Rachel Wells was excited about being called in for an interview for a job as the liaison between the City Planning Department and th City Council staff. The job also involved working with community-based groups interested in planning and zoning issues. Her interview was with John Jameson, the Planning Director.

As the interview began, Jameson made small talk about the terrible weather and how it would be nice when it warmed up a bit. Then he turned to specific questions concerning Rachel's potential employment by the City. He asked the following questions:

1) Why do you think you are the person we should hire for the job?

2) What skills do you have that would make you effective in performing the job's tasks?

3) What is your political affiliation?

4) When did you graduate from High School? College?

5) Do you have small children?

6) Have you ever been arrested?

7) To what social and professional organizations do you belong to?

8) What is the general state of your health?

9) Where does your spouse work?

10)How long have you lived in the City?

11)Are there any questions that you would like to ask me?

After Rachel asked a few questions about the Planning Department and its personnel policy, the interview ended, and Rachel left. She felt that the interview had gone well and that she had made a good impression. However, she had been uncomfortable with some of the questions. She felt that she had to answer them to have any chance at getting the job but also believed that many of them were inappropriate.

Was Rachel overreacting? Explain (in detail). Examine each question, and identify any that were inappropriate and explain (in detail) why that question should not have been asked during an interview for a government job.

Are there any inappropriate questions which Jameson asked Rachel that if rephrased, could have elicited legitimate information? If your answer is yes, which question(s)? How might the question(s) be rephrased to get the legitimate information? Rewrite the question(s) to make them appropriate to get the legitimate information.