Business owners often request personal details such as leisure time activities and interests, as well as marital status from job applicants. Although, these details provide information that is very important in knowing the different personalities of individuals, it could create a bias in selecting people who are truly qualified for the job. In my opinion, I believe that the information is unnecessary.
Individuals who support this statement believe that it helps the employers have a general view of the applicant’s ability to work and disposal to work. The activities people engage in as hobbies say a lot about personalities, their interests also speak about what they love doing. For example, someone who engaged his leisure time in learning and seeking for further knowledge would interest the employer. Business needs people who are not stagnant, but the ones that generally seek to grow.
On the contrary, this information could create a bias in selecting the right employee. Qualifying for a job should be primarily based on individual’s expertise or years of experience. However, when interests and marital status are requested, the recruiters might base their judgement according to that and neglect the right qualification process. For instance, a married person who might have had quite a lot of experience may not be considered for the job because her disposal to work at anytime of the day may be limited. This is an unfair system.
In my view, I agree that this information are not useful. The qualifications and expertise are the most relevant details to qualify for a particular position. Requesting personal details might cloud the employer’s sense of judgement.
To conclude, while some people believe asking personal questions during job application are important. I do not see these informations being relevant in any way.