HUMAN RESOURCES at MIT

2.5 Interviewing Policies and Procedures

2.5.1 Guidelines for Interviewing

Human Resources Officers and Human Resources Recruiters interview and refer applicants to departments for supervisory interview and selection. The interview is a valuable tool for the supervisor in assessing the applicant's suitability for the position. It is also the applicant's principal opportunity to gain knowledge concerning the duties and responsibilities of the position and the immediate and extended working environment.

The supervisor or other person conducting the interview should prepare for it by studying the application form or resume and by reviewing the qualification requirements established for the job. In addition, the interviewer should list specifics to be explored, such as apparent gaps in the applicant's work record, ambiguous or contradictory entries on the application, etc.

The interviewer should be aware that the applicant may be inexperienced in the job interviewing process and may need to be put at ease during the interview, so that he or she can participate fully.

Interviewers should also be aware that questions that would ordinarily be lawful may, in some circumstances, be held to be evidence of unlawful discrimination; for example, if information is requested which is not job related and has a disproportionately burdensome effect on women and minority group members.

Allowable questions are any which pertain to the background of the candidate both in education and experience essential to actual performance of the job. These include:

Any incomplete information on the resume or application for further review.
Why applicant left former job and what kind of references he or she would receive from former employer.
What applicant's prior job duties consisted of and what he or she liked or disliked about prior jobs.
In what kind of job duties, hours, days, etc. applicant is interested.
Allow applicant to mention and discuss what he or she feels is relevant to the job for which he or she is
applying.
Citizenship or working visa but not country of origin.

Listed below are some specific guidelines in this matter, as recommended by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. The following may also provide guidance for supervisors in the reference checking process (see also Section 2.5.3):


Subject

What May Be Asked

What May NOT Be Asked

Age

Are you over 18 (or 21 for certain jobs)?

How old are you? What is the date of your birth?

Gender

n/a

A preemployment inquiry as to gender on an application form.

Experience

Inquiry into work experience. Inquiry into countries applicant has visited.

n/a

National Origin

n/a

Inquiry into applicant's lineage, ancestry, national origin, descent, parentage, or nationality; nationality of parents or spouse; applicant's native language

Religion

n/a

Inquiry into an applicant's religious denomination, affiliation, church, parish, pastor, or religious holidays observed. Avoid any questions regarding organizations and/or affiliations that would identify religion.

Marital Status

n/a

Are you married? Where does your spouse work? What are the ages of your children, if any? What was your maiden name?

Disability

Specific questions related to job duties (e.g. Do you have a driver's license? Can you lift fifty pounds?)

Do you have a disability? Have you ever been treated for the following diseases? (listing diseases.) Has any member of your family ever had any of the following diseases?

Name

Have you ever worked for MIT under a different name? Is any additional information relative to change of name, use of an assumed name, or nickname necessary to enable a check on your work record? If yes, explain.

Original name of an applicant whose name has been changed by court order or otherwise. Maiden name of a married woman. Has applicant ever worked under another name, state name, or address?

Address or Duration of Address

Applicant's place of residence

Do you rent or own your home? How long at each particular address?

Birthplace

n/a

Birthplace of applicant. Birthplace of applicant's parents, spouse, or other close relatives.

Photograph

n/a

Requirement that an applicant affix a photograph to the employment application at any time before hiring.

Education

Inquiry into the academic, vocational, or professional education of an applicant and the public and private schools he or she has attended.

n/a

Citizenship

Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?

Inquiry as to country of citizenship. Whether an applicant is a naturalized or native-born citizen; the date when the applicant acquired citizenship. Requirement that applicant produce naturalization papers or first papers. Whether parents or spouse are naturalized or native-born citizens of the United States. The date when such parents or spouse acquired citizenship.

Language

What languages do you read fluently? Write fluently? Speak fluently?

Inquiry into how applicant acquired ability to read, write, or speak a foreign language.

Height, Weight, Strength

Questions regarding height, weight, or strength may be asked only if the employer can prove these requirements are necessary to do the job.

n/a

Relatives

Names of applicant's relatives already employed by MIT.

Names, addresses, ages, number, or other information concerning applicant's children or other relatives not employed by MIT.

Notice in Case of Emergency

Name and address of person to be notified in case of an accident or emergency.

n/a

Military

Have you ever been a member of the armed services of the United States or in a state militia? If so, did your military experience have any relationship to the position for which you have applied?

Inquiry into an applicant's general military experience or type of discharge.

Character

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, when, where, and what was the disposition of the offense? Have you been convicted of a misdemeanor during the last five years, except for a first conviction for simple assault, disturbing the peace, drunkenness, speeding, or other minor traffic violations? Have you been convicted of a misdemeanor which occurred more than five years prior to the date of application where your term of imprisonment was completed less than five years prior to the date of application?

Have you ever been arrested? (an employer's use of an individual's arrest record to deny employment would, in the absence of business necessity, constitute a violation of the human rights law.)

Organizations

Are you a member of any professional societies or organizations, etc.? (Exclude organizations, the name or character of which indicates the race, creed, color, or national origin of its members.)

Inquiry into applicant's membership in nonprofessional organizations (e.g. clubs, lodges, etc.)

References

Names of appropriate employment references.

n/a

Further questions relating to the interviewing process should be directed to the appropriate Human Resources Officer.

2.5.2 Applicant Flow Referral System

At the time of referral by the Office of Employment Services, an applicant's resume/application is forwarded to the department with a referral form attached. The referral form provides information regarding the applicant's name and the position being applied for, the name of the department and the department interviewer, and the name of the Human Resources Officer referring the applicant. After the position is filled, a summary questionnaire is sent to the hiring manager regarding the outcome of the hiring process and the status of each applicant referred.

The completed questionnaire should be returned to the Human Resources Department as soon as possible after a selection is made.

2.5.3 Checking References

Employment references should be checked for all applicants prior to an offer of employment. These references will be evaluated with the hiring supervisor in relation to the applicant's education, experience, abilities, and the requirements of the job. Educational and personal references are not routinely evaluated; however, a supervisor may request that this information be checked if circumstances warrant it.

As it is normally the responsibility of the interviewing Human Resources Officer to obtain references, a written summary of this information will be retained in the person's file in the Human Resources Information Services Office. Supervisors who wish to take responsibility for obtaining references should consult with the appropriate Human Resources Officer and provide written information to the Human Resources Department for retention in the employee's file.

2.5.4 Notification of Interviewed Applicants

In order to assure a positive relationship with the Institute's applicant community, each person who is interviewed by a departmental supervisor should be notified of the result of the selection process. Such notification can take the form of a telephone call or a personal letter, depending upon individual circumstances and styles.

Since interviews for candidates for professional positions (Administrative Staff and Sponsored Research Staff) from outside the Institute are normally arranged directly by the departments, notification of such candidates should be initiated by the hiring department, once a final selection has been made.

Transfer applicants for all categories of employment, as well as outside applicants for Support and Service staff positions are notified of the results of their interviews by their Human Resources Officer and/or the department interviewer.