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What stopped your wife's colleague from asking the question? Nothing. The colleague needs to be better prepared by asking the questions that matter. Especially if it's not specifically stated on the job posting.

BTW, I'm an HR recruiter for a 6500 person organization.

What stopped your wife's colleague from asking the question?

Damn - you beat me to it.

m an HR recruiter for a 6500 person organization

I don't know if your organization does this, but what is the point of having every person who comes in the door fill out a standardized application? Every interview I get involves 1/2 an hour putting the same stuff on my resume into a form, which usually includes disclosing a salary history, references, SS# etc.

Typically, I or the employer know after the first interview, if a relationship is worth pursuing. It seems like that would be the appropriate time to solicit the information. Plus, I really don't want to give out my salary history, or throw around the names of my references, or disclose my social security number to employers in which I end up not interested in, or who are not interested in me.

I know its SOP in most companies, but it has many unprofessional aspects to it.

What stopped your wife's colleague from asking the question? Nothing. The colleague needs to be better prepared by asking the questions that matter. Especially if it's not specifically stated on the job posting.

Because it would reduce the chances of the applicant's being hired.

Why?

1) Because the unwritten rule is unless otherwise stated, everyone assumes jobs are full-time with the ususal company benefits. For an applicant to ask about this in the begining of an interview process would seem out of place, weird.

2) Any questions concerning hours worked may raise the spector in the mind of the employer that the applicant will be unwilling to work overtime during crunch periods.

3) Any questions concerning benefits until an offer has been made is a no-no: It is customary NOT to ask such questions; any applicant who does, will have broken a rule--the applicant at this stage should be talking about the benefit TO THE EMPLOYER of hiring him, the applicant.

That said, things may be different in your part of the country and/or among the particular kind(s) of professions you hire for, as I have found regional differences in the interview process.

And other factors would be whether the job is blue-collar or white-coller.