We’ve been hearing from quite a few Snagajob members lately, who are concerned that job applications ask for your birth date or Social Security number.
As long as you fulfill certain requirements – see them outlined below – employers legally cannot make hiring decisions based on your age. The reason why Snagajob asks for your birth date when you register is so we can make sure you are old enough to join the site (you cannot register for Snagajob if you are under the age of 14). This information is not shared with employers.
You may see questions in the application including:
“Are you 16 or older?” or “Are you over the age of 18?”
These questions are simply to verify that you meet the minimum age that the position requires.
“Are you 21 or older?”
You will most likely only see this question when you are applying for bartending jobs. Many states require that you’re 21 years old to be bartender.
“Are you over the age of 40?”
While it may seem like they are asking you this question to discriminate older workers, rest assured that is not the case. You will sometimes see this question when you reach an optional part of the application that inquires about your tax eligibility. Companies ask this question along with questions like, “Are you a veteran?”, which all tell the employer that you are eligible for a tax credit, which should not play a part in the hiring decision. The employer will not see your answer, they will only see if you meet any of the tax requirements. So, even if you do check that you are over the age of 40, they won’t know which of the tax questions you answered yes to.
If the tax questions make you uncomfortable, look to the bottom of the page where you have the option to skip the step. However, if you are hired, you will be asked to answer those questions while you fill out your new hire paperwork.
Have you seen any questions on applications that make you nervous? Ask below!
About Kim Costa
I do not believe for an instant any of the explanations above regarding employers asking about age. Let be clear here, they ask your birthdate because they want to know your age. If you decide not to answer that question you will never hear from them. If you are too old you will never hear from them.If you are too young you will never hear from them. If they want to know if you are over 16 or 18 they can just ask that questions. After all one can give a false birthdate just as easy as they can say they are over 18 if they are not.You mention that employers want this information for tax purposes.Really? why do they need that information before they even interview you? If they decide to make you an offer that is the time to ask that question and in that case I do not believe anyone would object. You shouldn’t make excuses for employers that ask your birthdate. That question is strictly use to week out people they feel are too old. That is a crime but impossible to prove. After all we have Congressmen and Senators that die in their seats at the age of 90 but if you are 66 years old employers feel you are a has been. Supreme court justices stay in office for life! Most of them are not even appointed to the bench until they are in their 60′s.How does that compute with normal corporate jobs? In fact older employees normally have a better work ethic, arrive to work on time, work harder, don’t hang around the water cooler, don’t take extra days off and are willing to do what it takes (even sweep the warehouse floor) to get the job done.
Yes, asking my birthdate on a job application gets my blood boiling! I only apply to jobs I am qualified for and in EVERY-SINGLE-CASE where I have had to give them my birth date I get the same answer…SORRY you were not selected for the position. Well why not? I am certainly qualified and yet you didn't even call me for an interview. Can you tell from my application that I have BO? Maybe you can tell thru the internet that I am a nudist. Maybe you can tell that I only have jeans to where or that I am so ugly you would throw up just looking at me. No, it isn't any of the above.........it's because you know I am 66 years old and as far as you are concerned I am a has-been, all used up, slow, not able to relate and not trainable.
What fools these employers are. They turn away their best and most productive talent.
If you truly believe what you wrote above then you are naive. There is more age discrimination going on than race discrimination,
I hope you have the guts to post this ad. After all letting your clients see the truth would be refreshing.
Bill Schrader
Bill, i agree with you. I’m 59, and every job I’ve applied for, lately; knowing I’m more than qualified to hanled the work, the same holds true. No calls or some flimsy notice from the “would-be”, employer, that they appreciate your application; however they’ve found too, many oither “well” qualified candidates who fits closely what they are looking for and therefore………. ..and this is to the candidate who has over 25 years of experience. So if it’s not age discrimination what else can it be for asking whether a candidate is a certain age?
I agree with you totaly Brian. In the work industry the government says we have to retire at a certain age (usualy62-65). Yet the people setting up the “age restrictions” for working are as you said, in thier 70s and 80s, heck my Senetor is in his 90s. Age discrimination is very hard to prove, and is a loop hole employers use quite frequently. I am in this “grey” age area now and have been having problems finding work because of my age.
We’ve completed reviewing the application you recently submitted to work at Hardee’s – Paradigm Investment Group.
Unfortunately, at this time our hiring managers have determined that the position you’ve applied for is not the best match for your skills and experience. We encourage you to explore our other open positions and wish you the best of luck in your job search.
If you’re looking for job search tips on topics ranging from profile and application completion to interview advice, please check out Snagajob’sJob Tips and job seeker blog.
Best,
Hardee’s – Paradigm Investment Group
Seriously?
I've had 8 years in the restaurant industry, 4 years of that in management, and a state food certification, been held up at gunpoint twice during my tenure, have managed departments, people and customers, and have even run my own business but I'm not qualified to work at a Hardees flipping burgers? Really?
Wow. The vacuous intellect of this modern day society has really shown through.
You guys are AWESOME. Really. Great work.
