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- SheFinds shows you 17 ways to organize your collection of handbags. (Hmm, now to organize the inside of the bags themselves…)
- Working Mother lists five questions that are illegal for employers to ask job candidates (parents and non-parents alike). Have you ever been asked an inappropriate/illegal question during an interview?
- Even if you don't get any off-limits questions in your interview, you can use the tips in this Aol Jobs piece to recognize red flags when speaking with a potential boss. (Micromanager, anyone?)
- The Washington Post's On Leadership blog reviews 20-First's “Gender Balance Scorecard,” which ranks 300 companies from the U.S., Europe, and Asia according to the proportion of men and women on their senior leadership teams. A particular employer merits the highest score, “balanced,” if its executive team has a minimum of 40% of both genders.
- Above the Law comments on a different sort of company ranking — Yale Law Women's latest list of the most family-friendly law firms.
- And speaking of families, Bloomberg Businessweek explores the growing trend of women choosing to freeze their eggs and talks to several working women who decided to do it. (When IS the best time in your life/career to get pregnant, anyway?)
- In an essay in the Wall Street Journal [behind a paywall], Dr. Sonya Rhodes (co-author of The Alpha Woman Meets Her Match) takes a look at how the notions and practices of “marrying up” or “marrying down” are evolving. One interesting bit of news she shares: Women now earn more than their husbands in 24% of all marriages.
rosie
On the Working Mother illegal questions post. I was under the impression that it is not illegal to ask any of those things, but it is illegal to make a hiring decision on the basis of the answers, so it is incredibly stupid to ask. Can anyone clarify?
Anon Lawyer
You’re correct. It can imply discrimination if you ask those questions.
rosie
Thanks! So I have learned something from Ask a Manager (love her top “is it illegal” list).
Kate
I was JUST coming here to reference Ask a Manager and say this.
Monday
I had someone ask me “do you have a family?” while discussing a potential job. He seemed puzzled about why I wanted to stay in the city we were in. Is it weird to want to continue living in the (great) city you’re already living in, family or no family? It was also a great opportunity with a great employer, which he knew, so why must there have been a husband and kids lurking behind my motives? I think I dodged the question well (“I’m actually just focused on this position for my career because blah blah”) but I didn’t get the job and have since decided I’m better off. Even if it weren’t an illegal question, it was definitely irrelevant and, to me, insulting.
Ashley
The school of thought that women are less reliable, worth less money, etc. because of children still pervades. Historically, that is where questions about marital status and family come from.
overt sexism is still a thing
I had a partner in a major law firm (that happens to no longer exist) ask me in an interview if I went to my undergrad university, which has ‘technology’ in its name, to find a husband. I’m not even paraphrasing, he said “Did you go to __ to find a husband?” Oh and by the way, I’m under 30 and this was in 2009.
Manhattanite
I was asked by a partner at a fairly major law firm whether I planned to continue working after I had children. I was floored that anyone would ask me that– a) do you think that is in any way legal/appropiate? and b) do you think you’re going to get an honest answer? I was close to getting ready to TTC at that time and he confirmed for me that I had no interest in going to that firm. That was by far THEIR loss. I told the recruiter I was working with about the question and that it was the major reason I decided not to take the job.
Maggie P. Dixon
In response to the question about whether anyone has been asked an illegal question during a job interview: yes! I was asked what religion I was. While I would like to believe that the interviewer didn’t realize this was an illegal question, I find that impossible: this was an interview for a judicial clerkship, and the interviewer was a federal district court judge!!