A Questionable Question
By Janine Frazier
At the end of October 2020, true to form, that year handed me an unexpected challenge to find a new job as my company eliminated my position due to COVID-19 impacts on the hospitality and real estate industries. Anticipating a difficult and long search process, I launched my search immediately.
At the end of October 2020, true to form, that year handed me an unexpected challenge to find a new job as my company eliminated my position due to COVID-19 impacts on the hospitality and real estate industries. Anticipating a difficult and long search process, I launched my search immediately.
I have become an expert interview candidate and am adept at answering the standard questions as well as those that are off-the-cuff and more conversational. Recently, I was asked during a phone interview to disclose what contributions I made to a candidate’s campaign in 2020. I chose not to disclose but as we all know this information is public during a background check.
As anyone who has ever interviewed in their lifetime knows, political questions are off limits along with asking about religion, pregnancy, age, marital status, and children. Which led me to wonder if this was some new way to cleverly, or not so cleverly, attempt to determine my political affiliation. While asking these questions are not illegal, they imply an illegal motive – discrimination. Interviews that are going well tend to get conversational and things may be discussed that might give information that is not job-related but could be used to discriminate against a person.
The disturbing reality of this question is that I realized in that moment that I was not being evaluated for my qualifications alone. The person interviewing me used their power to attempt to corner me which also amounts to intimidation.
I worry that because of the results of the election of 2020 this is a new trend in hiring. Someone less experienced than me may have gladly answered and that answer distinguished them from me. It is hard to tell however it is another tactic being used by the cancel culture to homogenize an environment.
My reaction was to make a note that this question may be asked and moved on with my search. Upon further reflection, ignoring it equates to condoning it and the opposition is counting on silent compliance. We can all agree that the time for that has passed.
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Janine Frazier is a native Marylander raised in Rockville and currently resides in Cabin John with her husband with three daughters in college and son in 9th grade. She graduated from the Academy of the Holy Cross and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA. She attends Saint Bartholomew church, is a proud member of the Potomac Women’s Republican Club as well as the VFW Auxiliary, an active supporter of Operation Underground Railroad, the USO and Arbor Day Foundation.