or help determine the age of the
applicant.)
Birthplace None Where were you born?
Where were your parents born?
(We cannot require a birth certificate.)
Character Have you ever been convicted of a felony/crime?
(You must state that convictions do not necessarily disqualify an
Have you ever been arrested?
Have you ever been indicted for a crime?
and
applicant from consideration– to be considered only as it relates to
Do you have any debts?
fitness to perform the job being sought.)
Do you have any loans?
Criminal Are you a militant?
Background
Citizenship Can you show proof of your eligibility to work in the U.S.? Are you a U.S. Citizen?
Where were you born?
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Interview
Topic Acceptable Questions Unacceptable Questions
Disability Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job
with or without reasonable accommodation?
Are you disabled?
How long have you had a disability?
Do you know of any reason you cannot perform the Do you have a speech, hearing, visual disability?
essential functions of the job? What is the nature or severity of any disability you may
Can you perform all job functions, not just those essential have?
to the job? ( an applicant cannot be screened out just What is the condition which caused your disability?
because of their inability to perform marginal job functions.) What is the prognosis or expectation regarding your
Discuss regular work hours, leave policies, absence policy disability?
and special attendance standards – Can these Will you need treatment or special leave because of your
work-attendance requirements be met? disability?
Describe how you would perform these essential job
functions.
Education What is your educational background? When did you graduate from high school?
When did you receive your college degree?
Experience What is your previous work experience?
Have you ever served in any of the U.S. military services?
What type of discharge did you receive from the military?
Family Do you have any responsibilities that conflict with the job
attendance or travel requirements?
Do you have any family members who are disabled?
Are you married?
Status (If asked, must be asked of all applicants.)
What is your spouse’s name?
Who resides with you?
Are you pregnant?
How many children do you have?
Ages of children?
What kind of child-care arrangements do you have?
Does your husband expect you to be home to cook
dinner?
What will you do if your children get sick?
Does your husband live with you or contribute to your
support?
Do you plan to get married?
Do you plan to have children?
What sort of birth control do you use?
Are you likely to quit if you get married or have children?
Is your spouse likely to be transferred?
Is your spouse from this area?
Have you ever been divorced?
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Interview
Topic Acceptable Questions Unacceptable Questions
Name Have you ever worked for extension or the federal
government under any other name?
If female, what is your maiden name?
National Are you able to read, write or speak any other languages
and what is the fluency of your ability?
Were you born in this country?
That’s an unusual name--what nationality are you?
Origin When did you first come to the U.S?
What is your mother tongue?
What is the nationality of your parents/spouse?
Photograph Not Acceptable. No photographs should be required or taken at the
interview stage.
Physical Are you able to perform the essential functions of this job
with or without reasonable accommodation?
Have you ever been treated for any of the following
diseases (followed by a list of numerous
Condition Do you know of any reason you cannot perform the diseases/illnesses)?
essential functions of the job? Do you wear contact lenses?
Please list any diseases for which you have been treated
within the last two years?
Have you been identified as a carrier of a disease
producing gene?
Have you been hospitalized? If so, for what condition?
Are you on any regular mediation or prescribed drugs?
Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist or
psychologist? If so, for what condition?
Have you ever been treated for any addictions?
Have you filed for or collected workers’ compensation
benefits?
Do you have any physical or mental limitations which
would prevent you from satisfactorily performing the
job for which you are applying?
How many sick days did you take last year?
Are you healthy?
Have you ever had a worker’s compensation claim?
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Interview
Topic Acceptable Questions Unacceptable Questions
Race and None. Are you male or female?
If your supervisor is white (or black), does that create any
Sex difficulties for you?
How do you feel about having to work with members of a
different race?
Do you get along well with other women (or men)?
Will it bother you if the men swear?
Can you work for a woman supervisor?
Relatives Please name any relatives who work for our organization. Are you married?
What relatives live with you?
With whom do you reside?
Religion None
(You may ask about the availability for weekend work.)
What is your religion?
What church do you attend?
What are your religious holidays?
Residence What is your address? Do you own a home?
Do you own or rent a home?
Who resides with you?
Transporta- Do you know of any reason (for example, transportation,
or any other reason) why you would not be able to get
How do you get to work?
Do you own a car?
tion to work on time and on a regular basis?
Work Can you meet the attendance requirements of the position
being applied for?
