Asking a female candidate do you smoke by the male interviewer inbitween a interview and taking the candidate for smoke is that a good practice?
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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As a non-smoker, my view is that taking a "smoke break" during an interview is wrong. It gives a poor impression of the organisation. The sex of the interviewer/interviewee is immaterial.
From United Kingdom
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1639From United Kingdom
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Are u the interviewer or the female who has been asked to accompany for a smoke..? In either case, it is professionally unethical to such acts... Regards
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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Hello,
"Practice" - The word itself is wrong. Can you elaborate on the situation a bit? For instance, this can be viewed in two ways.
Firstly, when the interviewee needs to wait for their second or final round of the interview, i.e., there is a significant time gap between the first round and the second or final round of the interview. Generally, companies do offer lunch or snacks as a gesture. Perhaps the interviewer here was quite bold to offer a smoke!
If this was not the case and it was just to take a break during the interview, one must strictly avoid making such an offer. This can impact the company's brand, the image of the interviewer, and the management. I hope you understand that this seriously raises doubts about the interviewer's work integrity.
As mentioned by other members, it is not about being male or female, but yes, when there is a female candidate, one must be mindful of their behavior.
From India, Ahmedabad
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"Practice" - The word itself is wrong. Can you elaborate on the situation a bit? For instance, this can be viewed in two ways.
Firstly, when the interviewee needs to wait for their second or final round of the interview, i.e., there is a significant time gap between the first round and the second or final round of the interview. Generally, companies do offer lunch or snacks as a gesture. Perhaps the interviewer here was quite bold to offer a smoke!
If this was not the case and it was just to take a break during the interview, one must strictly avoid making such an offer. This can impact the company's brand, the image of the interviewer, and the management. I hope you understand that this seriously raises doubts about the interviewer's work integrity.
As mentioned by other members, it is not about being male or female, but yes, when there is a female candidate, one must be mindful of their behavior.
From India, Ahmedabad
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If the female employee says yes, this means that the employee has been selected, and they are now colleagues. Therefore, asking a colleague for a smoke is not an offense.
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From India, Madras
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[IMG]http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkp2rfAmiF1qfcz15.jpg[/IMG]
From India, Madras
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Instead of offering the cigarette, the interviewer can take the candidate to the cafeteria and offer a cup of tea. With that tea, an informal interview could have taken place, and it would not be an issue.
In some companies, interviewers themselves offer tea and start discussing some issues instead of asking formal interview questions. During the discussion, they inquire about the candidate's experience, qualifications, family, and other relevant details.
Offering a cigarette to a candidate is not acceptable as it reflects poorly on the company and the interviewer.
From India, Kumbakonam
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In some companies, interviewers themselves offer tea and start discussing some issues instead of asking formal interview questions. During the discussion, they inquire about the candidate's experience, qualifications, family, and other relevant details.
Offering a cigarette to a candidate is not acceptable as it reflects poorly on the company and the interviewer.
From India, Kumbakonam
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Dear Vinooraj,
At a time when so much emphasis is given to curbing smoking in aircraft, public places, and theatres - which were once clouded with smoke not very long ago - such an offer is far from being a decent one.
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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At a time when so much emphasis is given to curbing smoking in aircraft, public places, and theatres - which were once clouded with smoke not very long ago - such an offer is far from being a decent one.
V. Raghunathan
Navi Mumbai
From India
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Obviously, the interviewer is a smoker and had the urge to smoke at that point in time. Offering a cigarette is not very offensive; rather, it's being courteous. However, for the interviewee, it may be a little embarrassing, especially being a female in India. The female interviewee probably was not ready for this proposal during the interview. However, the final choice remains with the interviewee whether to accept or politely reject. In short, it's not a big issue in corporates.
From India, Delhi
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From India, Delhi
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It is totally unethical. First of all smoking is injurious to health. You are not only spoiling your health but also others health. You have no right to do so. KBBhat HR & Yoga consultant
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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Dear Vinooraj,
I saw your query and the answers given by the respected members. As an admin, offering a cigarette is unethical in the realm of HR. Tomorrow, the same HR personnel might, during interviews, ask male or female candidates for a sip of a hot drink, which is both irrational and unethical in our culture, despite India's significant advancement.
Hopefully, the HR personnel, after reviewing the responses provided by the members, will reconsider the practice of asking irrelevant interview questions. The answer has been given without prejudice.
Ravi
From India, Mumbai
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I saw your query and the answers given by the respected members. As an admin, offering a cigarette is unethical in the realm of HR. Tomorrow, the same HR personnel might, during interviews, ask male or female candidates for a sip of a hot drink, which is both irrational and unethical in our culture, despite India's significant advancement.
Hopefully, the HR personnel, after reviewing the responses provided by the members, will reconsider the practice of asking irrelevant interview questions. The answer has been given without prejudice.
Ravi
From India, Mumbai
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I am not cribbing about smoking; even I do smoke. The point that I want to make is that how can the HR Head/Recruitment Head ask a Recruiter (interviewee)? The interviewee is someone who I know; she told me that she had a cool interview and she told me how her interview happened. I still have many questions in my mind, but I do not want to make this a big issue.
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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Please state what questions you have in mind. If I am right, the majority of the responses so far clearly state that it is unethical and that the sex of the interviewer/interviewee is immaterial.
Do you think it would have been okay if the interviewer and interviewee were of the same sex or if the interviewer was female and the interviewee male?
From United Kingdom
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Do you think it would have been okay if the interviewer and interviewee were of the same sex or if the interviewer was female and the interviewee male?
