[On-site Video] "Anachronistic" vs "Important Question" Feminism Questions in Interviews, What Do You Think?

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, PD Yoon Jin-geun] "If a woman felt uncomfortable due to gender discrimination, it is only natural to correct that."

A controversy has arisen after a claim was made that an interviewer at a small-to-medium enterprise asked a job applicant about their thoughts on feminism and demanded that they remove their mask to observe their facial expressions while answering.

According to media reports on the 16th, a job seeker in their 20s, Mr. A, who participated in a job interview at a company on the 7th, was asked by the interviewer to "share your thoughts on feminism."

According to Mr. A, the interviewer requested that he lower his mask, saying, "I want to see your facial tone only while you answer the question." When Mr. A was taken aback, the interviewers said, "We asked the same question to other applicants," and "We opened the windows and all of us have been vaccinated," and repeatedly asked him to remove his mask.

Civilians expressed disbelief. They pointed out that feminism pertains to personal values and is unrelated to the evaluation of job-related competencies. On the other hand, from the company's perspective, hiring candidates who can contribute to the organization is the priority, so there is a counterargument that there is no problem.

Mr. A (35), an office worker met at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul, said, "Since many interviews are conducted remotely due to COVID-19, asking someone to lower their mask does not seem appropriate." He added, "If the interviewer asks about personal values in a way that aligns with the company's perspective, it is natural to do so, but questions about personal preferences or malicious questions based on bias should be avoided." He also criticized, "Although it is difficult to get a job and applicants may answer well, some might feel ashamed and decide to give up applying."

Another office worker in their 20s, Mr. B, said, "Gender equality issues are a hot topic these days, and if a woman felt uncomfortable due to gender discrimination, it should definitely be corrected and supplemented." He emphasized, "While questions about beliefs can be asked, personal values and sexual elements are separate matters."

Mr. C (28), a civilian, said, "(Questions related to feminism) do not align with the purpose of the interview," and pointed out, "Asking about a person's ideology is similar to political questions, and it is not fair for interviewers to ask such (private) matters during an interview and judge pass or fail based on them."

However, there is also a view that such questions are fully permissible from the company's standpoint. Mr. D (28), a civilian, said, "Regardless of right or wrong, I think it is a question that companies can fully ask," adding, "In profit-seeking organizations, whether a specific ideology and personal values align with the company is an important factor. Since it is a place to select people who can contribute to a profit-driven organization, companies may use it as one of the materials to evaluate interviewees."

Meanwhile, as the controversy arose, the company in question stated, "We do not think the term feminism itself is inappropriate. We wanted to hear the general thoughts of young people," and added, "Questions about feminism were asked to both male and female applicants. If any applicant felt uncomfortable, we are willing to apologize." They also explained, "The request to lower the mask was to verify the identity of the applicant."