To wonder what this interview question has got to do with how well I can do a job?

[Pinkfeather2019]

Im a single parent and I’m in my mid 20s. I had an interview last week. Was told I would hear back this week with an update. I’ve been thinking about how it went but I was asked this question and I’m wondering what relevance it has. The employee even said he wasn’t sure if he could ask this question. He said ‘what’s your home situation, do you still live with your parents?’ I’m just confused why this question would come up. Any ideas?

He might be wondering if you might want to relocate soon and thus leave the job, if you wanted to move out and go further afield.

I thought interviewers weren't supposed to ask this kind of question. Not relevant to your ability to do the job. You would have been fine to say you didn't want to answer that.

It’s not illegal, but it is skirting the fringes of what is acceptable. They don’t need to know where you live, just that you're able to be at work each day.

I would consider that question quite a big red flag from the employer.

He was asking if you have kids/are about to.

I think he was possibly asking how little he can get away with paying you if you're not in your own home.

I don’t think this is always a nefarious question.

I was asked this in the context of applying for a senior, high workload, but full time WFH job, with strict confidentiality obligations.

The question was to ensure I had a confidential workspace that was free of distractions. They didn’t care about my 4 DC or my dogs. (I got the job)

They do know I have one child so I’m expecting not to be offered the job now. However they already knew this before asking me to the interview as it was on my CV, career break due to raising child

It’s a disguised totally disallowed question. He’s asking if you have childcare

Did he know you were a single parent? He might’ve been attempting to work out how much support/childcare you have?

Otherwise presumably either being nosy or trying to work out if they think you’re likely to move on quickly or if you need to relocate maybe.

A child isn't necessarily a deal breaker, it's certainly never been an issue for me.
I expect it was more to do with hybrid working, travelling to the office or ability to take confidential calls at home.

I think so yes but I did mention she was in primary school

It seem like a way of asking if you have reliable childcare without asking directly

it doesn’t mean you do not have the job and really he shouldn’t be asking

I think this question was more about whether you were likely to leave in the future – because you couldn't afford to stay living there unless you lived with your parents.

I think there are quite a lot of geographical areas where people start off a job while living with their parents but when they want to move out they have to change areas because the wage isn't enough for local rents.

He should have asked is there anything prevents you from working flexibly as set out in the JD.

Wholly inappropriate question.

Sadly, 40 years ago I was asked what my father did and when I was married a few years later, what my husband did, and if I was planning to start a family. How times have changed!

My DD (who works full time) lives with me because she is disabled. The question wouldn't be asked unless it was relevant to being offered a job, so it is indirect discrimination.

Quite possibly working out if you are likely to be off on maternity leave again soon.

I know of a colleague who has been asked to informally mingle with interview candidates and try and work out relationship statuses etc 🙄

@Pinkfeather2019 he can't ask you that. He could ask were you see yourself in a years time, etc. Or do you view this as a stop gap etc.

We would never ask this. Defo not on - it’s not the employers business.

Agree it is indirect discrimination or seems like it to me. Plenty of other ways of trying to establish if job is seen as a stop gap or not.

Sounds to me like they're trying to see if there's childcare options at home or if it's likely to be an issue if you live alone with no support.

Tbh I think he tried to cut the interview short because they asked how old my DD is and then they were asking if I had any questions for them. I started telling them about my relevant experience which seemed to pick things back up. But I feel like I won’t be offered the job because of that

I agree with you and that’s why I said skirting, because I don’t know about the specific circumstances of it being relevant or not to the role.

If you don't get the job is worth flagging up so they can improve their training. I always mention my DD in interviews because if they have an issue with her then that's not an employer I'd want to work for anyway.

In cases such as yours, there are ways to ask such as “this role requires a lot of working from home and high confidentiality. Is your home suitable to ensure adequate privacy for the role? Do you have a locked home filing system and a separate office space?” You don’t need to ask about people’s actual home life. It’s a way for the male interviewer to write OP off because she was clearly child bearing age and she’s confirmed she has a child. He obviously won’t say it’s because she’s got a child (or might have another one), it’ll be she wasn’t a good fit for the role.

I purposely never disclose that I'm a single parent or even a mother in a job interview as people make many judgments.