From United Kingdom
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something is very fishy ask your friend to run away as soon as possible and not join the company, run now itself as fast as she can.
From India, Madras
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From India, Madras
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The issue is not about gender but about health. "Smoking is injurious to health". Any organization which promotes smoking so openly is certainly not health conscious!
From India, Bangalore
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From India, Bangalore
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How can you are asking its wrong or correct . implement your knowledge as well before posting this type on unethical questions.
From India, Mumbai
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From India, Mumbai
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There is no reason why the interviewee would be asked by the interviewer for a smoke break or drinks break, regardless of whether the former is male or female. The question itself sounds odd and funny.
From India, Guwahati
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From India, Guwahati
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Funny Comments.
It actually does not matter unless it affected the interview process, i.e., the candidate was selected because she agreed to have a smoke with him/her. Let's not read too much into things and try to become moral policemen/policewomen. We should focus more on professional aspects.
Request don't take it amiss.
Manoj
From India, Delhi
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It actually does not matter unless it affected the interview process, i.e., the candidate was selected because she agreed to have a smoke with him/her. Let's not read too much into things and try to become moral policemen/policewomen. We should focus more on professional aspects.
Request don't take it amiss.
Manoj
From India, Delhi
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I am a scientist having retired five years ago from a very senior position with responsibilities of international activities. That made me travel throughout the world for more than 40 times and see different cultures and work ethics around the globe. Nonetheless, I am and remained although like a simple-minded Indian with a somewhat broader outlook. As a fellow Indian, I would like to narrate my experience (and views) related to the theme of the question and various comments offered by learned members before me.
As most others here, I have always found Indian women smoking freely anywhere or in the company of men very obnoxious and utterly dislike it heart-in-heart. On the other hand, I can easily accept similar things by European ladies in Europe as quite normal. I am also never moved when I meet male smokers anywhere even though I subscribe to the adage 'Smoking is injurious to health'. For me, smoking or not is a matter of personal choice and I would never like to obstruct someone's personal liberty on moral grounds.
Having said that, I may now tell that many years ago, I worked for the British Council in India where almost all staff, including very senior ones like me, were all Indians, except the top boss and a few others as expats. Like most other international organizations, the British Council maintains a very high standard of work ethics with equal emphasis on gender, human rights, etc. It maintained a totally non-smoking environment within the office premises. But it was free for all during occasional parties in the lawns with drinks flowing freely. Everyone who wanted to smoke, smoked freely irrespective of gender, but that was in the parties in the lawn below.
As a male with a typical Indian background and upbringing, I got my first shock when I saw several of my senior female colleagues smoking during office hours close to me. I had never seen such things before and found it hard to believe and accept. Gradually, I realized that I was in a special place and the Indian ladies I was in the company of were elite and from very advanced families and the organization in which we were standing stands for 'personal liberty' to all human beings irrespective of gender, caste, creed, etc. Since the office had a policy to maintain a strict non-smoking area, all those who got the urge to smoke or otherwise need a break would simply get up from their seats and go outside the glass in the open corridor or balconies. We could see off and on someone (male or female) standing outside the glass and taking the smoke. It did not appear odd any longer. In fact, I used to join them quite often for a chat since it was easy to converse during those moments.
In such atmosphere and culture, offering a smoke represented 'courtesy' and nothing else. It was between male and female, Indian and British, senior and junior - no questions, no tags!
In the Indian situation - of course, we need long debates and diversity of views! Don't we?
From India, New Delhi
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As most others here, I have always found Indian women smoking freely anywhere or in the company of men very obnoxious and utterly dislike it heart-in-heart. On the other hand, I can easily accept similar things by European ladies in Europe as quite normal. I am also never moved when I meet male smokers anywhere even though I subscribe to the adage 'Smoking is injurious to health'. For me, smoking or not is a matter of personal choice and I would never like to obstruct someone's personal liberty on moral grounds.
Having said that, I may now tell that many years ago, I worked for the British Council in India where almost all staff, including very senior ones like me, were all Indians, except the top boss and a few others as expats. Like most other international organizations, the British Council maintains a very high standard of work ethics with equal emphasis on gender, human rights, etc. It maintained a totally non-smoking environment within the office premises. But it was free for all during occasional parties in the lawns with drinks flowing freely. Everyone who wanted to smoke, smoked freely irrespective of gender, but that was in the parties in the lawn below.
As a male with a typical Indian background and upbringing, I got my first shock when I saw several of my senior female colleagues smoking during office hours close to me. I had never seen such things before and found it hard to believe and accept. Gradually, I realized that I was in a special place and the Indian ladies I was in the company of were elite and from very advanced families and the organization in which we were standing stands for 'personal liberty' to all human beings irrespective of gender, caste, creed, etc. Since the office had a policy to maintain a strict non-smoking area, all those who got the urge to smoke or otherwise need a break would simply get up from their seats and go outside the glass in the open corridor or balconies. We could see off and on someone (male or female) standing outside the glass and taking the smoke. It did not appear odd any longer. In fact, I used to join them quite often for a chat since it was easy to converse during those moments.
In such atmosphere and culture, offering a smoke represented 'courtesy' and nothing else. It was between male and female, Indian and British, senior and junior - no questions, no tags!
In the Indian situation - of course, we need long debates and diversity of views! Don't we?
From India, New Delhi
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I had given an Interview last Monday then the Interviewee asked me you drink. For one sec i thought why he was asking this then i clearly told him yes sir I drink water,milk,juice everyday.
From India, Noida
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From India, Noida
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