<p>How would you handle a question about your nationality in a job interview? I was asked this in the last two interviews I had and, in both cases, the interviewer commented negatively on the country of origin and the interviews went downhill. Both jobs involve dealing with a diverse population and require fluency in a foreign language that is spoken in more than 1 country. There is no legitimate reason to ask about the applicant’s specific nationality. I have the language fluency and that is clear from my educational history (that language was one of my college majors) and my prior job history. In both interviews, I was asked whether I spoke the language because of my family and I said yes – then the interviewer followed up by asking from which country my family was, I answered, and then the interviewer made the negative comments. I would like to find an answer that deflects from the question without seeming rude.</p>
<p>If for some reason your ancestral country has a negative image in the us and it is keeping you from getting a job (yikes), I would lie and say a different country. The question is unethical and probably illegal anyway. I understand that certain nationalities are not assets right now. Think Afghanistan and Libya.
But you be a little picky too, do you want to work for an organization that had a negative opinion of your heritage? It is their lose.</p>
<p>I work in a declining industry so it’s hard to be picky. At the first job, I was interviewed by the person who would have been the direct supervisor and her comments about my nationality were carefully worded but negative. The second job was in another industry and I could easily have been eliminated because I don’t have experience in that industry but I was surprised to have the question come up again.</p>
<p>If I were you I would look at it this way: They are doing you a favor by revealing their character to you like this out front because that is a red flag for you that you probably wouldn’t like working there. Keep applying and interviewing and you will find a place with a positive culture in the workplace.</p>
<p>I’d never ask the country of origin of the candidate or their family. Sometimes they volunteer it but I agree with you that there’s no need for me to know. If they volunteer it then I won’t make negative comments about the country regardless of how I feel personally about it. </p>
<p>What I would ask is their ability to legally work in the USA and any restrictions in that regard they might have (ex: work permit only good for 3 years, etc.).</p>
<p>The people you interviewed with weren’t behaving professionally. They need to be careful or they might find themselves in some lawsuits if they fail to behave professional in all respects on interviews.</p>
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I don’t recommend that and if I found out a candidate lied to me about anything I wouldn’t hire them. It’s unethical on the part of the candidate to lie.</p>
<p>If I lied, it would eventually come out eventually. I am a U.S. citizen and was born here and educated here so there are no work issues. My English is accent-less which is why I assume they were asking if I spoke because of my family-- but I do have a degree in that language so fluency shouldn’t be an issue.</p>
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<p>Not only is there no legitimate reason, there is no legal reason. National Origin is a “protected class” under EEOC (along with race, sex, age, color, etc.), which means that this factor cannot be used in making hiring decisions.</p>
<p>I am appalled that you were asked your national origin. Most companies forbid their HR people and hiring managers from asking any questions about any protected class factors - in order to avoid the obvious conclusion that they are using such illegal factors in their hiring decisions. Sounds like a particularly ignorant and clueless manager and company to me.</p>
<p>If you are asked again, turn it around and ask, “Why do you ask?” </p>
<p>There is no good answer to that question.</p>
<p>Agree with coureur; it is not a question that should be asked. If you just reply that you are legally permitted to work in the US with no restrictions, and that you know this language from your family and your schooling, there is nothing else they need to know about this.</p>
<p>You’re a natural US citizen, correct? Born and raised here? You have a degree in X language. Can’t you just answer the question - “do you know X language because of your family?” By saying, “I have a degree in X from Y University and am completely fluent.” It isn’t likely they will start grilling you on your ancestry at that point. But even if they did you could still find a way to avoid answering it. I wouldn’t lie about it either - but I wouldn’t answer the question if it gets a negative response and the question itself is irrelevant becuase of your degree.</p>
<p>PhotoOp, the second person actually asked me the question in the language-- so there’s no doubt she knew that I was completely fluent. I offered to speak to the first person in the language so that person could assess my fluency and that person waved it off, saying it was not necessary because, based on my resume, she knew I was fluent. Neither asked about my citizenship or ability to work in the U.S.</p>
<p>I did not get either position. I do not suspect it was a factor in the 2nd (most recent) position because it’s a career change and my lack of experience would be a negative. I do wonder if national origin was a factor in the first position because the interviewer’s comment was so negative but I do not know. I basically do the 1st job for the main competitor and have for years-- so my experience and resume were pretty ideal-- but it could be that there was an internal candidate or something like that. That first person is not clueless; she is a pretty savvy manager who has been in that position for decades.</p>
<p>Mrs. Turbo comes from an Asian country that, well, let’s say does not evoke a lot of warm fuzzy feelings… In case she’s ever asked where she’s from, she answers “Louisiana” (we spent years there in college). Problem solved. She’s been a US Citizen for decades…</p>
<p>The question may not necessarily be illegal depending on how it’s worded (and it’s not like the EEOC gives a care) so a nice generality as an answer could also be used. It’s not like me (“Duh, Elbonia, yeah, former associate member of the axis of something-or-other”, said with a straight face). Delivery of such pun lines has to be absolutely perfect dead-pan…</p>
<p>The question itself is not illegal. However, using one’s nationality as a reason to not hire someone is illegal. That’s why quality employers would never ask such a thing – better not to know.</p>
<p>Basically, the employer (or person doing the interviewing, at least) is signaling in an obvious manner that it practices illegal discrimination on the basis of national origin.</p>
<p>I like photo ops answer. It reiterates your qualifications and sounds professional.</p>
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We are not even allowed to ask that. We leave it to HR to ask that question.</p>
<p>^^ I leave that to HR as well but it’s a legitimate question and depending on the size of the company it may be up to the interviewer to ask. I don’t know why you ‘wouldn’t be allowed to’ ask the question, there’s nothing wrong with it and it’s an important question for the company to know.</p>
<p>I would say, “I am an American. I grew up in X state and received my education there. Y state has been home to me for Z years.”</p>
<p>I work at a mid size company now. HR doesn’t want the company to be sued for not hiring someone due to race/nationality. They screen all applicants for eligibility before we interview them. We have a wide range people doing interviewing, many are quite young.</p>
<p>It technically is not illegal to ask questions like ethnic origian, religion, marital status and so forth, but HR departments and almost every bit of management training I have seen strongly discourages from asking questions like that, for the very reason that it could be used to imply they were screening candidates based on those criteria, and that is illegal.Basically, even if discrimination is hard to prove unless it is pretty blatant, companies don’t want that kind of grief, and it could bring down both state and federal agencies on them. Sometimes it is innocent, just conversation, but to me it is irrelevant, and given that interview time is limited, not a good use of time <em>shrug</em>. The person who made the disparaging remark was in violation and if she worked for a reputable company should be fired for making a statement like that, because she eventually is going to cost them.</p>
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<p>Some people don’t get the point, especially in Fly-Over country where there are fewer NFH’s than, say, Seattle (NFH: Not From Here). I am always amazed about the what-was-he-thinking comments people make regarding someone’s nationality, accent, and the like. Heck, my kids, born in this here Fly-Over state did attract some strange comments from teachers but that stopped quickly (memo to 3rd period gym teachers nationwide: if you make unfortunate remarks about someone’s name or looks, make sure you have a plan B when I call the school and threaten more legal action than can possibly be wielded against the school corporation for discrimination…)</p>
<p>In more enlightened places one could be a green-skinned Martian and it would raise no eyebrows. But, there are enlightened places and there are not-so-enlightened places.</p>