Inappropriate interview question

[stretchmarkqueenie]

Looking to return to work after being a SAHM for a year after my mat leave ended. In a job interview yesterday the interviewer asked me 'do you like being a mum?' AIBU to feel this isn't appropriate? To put this into context the question didn't come from a chat about children, it was during competency based questioning about the job so I was quite taken a back.

I am feeling all nervous about returning to work so I don't know if I'm overreacting but it's just thrown me a little, I was in professional mode and there to talk about my skills and what I can bring to the company so wasn't expecting personal questions like that. Of course something like 'what are your childcare arrangements?' I could totally understand but this felt a bit probing!

Having spoken to a friend (female) who interviews a lot, she says that that is a common question she uses for SAHM.

Then your friend [female] is basically rubbish at interviewing.

There are loads of transferable skills between SAHM and pretty much anything in an office, but to ask whether somebody "enjoys being a mum" is pretty weird. I would never ask it that way.

I've been interviewing for 12 years, and if I were interviewing a SAHM - which I've actually not yet had the opportunity to do yet, but I've interviewed dozens of first-jobs and dozens of people who have never done anything like the job I'm hiring before - I would never ask that way, even as a segue. If I'm looking for transferable skills, I'd say, "so since you haven't done this specific job before, what makes you the best candidate for this position" or "give me an example of a complex problem you've encountered, and how you went about solving it" or even just "what specific or unique skills do you bring to the table" or something more work-appropriate and not personal and emotionally loaded.

Whether you enjoy being a mum is an extremely personal, loaded question along the lines of "are you glad you had children" that is just not relevant professionally, except for maybe to nanny or nursery worker!!

I had a similar experience to @Norma. After the first interview was asked for a second which turned out just to be a job offer, meeting colleagues and little tour. Then some colleagues took me for lunch. Over lunch, a senior man asked in passing if I had plans for children; a woman severely told him off and explained why such a question is inappropriate and illegal. He realised immediately his error and apologised to me, explaining that it's one of the selling points of the workplace that it has on site creche and great maternity leave (both true but no one had told me). I'd already been offered the job and it was still wrong for a question like that - I think it was wrong for an interviewer to ask OP that, regardless of reason. OP, your response was good and I'd be emailing for feedback on why your application isn't progressing, out of curiosity. Good luck in your job hunt.

Totally irrelevant. I have on occasion asked a candidate about something that was not on the question schedule for all candidates. Sometimes a bit of information co.es to light that isn't really relevant but I am curious so at end of interview I ask my question but always following statement the answer will not be recorded or considered relevant to application.

Having spoken to a friend (female) who interviews a lot, she says that that is a common question she uses for SAHM. They then start talking more and there are a lot of transferable skills you don't declare on the application form that you subconsciously begin to reveal.

She ought to seek some training before she continues interviewing. She and or her company could end up in hot water over that.

A good interviewer can draw out talk about transferable skills without needing to use cod-psychology and guff about 'revealing' things.