You’re Asking the Wrong Interview Questions
What Equity Looks Like for First-Gen Professionals
When I arrived in the U.S. from Nepal as an international student, I was optimistic about the possibilities ahead. But navigating the American job market as a first-generation professional was a humbling experience. It wasn’t a lack of talent or tenacity holding me back – I had plenty of both. Instead, I kept running into an unspoken truth during job interviews: the questions weren’t designed to uncover my strengths as someone with a unique and unconventional background. They were meant to filter me out.
Time and time again, I found myself being passed over for roles after rounds of interviews where I thought I’d done well. The feedback often sounded apologetic, as though my interviewers felt sorry for rejecting me. What they didn’t realize was that my ability to adapt to new cultures, thrive under immense pressure, and solve complex problems in unfamiliar environments wasn’t just a story of survival. These were leadership qualities, but they were invisible to hiring managers asking questions that didn’t account for my lived experience.
Unfortunately, this isn’t just my story. It’s the story of countless first-generation professionals, both immigrant and U.S.-born, who are overlooked not because they lack potential but because the system isn’t designed to see it.
The Challenges First-Generation Professionals Face
First-generation professionals, whether immigrants or the first in their families to enter white-collar work, face unique challenges that differ from their peers. Data supports this reality:
- According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, immigrants often face discrimination in hiring, with identical resumes showing “foreign-sounding names” receiving fewer callbacks for interviews.
- Studies on social mobility reveal that first-generation white-collar workers can feel culturally out of place or unsure of workplace norms, making interviews a highly stressful and confusing experience.
- The Aspen Institute notes that first-gen employees often lack access to networks and mentors, resources that candidates from more established socioeconomic backgrounds take for granted.
But here’s the kicker. These individuals bring immense value to organizations. They excel in skills that are particularly relevant in today’s workplace, such as resilience, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication. Yet traditional interview processes tend to undervalue or miss these entirely.
Why Traditional Interviews Miss the Mark
Most organizations rely on outdated and narrowly constructed interview processes. These frameworks often prioritize candidates who understand the “hidden curriculum” of interviewing – which includes understanding cultural norms, using industry jargon, or having access to formal training in navigating these spaces.
The problem? This approach systematically disadvantages first-generation candidates, despite the qualities they bring to the table.
Here’s how traditional practices fall short:
- Narrow Definitions of Leadership
Conventional questions like “Tell me about your leadership experience” often assume that the process of leading looks the same across all contexts. But leadership doesn’t just happen in boardrooms or structured work environments. Leadership for a first-gen professional might mean rallying their family through a financial crisis or solving a complex problem in an unfamiliar environment.
- Undervaluing Nontraditional Skills
Resilience, cross-cultural communication, and adaptability are some of the most valued skills in today’s global workplace. However, these aren’t the kinds of strengths uncovered by transactional questions like, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
- Bias Toward Familiar Narratives
Hiring managers often unconsciously gravitate towards candidates they relate to, whether it’s career paths, educational backgrounds, or industry jargon. First-gen professionals whose stories don’t match this template are frequently dismissed as inexperienced, rather than seen as innovative thinkers.
How This Affects First-Gen Professionals Born in the U.S.
When we talk about first-gen professionals, the conversation must also include U.S.-born individuals who are the first in their families to enter professional, white-collar roles.
These individuals often face additional challenges tied to socioeconomic status. For example, many lack access to career development support during college or internships that teach them the soft skills valued in corporate America. They figure things out on their own, building resilience and resourcefulness along the way, but that scrappy independence doesn’t always align with employers’ expectations in interviews.
To add to this, socioeconomic inclusion is often the missing piece in many organizations’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies. Programs may focus on gender, race, or ethnicity but rarely address the barriers rooted in class and opportunity.
Rethinking Equity in Hiring
Creating equity for first-gen professionals doesn’t stop at empathy or charity. It requires leaders to deliberate changes in their hiring practices. Equity is about recognizing and valuing the unique strengths of nontraditional candidates and designing systems that give everyone an equal chance to succeed.
Here’s how organizations can do that.
1. Craft Better Interview Questions
Redesign traditional templates to surface nontraditional strengths.
- Instead of “Tell me about leadership in your last role,” ask candidates to, “Share a moment when you took initiative in solving a challenging situation.”
- Replace “Where do you see yourself in five years?” with “What personal or professional goals are you most excited about achieving?”
These questions are more likely to uncover problem-solving, resourcefulness, and the ability to think critically in tough situations.
2. Train Hiring Managers on Bias
Help interviewers recognize biases that dismiss candidates who don’t fit traditional molds. Provide training on how to identify transferable skills in nontraditional experiences.
3. Value Cross-Cultural Competence
Recognize that working across cultural gaps or managing bilingual environments are leadership skills, not side skills.
4. Build Internal Support Networks
From mentorship programs to cross-functional buddy systems, first-gen professionals often excel when they’re connected with experienced colleagues who can decode workplace norms.
5. Reevaluate Success Metrics
Stop focusing exclusively on pedigree, previous job titles, and school names as measures of potential. Instead, look for narratives of growth, resilience, and adaptability.
Designing Workplaces for Equity
At its core, equity in hiring is about more than just giving someone a shot. It’s about giving them the resources to thrive once they are in the door. Organizations that integrate socioeconomic inclusion into their DEI strategies are better positioned to tap into the potential of first-generation professionals and build workplaces that reflect the best of what the future of work can be.
The question for leadership is this: Do you measure success solely by traditional standards, or are you ready to expand your definition of what exceptional talent looks like?
Designing workplaces for equity isn’t just a social responsibility. To build companies that can innovate and adapt to an increasingly global marketplace, it’s a business need.
If this is the kind of change you want to lead, start by rethinking how you approach the hiring process. One question at a time.
