Keeping it Legal Know what questions you can--and can't--ask a job candidate during an interview.

"What country are you from?" This question is clearlyillegal because it discriminates against national origin. You canalso get into trouble by asking an applicant what languages he orshe speaks, unless speaking a certain language is part of the jobdescription. There are exceptions, however. Suppose you are tryingto hire a person for a job that requires a security clearance fromthe U.S. government. In this case, they must be a U.S. citizen. Ifyou have included this requirement in your job description, thenyou may ask, "Based upon what I have told you, would youqualify for a security clearance from the U.S.government?"

Excerpted from Attracting & Rewarding OutstandingEmployees