Hi Dave! Do you think you may be applying to jobs where you are overqualified?
Dave, Is your restaurant experience recent? If, YES, then I agree completely with you. Similarly, I was turned down recently, for which I was qualified, but my prerequisite experience was “off” the resume being over 10 years ago.
I have seen one employer who asks : When did you graduate from high school? and When did you start high school ? The position to which I had intended to apply required a master’s degree.
They assured me that their lawyers told them that the question was in fact legal.
The main reason I did not like applying to that firm is that they only tell the approximate location of the positions — they advertise positions (by metropolitan area and which part) where the location is not yet open, but won’t tell you where exactly it is.
I agree, what does when did I start High School got to do with being acceptable for the job? I can see asking if you have a high school education or GED (good enough degree LOL), and most places ask about college, if we went to college we obviously graduated high school, so why ask about my high school academics? Hell I’m in my 50s, had more education after high school, I can’t remember all the dates these employers want for high school. LOL
I do believe that this market has made it difficult for most people with experience to get jobs. My husband is in his late 50′s and is concerned about finding a new job. We are both college educated so I think that employers may consider us over qualified for many of the jobs being offered, whether they think we expect to be paid more than they are offering or perhaps the job will not keep us interested and we will leave soon after being hired. What ever the reasons, we are in the same boat as the rest of you, we are concerned about applying for available jobs at our ages. Best of luck to us all!
Over qualified is code for Over Aged!
Yes, I am over qualified for the jobs I apply to. I already have a full time job I love, unfortunately one job does not pay the bills
Many Times I get the feeling that my age is against me when applying. The other problem is being overqualified for jobs I have applied for. There is a majority of employers that would rather find someone of a less ripened age that will be with the company on a “career” goal. They feel that I only have 10 yers or so before I retire, and go for someone younger. Also many jobs I apply for do not want to cmpete with the ending pay rate of my last job, and I hear “you are overqualified for the position…” I am not looking for a lot of money, just a job. It seems I have to much going against me at this point.
I agree with all of you. It’s shameful the way companies are able to get around age discrimination. I recently learned that it is legal to discriminate based on age if the applicant is 50 years or older! Where’s AARP and Congress in all of this? When layoffs begin in a company the first to go are the more experienced and, subsequently, more highly paid. Then Congress wants to keep upping the age at which you can collect social security. What are the 50 and 60 somethings supposed to do in the interim – be greeters at Malwart?! I’ve decided to lie in response to age-related questions on future applications. I look pretty young (lol). What’s the worst that could happen? You may lose a job that you never would have had a chance at anyway. The best scenario is that you could get into a job, kick butt, and be allowed to work, and maybe be able to afford your mortgage. One more thing (sorry to belabor this!); the public high school education received by someone in the 50′s and 60′s was so far superior to what even a high school honor student gets today that an employer should be ecstatic to hire someone older than 50 years old (the US literacy rate is appalling!)! ….and by the way, Ms. Costa, the job applicant should be the one to decide if he/she is “over qualified,” and I find it insulting that you would even ask the question, because it is a meaningless appellation. Why would a company care; it just means they’re getting way more bang for their buck to have a very experienced person doing a job (would they prefer someone who is “under” qualified, as a new college graduate most certainly is?). I agree with all of the above: “over qualified” is code for “too old.” Wait about 10 years when the bloom is off your rose, and let us know how you make out in this job market.
I agree with everyone above. I work in the Health Insurance industry for many years, started in the mail room and worked myself up to a Senior Analyst. I worked long hours sometimes from 6.00 am to 10.00 pm and even on weekends especially when it’s month end. I have given my share of hard work in these companies that I worked for and twelve years ago was so burnt out that I quit my job. I took a break and went back job-hunting, but unfortunately I was in my early 50′s and that was the time America was changing because it was right after 9/11. I applied to so many companies, took interviews that went very well but was never called, finally I gave up and tried to created my own little jobs.
My feeling is that if a woman or man in our 50′s cannot get a job to even flip a burger even though they are far more experienced in the workforce than that, then why should our government be packed with people who are in their 70′s 80′s 90′s to run our country. The same way we are been age discriminated against then those in the Senate and House of Representatives should also be age discriminate by us the people who allows them to run our country. Companies are not going to tell us that we are not hired because we are too old. They feel that we are not able to make sound judgments, we are slow, we are not teachable, we cost the company too much and all the other excuses. They have some lame excuse that they find someone who matches the job better. The sad part is that even to do childcare, senior care or any jobs in those fields has their own share of discrimination. I think if a person is physically and mentally fit, they should be given the opportunity to prove otherwise. I am a healthy, strong and smart just like many others over 50's in this country and we have so much to offer. Maybe we should open a business that hires only people over 50's.
What these companies does not realized is that the worker in late 40's, 50's, 60, and some 70's was the ones who work and sacrifice many early mornings, late nights and weekends to get the job done and for their company to succeed. I am not saying that the young people are not working hard. They are the ones who have seen how hard their parent worked for them to have a decent life and they have followed that example.