Job searching and wierd email

[BermyCat 1]

I applied for a job through a company's website today and soon afterwards got an email asking me to fill in a voluntary questionaire. At the top of the questionnaire is the paragraph:

The following voluntary questions screen for potential tax credits. On average, completing the questions may take between 45 seconds and three minutes. The information you provide is used to determine the company's eligibility for tax benefits upon employment and will be kept confidential.

Then it askes for my name, SSN, address and birthdate (if under 40).

Is that normal?

~ Catherine

[Jauque 1]

I applied for a job through a company's website today and soon afterwards got an email asking me to fill in a voluntary questionaire. At the top of the questionnaire is the paragraph:

The following voluntary questions screen for potential tax credits. On average, completing the questions may take between 45 seconds and three minutes. The information you provide is used to determine the company's eligibility for tax benefits upon employment and will be kept confidential.

Then it askes for my name, SSN, address and birthdate (if under 40).

Is that normal?

~ Catherine

It sounds fishy to me, they shouldn't be asking for your ssn if they havn't offered you employment.

[JillA 2]

^^Well sometimes they use your SSN to do a background check. I have given my SSN at both interviews I went to, and I was not yet offered the job.

[BermyCat 1]

The company is called InterCall and I know it's a legitimate company. It's job search page redirects you to it's parent, West Corporation. The email with the link to the questionnaire was from West but I still thinks it's quite odd that they're asking for my SSN and birthdate.

Maybe I'll call InterCall tomorrow and find out if they know about it. Of course, I don't want to sound like a total idiot if this sort of thing is normal.

~ Catherine

[JillA 2]

The company is called InterCall and I know it's a legitimate company. It's job search page redirects you to it's parent, West Corporation. The email with the link to the questionnaire was from West but I still thinks it's quite odd that they're asking for my SSN and birthdate.

Maybe I'll call InterCall tomorrow and find out if they know about it. Of course, I don't want to sound like a total idiot if this sort of thing is normal.

~ Catherine

I guess you could just ignore it, as it's voluntary!

[What Happened? 4]

The company is called InterCall and I know it's a legitimate company. It's job search page redirects you to it's parent, West Corporation. The email with the link to the questionnaire was from West but I still thinks it's quite odd that they're asking for my SSN and birthdate.

Maybe I'll call InterCall tomorrow and find out if they know about it. Of course, I don't want to sound like a total idiot if this sort of thing is normal.

~ Catherine

There's nothing fishy about it. Some companies receive tax credits for hiring people who may have previously been on social services. Most likely the questions are asking you about whether you have participated in certain types of programs. Since when the company hires you, they in essence help you to get off of social services, if you were on them, they get a tax break.

That's all it is. But it is always good to call and ask if you are wanting to be cautious. Being cautious is always good.

You will usually see these from companies that have an interest in bidding on government contracts. Because they are required to meet certain guidelines. The info helps them prove that that they do and also it is used for the tax breaks.

Edited June 16, 2009 by cornbread

[What Happened? 4]

I never answer these questions when I see them being given to me at job offerings. I used to feel offended when given that paper. Because I've never been on social services and thoght they were making assumptions. But they are just trying to get all the breaks they can in taxes. You can not answer if you are like me and don't like spattering yor ssn all over everything.

Edited June 16, 2009 by cornbread

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Hey Catherine,

Joe works for Intercall! He has never seen anything like that before but wonders if this is a way that the company can screen for benefits they get for hiring handicapped employees and H1B visa situations - the company apparently get tax credits for such employees. Intercall is indeed a legitimate - and BIG company. Good luck with your application.