Sex Issues in Interviews

Class Location: The Internet.

Description: This course covers how sex issues can have a role in job interviews.

Objective: Become aware of sex issues in the professional world.

There are essentially three ways sex can become an issue during a job interview:

• Sexual harassment by the interviewer. More than likely, sexual harassment during an interview will stem from the interviewer’s unintentionally asking an inappropriate question. For instance, he may want to know if a female job candidate plans to have a family in the near future or will need to relocate for her husband’s job. While the interviewer may not have the right to ask these kinds of questions, his intentions are probably innocent. He’s counting on having the person he hires available for the long term. While this doesn’t justify the questions, it can help the interviewee understand where he’s coming from. If you feel uncomfortable answering these kinds of questions, you can address the interviewer’s concerns by simply assuring him that you’re committed to the job.

• The interviewee’s use of sexual attractiveness to try to get the job. While not very common in the professional world, some people may try to use their sexual appeal to win a job offer. If you take this questionable route, be ready to face the pitfalls. If you get hired on a false pretense and the sexual attraction wears off, your job performance will be under the microscope. If you can’t hack it, you’ll soon be returning to your job search.

• Pursuit of a sexual relationship by the interviewer. If you’re attractive and articulate, you might on occasion detect sexual advances from the interviewer. The question is whether your intuition is correct. If you feel that despite your inclinations, you’re qualified for the job and the interviewer will respect your capabilities if you accept the job, continue to pursue the offer. On the other hand, if you think the interviewer has only one thing on his mind and doesn’t care about your qualifications, it’s probably best to move on. If you accept the job based on sex, you can expect a disastrous outcome if you don’t want to play those kinds of games.