They asked you what? ñ UK recruiters fail to impress at interviews

Despite the amount of time and money invested by the HR community to make the recruitment process as professional as possible, the majority of British jobseekers still feel they get a raw deal at interviews. According to new research by totaljobs.com, one of the UKís leading recruitment websites, many businesses continue to let the side down with poor interview technique, leaving candidates feeling insulted or misled.

Whilst most companies boast equal opportunities policies, it seems these are all too often undermined by the individual recruiterís line of questioning. Staggeringly, more than a quarter of women are still quizzed about their marital status and whether they plan to have children. One individual admitted to having been asked ìwhether I was on the pill, and whether I ever forgot to take it.î

A surprising number of women still feel theyíre not being judged on their ability and experience. One candidateís interview consisted of ìa line of men holding ëscorecardsí up as I walked past.î Disturbingly, the ëcasting couchí is not a thing of the past, with a number of respondents even being asked to perform a sexual act in an interview.

And itís not just women who feel discriminated against. Despite the fact that 76%* of UK businesses say that ëopportunities to employ disabled people have not yet arisení, 20 per cent of candidates have been asked personal questions about their disabilities and health that they felt were inappropriate.

It seems that even with Britainís ageing population and impending pensionís crisis, the experience and skills of more mature candidates are not always welcomed by UK recruiters. Having revealed their age as 45, one jobseeker was told the company ìdid not want a coffin dodger.î A number of respondents have sat through interviews with their age written and circled at the top of their CV.

Commenting on these findings, Keith Robinson, chief operations director for totaljobs.com said: ìItís not enough for businesses to simply say they have an equal opportunities policy if it is not lived and breathed at every level of the organisation. The findings of our survey reveal that many companies should think more carefully about enforcing some basic ground rules about what is and isnít acceptable in an interview.

ìThrough being guided by prejudices in the interview, companies also run the risk of passing over the best person for the job. Initiatives such as jobability.com, the UKís leading website for disabled jobseekers, where recruiters agree to interview any person who matches the job specification, encourage employers to see potential, not potential problems.î

Other experiences jobseekers have endured all in the name of an ìinterviewî include:

ìI went for a job in a shop. The recruiter blew smoke in my face, and told me if ever I stole from him he would ëkick my head iníî.

ìI was quizzed as to the reasons for the break-up of my first marriage.î

ìBeing interviewed for a job in telesales, I was asked if Iíd ever done a bungee jump. When I replied that I hadnít, I was told that I ëprobably wasnít right for the job thení and was bundled out of the room.î