A U.S.-based human resources professional took to Instagram to question a potential employer after what she believed to be crossing the line about inquiries into her personal life.
“A few years ago I was applying to this job, I interviewed, the interviews went really well…I started the job and immediately these people had no boundaries,” the woman, who goes by Jiija, said on a video posted to TikTok. “None, whatsoever. These people were asking the craziest things. This girl said, ‘Oh, do you rent or do you own your house?’ I said, ‘What?’”
She further went on to explain that some of the questions were asked by a woman who works for the company’s human resources department – a critical part of an organization to ensure crossing boundaries does not take place.
Jiija further went on to say that her co-worker happened to know where she lived even though she never provided that information to her. “When we were interviewing you I Googled your house and I saw the outside of it. I wanted to see if you got the job — how far of a drive it would be for you.”
She recalls feeling out of place and decided to use it as an opportunity to advise viewers that while it is okay for a potential employer to ask about commuting options, asking where you live is unacceptable. “Legally, someone can ask you when they’re interviewing you if you have reliable transportation to and from work,” she explained. “That reliable transportation can be the city bus, it can be the metro, it doesn’t matter where you live.”
She also encourages job seekers to only include pertinent information on job resumes. “That’s why I tell people now to remove your address off of your resume,” she said. “The only contact information that needs to be on your resume is your email address and your phone number to contact you and ask if you’re available to interview for the job.”
