Was this a reasonable 'interview' question?

[TremoloGreen]

I'm looking for a job at the moment; jobs at my level in my industry are almost exclusively mediated through headhunters. I met up with a recruiter today, to chat through what I was looking for, he had a few possible things in mind going from my CV. So not an interview as such, but get to know each other and I suppose he is vetting me, making sure he's not putting forward a candidate who isn't suitable for the job.

We had (I thought) a productive chat and it all sounded promising. Then he asked me "what strategies are you going to use to minmize your stammer in any interviews?" It really put me on the back foot but actually I was really affronted. I have a mild stammer, it's not terrible but it does happen and it's noticeable. I'm an adult and I've had it for as long as I remember, I live with it, so obviously I have strategies for managing it when it happens. I find I do talk every day so I get plenty of practice. Also, I'm not new to job interviews, I'm a senior professional with close to 10 years experience of a fast-paced industry.

I basically told him the above, without getting angry but I was clear I didn't feel the need to discuss it with him. He seemed really annoyed that I wouldn't answer the question and reassure him that I wouldn't embarrass him in some way... just doing his job and all that, everyone can benefit from a few pointers on interview technique. Am I being unreasonable? I felt like he was prejudiced against me because of my stammer and assuming an interviewer would have the same attitude. I also felt it was a bit personal, but maybe that's my issue.

Can I ask everyone to be really honest? What would your automatic thoughts be if you interviewed someone with a stammer? Would you (even unconsciously) think that they might not have what it takes to do a high-pressure, client-facing job?

I think he sounds like a dick, tbh. I started to type out a longer response, but nah. He was a dick.

I'm not someone who does the employing in our company so I can't answer from that perspective, but as a coworker I would probably notice it at the outset, think oh they have a stammer, and then forget about it.

I think the recruiter was rude and unprofessional asking you about it in the manner he did.

It would depend how bad it was but generally no.
A slight stammer - I wouldn't think twice.
A medium stammer - no real problem but I might think about it

A serious stammer then I might wonder how it would affect certain skills, (eg presenting for funding, delivering lectures, conference calls with non-native speakers), but anything else no. I wd assume that the person with the stammer had lived with it, could deal with it and was good enough at her job to be able to do it.

Ok, most recruitment people are dicks, before we even look at this one.

From their point of view, you are a potential commission and anything that can stand in the way of the commission, needs to be buttoned down.

Harsh but that's recruitment agencies for you.

Ha Ha - Lonny - you are right!

If I was the interviewer I'd think 'can this candidate do the job? Do they have the qualifications, experience and skills needed? Oh look, yes she does, she's a confident, capable woman who's successfully held down a similar position for a decade despite having to deal with other peoples prejudices because she has a stammer'.

As a person reading your OP I think the interviewer is a dick.

He is really bad at his job. That's the problem here. Not your stammer.

A stammer wouldn't phase me, but vocal tics can. I recently interviewed a candidate who did really well at first round, came back in to do a presentation. She was nervous and I think under prepared, and inserted 'you know' into every second sentence, it was a factor in her not getting the job (no- I don't know that is why I am asking you). I have come across this before, "actually" being another one. Unlike a stammer, I believe this is learned behaviour and as such can be unlearned with a bit of effort. I never know whether it is acceptable to point this trait out to people and alert them to the affect it has on the listener.
I can understand the recruiter asking the question of how you manage your stammer in high pressure situations, but I think your answer should have easily reassured him.

I occasionally work with a senior colleague who has a severe stammer. At first I found it difficult, as I am almost compelled to fill in any potentially awkward silences in any conversation, I had to learn how get comfortable with waiting. It helps that his contributions are always worth waiting for.

Agree with Atrocious.

I'm a manager and if someone interviewed who had a stammer it wouldn't make a difference to me, if they came across as capable and professional.

*and if I interviewed someone who

Any questions about disability in a job interview are illegal. And I think a stammer would be covered by the legal definition of disability in this case. The recruiter can fuck the fuck off.

YY, surely this is a disability issue?

I've never interviewed anyone, but I stammer a bit when I am nervous and I have always been told it is quite common in interviews, so you would think they would be used to it.

Yes, I agree he is a dick.

If you are at a high level in your profession - and that profession involves speaking to people, then surely it goes without saying that you have strategies for coping. You would hardly be where you are without, would you?

If I were the interviewer I would care much more about relevant experience/skills and personality.

He was a dick. I'd agree with TheAmazingZebra that I'm not sure he can legally say that, would he ask someone got they were going to hide their wheelchair? Or hide the fact they were female and of child-beating age?

Anyway, it would make zero difference to me - as soon as I'd worked out it was an actual stammer. So I guess if someone said at the outset "I have a stammer" that would be the end of the matter.

I might also think that you were even more impressive to have achieved all you had, given there are still total wanks like that recruiter in the world.

Is a stammer a disability? Please don't worry about his blardy awful commentary

I guess...the RC was trying to make sure that you had considered that your stammer might get worse or be affected by nerves
He might have tread clumsily on this because he has close experience of someone with a stammer?
Or because he has been told to fully prepare his candidate for interview and believes completely misguidedly that this is doing so.

I'm saying the former because almost every time I have had to speak with someone who has dealt with difference or diversity poorly they have done so from the position of 'knowledge'
Myself included
My mum is in a wheelchair and she always feels... blah blah blah and so I might blabber unfeelingly across someone's thoughts feelings opinions that are utterly different than my mother's but I think I know due to her experience
I have observed that this happens more often than we might think. Or someone has seen or read something that they think has informed them on everything to do with a certain disability when in fact it hasn't even scratched the surface and hasn't taught them that individuals feel and deal differently
DYSWIM?
Or he might just be being a tool

Sorry though sounds grim

I would have quoted the disability discrimination act but I can be a little bit arsey!

OMFG!

ChildBEARing age! BEAR! Not child-beaters.

I blame the new website design bit of a stretch?

If I was interviewing you I'd assume your ten years of experience/knowledge would speak for whether or not your stammer would be an issue.

I agree that he was a dick and I'm glad you pulled him up on it.

I would have given him the

It's no different than if he had asked someone in a wheelchair what they would do about their legs. Or someone very very tall what they would do about their height. Or whatever... you Just Don't.

Recruiters who are 12 years old with no experience or are just muppets really really wind me up.

"female and of child-beating age"

I actually think it was a reasonable question.

It think he phrased it clumsily. But if I were a recruiter it might have been something i'd addressed, had it been very noticeable.

In reply to your question, I think his was a reasonable question to ask. He is preparing you for probably tough interviewing techniques; he is not criticizing your stammer, simply asking how you deal with it.

I think it would be totally wrong in an interview. However if I was trying to get someone recruited I would analyse any issues and suggest ways to promote yourself. Perhaps he thought he was doing this. I think informing him that most people ignore stammers, don't notice them, hasn't held you back before would have been educational for him

Is it possible to go back and say you were pretty horrified and had you not been so shocked that you would have told him that

There was quite a script guy at my work who had a reasonably bad stammer. He ended up going to a speech therapist or something every week for two years to try and reduce it because it was holding him back.

Depends of your stammer is slight 'oh, this person has a slight stammer' or of it is quite bad and you get stuck on words and can't get out what you want to say. The second could defo hold you back in my line of work.