Do you have any health conditions which would lead to
absences from work?
Schedule
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OTHER PERMISSIBLE QUESTIONS
Diversity
What do you do to tolerate people different from you?
What qualities do you bring to this job others might not?
Experience / Job Skills
What has been your greatest accomplishment in a work environment?
Describe a project that required a high amount of energy over an extended period of time.
What would your previous two supervisors say about you?
Tell me about a time when your performance didn’t live up to your own expectations.
What is your greatest skill for handling a crisis?
Tell me something you’ve learned from making a mistake on the job.
Tell me about a responsibility you have enjoyed.
Why do you believe you are qualified for the job?
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Why did you leave your last position?
When were you last responsible for doing this kind of work?
How much do you know about us?
Why did you decide to handle the situation that way?
What skills do you think you bring to this job?
What steps do you generally follow in making a decision?
What types of criticism are leveled at you most often?
Tell me about your job. To whom do you report? How many other employees report to this supervisor and
what are their job titles?
What do you like most about your current job? What do you like least?
What were your two most important achievements in your current job?
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths?
What are the areas in which you could improve? How would you go about making these improvements?
If I were to ask your supervisor to describe your work what would he/she say?
What are some of the problems you encountered in your last job? Were you ever subjected to disciplinary
action in your last job?
How does your present job differ from the one you had before it?
In what ways do you feel your present job has prepared you to assume additional responsibilities?
Why do you want to leave your present position?
Describe your activities during a typical day on the job?
What makes you an effective supervisor?
What is the greatest accomplishment of your career to date?
What do you feel an employer owes an employee?
What were some of the duties of your last job that you found to be difficult?
Goal Setting / Initiative
What do you do when things are slow at work?
What do you put at the bottom of your “to-do” list?
Where do you see yourself a year from now? In three years? Five years? Ten years?
Tell me about a time when you took initiative to accomplish something that would not have been done otherwise.
How might your skills be improved?
What goals did you set for yourself in your last position?
How do you plan and organize your work?
What plans do you have for self-development in the next 12 months?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What are your career objectives?
Who or what influenced you with regard to your career goals? In what way?
What are you looking for in a company?
What immediate and long term career goals have you set for yourself?
How do you feel about the progress that you have made in your career to date?
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Interpersonal Relations
What kind of people do you get along with best?
How do you delegate work to others?
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with the point of view of a coworker. How did you handle it?
How about a time when you disagreed with your boss? How did you handle it?
Many of us improve our personal interaction with others as we mature. Looking back over the past two
years, in what way have you improved?
What kind of people do you find it difficult/easy to work with? Why?
Describe a situation at your last job involving pressure? How did you handle it?
Motivation
What motivates you?
What are some of the basic factors that motivate and excite you at work?
What kind of reward and recognition programs are most satisfying for you?
Who and what has motivated you in the past?
What aspects of your employment give you the greatest satisfaction?
Of all the jobs you have had which do you find the most/least rewarding?
What motivates you best? Why?
What did you like most/least about your last job?
What is your description of the ideal work environment?
Personal Traits
How would co-workers describe you?
What makes a job enjoyable for you?
What do you consider important in a job?
Describe a time when you were involved in implementing a change that affected others. How were you
able to encourage others to adapt to the change?
What does service mean to you?
What would your last boss tell a friend about you?
Do you foresee any reasons that you would not be able to travel for business reasons?
Do you intend to stay in the area?
Are you willing to relocate to this or any other area?
What did you learn from each of your previous jobs?
We are looking for employees with commitment to this position. Are there any reasons why you might not
stay with us?
What would you like to avoid in future jobs?
What are your salary requirements?
Supervision
What are your favorite kinds of bosses?
Describe some of the supervisors you most admire.
What are the biggest problems you’ve had with bosses?
What kind of direction do you prefer to be given– very specific, where your manager helps set your goals
and regularly follows up with you to check on progress, or one in which your manager just tells you
what needs to be done and lets you go about accomplishing your goal as you see fit? Why?
How do you think your subordinates would describe you as a manager and supervisor?
What attributes do you believe an effective manager should possess?
What is your description of the ideal manager? Subordinate? Co-workers?
Teamwork
Give me an example of a time when you succeeded individually/as a part of a team.
Tell me which role you would like to play in a group– the team leader or the team member and why?
How were you able to demonstrate teamwork in your last position?
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