Discrimination during the hiring process is illegal, but as many people have experienced before, this doesn’t mean that it never happens. Despite laws that protect people and necessitate equality, a hiring manager may have prejudices or preconceived notions that can prevent someone from getting hired for a job they are qualified for. As the team at Disparti Law Group can attest, discrimination during a job search can come in several forms, from age to racial discrimination, and sexist inquiries and biased attitudes. 

So how do you know if you are a victim of discrimination? You may know that something doesn’t feel right about the questions you were being asked or other statements the hiring manager made, but are you actually just not right for the job? Or have you just become the victim of interview discrimination?

Inappropriate Commentary and Jokes

Employees hear offensive remarks all the time in the workplace, but this doesn’t mean that it’s lawful. Unfortunately, many work cultures allow discriminatory commentary and jokes, with or without realizing how serious of an issue it is. Managers and supervisors may engage in comments and jokes themselves, in which employees may follow suit because they think it’s okay. If the person you are interviewing with makes off-handed statements or teases you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, then there’s a valid reason you feel that way. 

You Notice Lack Of Diversity

Employers may partake in discrimination while using excuses to hide their unlawful hiring practices. If you notice a lack of diversity while taking a tour around the facility, that may have been done intentionally. If everyone seems to fit a certain profile, and that company is basically homogenous, this could point to discriminatory hiring approaches. An obvious lack of diversity could have been intentional, so that those who feel like they wouldn’t fit in are subtly discouraged from applying. 

Discriminatory Questions

You may think that just because someone is a hiring manager that they have the freedom to ask what they want. Sometimes applicants get caught up in the excitement of potentially being hired that they overlook or brush off pressing questions that have a discriminatory basis. Questions related to age, genetic information, country of origin, birthplace, marital status, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, or sexual ortientation are prohibted from being inquired about during an interview. But there can be exceptions and gray areas to this rule, which can make matters even more confusing. Some information may be used for census purposes and are not discriminatory in essence. 

If you felt like something was off about how your interview proceeded, it may be best to get clarity on your situation by consulting with a lawyer experienced in workplace discrimination, similar to a employment discrimination lawyer people trust from Disparti Law Group. Incidents of discrimination don’t just happen after someone is hired, it can occur during the interview process too.