Total Talent Management

Fair pre-employment inquiry

Last updated: January 12, 2022

Guidelines to fair pre-employment inquiries

To comply with federal and state laws and University Administrative Policy Statements 46.1, hiring managers must ensure that all pre-employment inquires made of job applicants, whether written or oral, are “fair”. This applies to inquiries made of all applicants to contract covered, classified, professional, temporary, student, or any other type of position at the University.

Pre-employment inquiries which discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status,  protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information  are prohibited by the University’s equal opportunity policy. Pre-employment inquiries that objectively convey to a reasonable person that the information will be used in connection with  a discriminatory purpose are prohibited.

The University’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) has published Guidelines for pre-employment inquiries, which includes a chart of fair and unfair pre-employment inquiries and steps for hiring managers to take to ensure compliance with the guidelines.