By Ankita Chakraborty: Women who were interviewed for roles in Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ private office have made shocking claims about the type of questions they were asked during the interview. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, the female candidates revealed that they were asked about their pornographic habits, extramarital affairs, sexual history and many other inappropriate questions. There is no confirmation whether male applicants applying for positions there were subjected to such embarrassing questions.
According to the WSJ report, some women who applied for the job reported being asked inappropriate questions during their interviews with the Microsoft co-founder. They were asked about their personal lives, including extramarital affairs, pornographic preferences and whether they had nude photos on their phones. There is no confirmation whether male applicants have faced such awkward inquiries. It is important to note that the men interviewed by The Wall Street Journal did not mention that they were subjected to such questions.
Female candidates also revealed that they were asked if they had ever participated in activities such as dancing for money, while one candidate was asked if she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease. A representative for Bill Gates said 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 spokeswoman for Bill Gates’ office said she was not aware of such questions being asked during interviews. “This line of questioning would be unacceptable and in violation of Gates Ventures’ agreement with the contractor,” which 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 goal of the interviewers was to uncover any information that could potentially compromise or blackmail individuals who would work closely with Bill Gates, one of the richest men in the world. Concentric has stated that their protocols comply with applicable laws.
Concentric, the security consulting firm mentioned earlier, denied asking questions about sexual or medical history and suggested that such information may have been volunteered by job applicants when asked about public records. They also clarified that they do not provide employment referrals as part of their security screening business.
However, some job applicants have rejected Concentric’s explanation, saying they were asked for sensitive information without volunteering it themselves. They also claimed that their job offers depended on passing these assessments. Conflicting documents suggest the vetting process had employment goals.
It is important to know that some people who work for Bill Gates’ personal office said that they should not have answered such questions. Concentric says it helps manage risks, and former CIA and FBI officials work for them. They have been performing background checks and risk mitigation services for private family offices for almost twenty years.
Employment lawyers say it’s against the law to ask job applicants about their medical or mental health history, even if it’s part of a security check for a private office. Merely signing a consent form does not make these matters legal. Asking about a person’s sexual history or preferences is seen as very offensive and irrelevant to whether they can do the job, unless they are applying for a job at a sex toy store or adult film store.
Typically, before hiring someone, background checks involve looking at public records, checking information on their resume, contacting references, and conducting interviews to see if they have the qualifications needed for the job.