Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/123858
24 • MAY 2013 • WORLD FENCE NEWS THE HUMAN LINK by Jim Lucci Management Motivational Associates The interview process: Proper procedures Distributor Opportuni es Available Benefits • Higher Weight Capacity • Smaller Overall Gate Length • Easy Installa on • Durability • Higher Efficiency • Low Maintenance • Minimal Visible Hardware • Accommodates up to 4,000lbs or up to 59 opening. to avoid alienating your prospective boss or sabotaging your chances of landing the job. Here's how to handle the most common interview questions if you happen to be asked. Questions about pregnancy, children, and medical conditions related to giving birth are prohibited under federal law, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Though employers may raise the question to make "small talk," it is wise to keep information about your home life private. Fencer's Field Report High Performance Can lever Gate Hardware! For Commercial, Residen al and Ins tu onal applica ons This month I have been asked to write about some questions that need to be avoided during the process of interviewing prospective new hires. This could be a very timely topic, as things are starting to pick up in many parts of the country and odds are that some of you will be attempting to add staff that can help your company grow. It is with that in mind that I, along with some of my professional colleagues, will talk about several questions that you, as the employer, need to refrain from asking so as not to be in violation of federal or state laws. If you are a prospective employee, we will discuss some possible responses to give your prospective employer to defuse the situation. It's common knowledge that future employers can't broach personal topics in job interviews, but the line between acceptable and illegal interview questions is often fuzzy. The federal government prohibits employers from making hiring decisions on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, disability, veteran's status, national origin, age, political affiliation, and genetic information, meaning those questions are automatically off the table for employers. Such topics as sexual orientation, gender identity and criminal background information come with different rules, depending on the state. Employers who aren't trained in correct interview procedures frequently cross the line without knowing it, say many experts. A person being interviewed, if asked an awkward question, should try to keep the response light and friendly dential job is usually between $2,500 to $5,000. Finally, we asked what the business strategy is for 2013, and he replied that sales were down for the first quarter, but they will keep doing what they are doing, operating lean and mean, keep advertising and hopefully things will pick up in the second half. That's it for this issue! We would like to hear your thoughts so that we might bring them to others through World Fence News! You could call or e-mail us here at WFN, so we may share your thoughts, as well. We look forward to speaking with you for an upcoming issue! continued from page 22 The system works on a simple principle of two heavy duty carriages installed on the ground and a high quality track that rolls on the carriages and supports the gate. This eliminates the need for a complicated system of rollers and wheels and is fully enclosed from external elements. Manufactured in Italy by Professional Gate Hardware from Architectural Iron Designs, Inc. 950 South 2nd Street, Plainfield, NJ 07063 | Ph: (800) 784-7444 or (908) 757-2323 Fax: (908) 757-3439 | www.duragates.com | info@duragates.com workmanship warranty of a year. We asked what the economy was like in the area and he told us that it was struggling, but was showing signs of coming back a little. There are still a lot of residential foreclosures as well as short sales in the area. At the time we spoke, unemployment was about 8% to 8-1/2%. On the commercial side, some renovation business is developing. On the residential side, Scott indicated that a "little bit of everything" is occurring, and that the average resi- Employers who aren't trained in correct interview procedures frequently cross the line without knowing it. If you do get an illegal interview question, Jeffrey Winestock, an attorney and president of Rhodes and Winestock LLC, a staffing and placement company in Washington, D.C., suggests that there are three ways to handle this: Interview candidates can answer it and hope their response doesn't factor into the employer's hiring decision, they can refuse to answer it, which may end the interview prematurely, or they can choose door number three and answer the question that they think the interviewer was getting at. If the question is "Well, do you have any children at home?" the interviewer may be trying to find out if there is an issue with working overtime. You can say something like, "My personal life is not going to preclude continued on page 26