By Ankita Chakravarti: Women who had been interviewed for roles at Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ private office, made shocking claims about the type of questions they were asked during the interview. In a tell-all interview with the Wall Street Journal, the female candidates revealed that they were asked about their pornography habits, extramarital affairs, sexual histories, and many other inappropriate questions. There is no confirmation whether male candidates applying for positions there were subjected to similar uncomfortable questions.
As per the WSJ report, some women who applied for jobs reported being asked inappropriate questions during their interviews with Microsoft co-founder. They were questioned about their personal lives, including extramarital affairs, pornography preferences, and whether they had nude photos on their phones. There is no confirmation if male candidates faced similar uncomfortable inquiries. It is important to note that the men interviewed by The Wall Street Journal did not mention being subjected to such questions.
Female candidates also revealed being asked whether they had ever engaged in activities like dancing for money, while one candidate was asked if she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. A representative for Bill Gates stated that his private office, Gates Ventures, was not aware of such questions being asked during background checks conducted by third-party contractors.
Denying the allegations, a spokesperson from Bill Gates’ office said that she was not aware of such questions being asked during interviews. “This line of questioning would be unacceptable and a violation of Gates Ventures’ agreement with the contractor” who must comply with pre-employment screening laws, she said.
The screenings were reportedly conducted in recent years by a security consulting firm called Concentric Advisors. The interviewers’ objective was to uncover any information that could potentially compromise or blackmail individuals who would be working closely with Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Concentric stated that their protocols comply with applicable laws.
Concentric, the security consulting firm mentioned earlier, denied initiating questions about sexual or medical histories and suggested that such information could have been volunteered by the job candidates when asked about public records. They also clarified that they do not provide hiring recommendations as part of their security-screening business.
However, some job candidates busted Concentric’s explanation, stating that they were asked about sensitive information without volunteering it themselves. They also claimed that their job offers were contingent on passing these assessments. Contradictory documents suggest that the screening process did have employment purposes.
It’s important to know that some people who work for Bill Gates’s private office have said that they didn’t have to answer these kinds of questions.Concentric says it helps manage risks and has former officials from the CIA and FBI working for them. They have been doing background checks and risk reduction services for private family offices for almost twenty years.
Lawyers who specialize in employment issues say that asking job applicants about their medical or mental health history is against the law, even if it’s part of a security check for a private office. Just signing a consent form doesn’t make these questions legal. Asking about a person’s sexual history or preferences is seen as very offensive and not relevant to whether they can do the job, unless they’re applying to work at a sex toy store or an adult film store.
Usually, before hiring someone, background checks involve looking at public records, verifying the information on their resume, contacting references, and conducting interviews to see if they have the qualifications needed for the job.
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