HR Interview Questions and Answers You Must Know

The interview section of the hiring process is usually considered as the most essential yet puzzling step. While for interviewers and hiring managers, it serves as a way to know more about the candidate’s skills and abilities, the candidates also get an effective opportunity to express one’s suitability as well as personality in terms of job requirements. In an attempt to narrow down the permutations you are likely to encounter in an interview, here is a list of the popular and unique HR interview questions and answers. 

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What to Expect from an HR Interview?

You may expect high-level HR interview questions in addition to basic or most common HR interview questions throughout an HR round. Questions may be asked about you, your previous work experience, and your motivation for seeking a new job. Expect questions that relate to your aptitudes and abilities but do not go too deeply into role-specific tasks. You can expect to be questioned about:

• Why are you looking for a new job?
• Why are you quitting your current employer?
• What you’re searching for in a new job
• How would you function in a new setting?
• How did you function in your previous surroundings or work environment?
• How have you handled disagreements with coworkers?
• How have you dealt with high-pressure circumstances?
• What are your expectations from this job?

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Note: HR interview questions may also address the company’s perks, work hours, organizational culture, and structure.

Selection Process for Jobs

The selection process for most jobs includes various rounds and assignments around it. It comprises of the following:

• A written assignment or test
• A group discussion
• A personal round of interview with the panel
• Interview by the HR 

After you are through with the initial first four rounds, you are required to come in touch with the HR of your company. As a potential candidate, there are a few things you must keep in mind. You must always give a short and crisp introduction about yourself first and answer the questions the HR has for you with confidence. Towards the end, you may also discuss your the benefits, deductions and your salary with the HR. 

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Most Asked HR Interview Questions

Whether you are appearing for a personal interview, telephonic interview, walk in interview, or a video job interview, individuals are most likely to encounter a few staple and customary HR interview questions. The trick is to prepare the answers beforehand and adjust yourself into the habit of responding to it in an efficient yet cogent manner. If you leave it too late, you may fumble too much or your answer may have gaps and pauses which you must try to avoid as much as possible. To get a clearer picture, take a look at the following list of HR interview questions: 

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1. Introduction/Tell me a bit about yourself
2. Why did you apply for the job?
3. Why do you want to leave your current company?
4. Which areas do you consider your strengths and weaknesses?
5. Where do you see yourself in the next two to five years?
6. What unique qualities do you bring?
7. Explain your biggest professional achievement.
8. What do you know about this company?
9. Which product/service of ours would you like to improve?
10. What do you think your references have told us about your qualities?
11. How would your manager(s) describe you in a sentence?
12. What is your strategy for successfully dealing with deadlines?
13. What are your career goals?
14. How are you in terms of responding to change?
15. What are your leadership qualities? Or How would you rate yourself as a leader?
16. Are you risk-taking or risk-averse?
17. Do you want to resume your education anytime soon?
18. Do you have anything to ask?
19. You have shifted from one company to another too many times, may we ask why?
20. What do you think is your biggest fear? 
21. Do you have any serious or ill health problems?
22. What are your views on working weekends and night shifts?
23. Are you compatible with new technology to avenge it? 
24. If you are technologically friendly, how soon can you adapt to new technology?
25. As a person, would you call yourself organized?
26. Are you the kind of person who is okay with travelling for work?
27. If your job requires you to relocate would you do so?
28. What are your views about criticism? Do you like feedback?
29. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a coworker and how you handled it.
30. What do you know about our company?
31. What was the reason behind leaving your previous job?
32. What is your greatest fear?
33. How quickly do you adapt to new technology?
34. How quickly do you adapt to a new workspace and culture?
35. Are you open to taking risks? or Do you like experimenting?
36. What motivates you?
37. What has been your greatest failure in life and what have you learnt from that?
38. What are the three things that are most important for you in a job?
39. How do you work under pressure? 
40. Why do you want this job?
41. Why should we hire you?
42. How do you deal with feedback and criticism?
43. Your interview is more or less coming to an end when the interviewer asks you, “Do you have any questions for me?”

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HR Interview Questions and Answers 

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The Icebreaker HR Interview Questions

Hiring managers are on the lookout for individuals who stand apart from the crowd, in terms of skill sets, personality, and traits. In this respect, many interviewers may come up with unique and different ways of testing a candidate’s resilience, presence of thought, problem-solving and a host of other qualities. The thumb rule of tackling such HR interview questions is that the candidates must know about their skills, their weaknesses, future goals, their experiences, etc. Given below are some of the unique HR interview questions you may expect:

44. Explain one event from your professional career when you successfully dealt with a difficult situation. 
45. What is your dream company?
46. In an event when a senior disagrees with you on a crucial decision, what are you likely to do?
47. Choose three people you would like to invite to a conference you are organizing?
48. How would you tackle a difficult situation involving an angry and dissatisfied customer?
49. Do you think this is the type of job you would want to do until your retirement?
50. What is your least preferable area of work?
51. How would you persuade someone to do a job you know they don’t want to do? 
52. What would be the title of your biography?
53. How do you rate me as an interviewer?
54. Tell us about a time when you were not able to achieve the results you were hoping for.
55. If the CEO comes into the room right now, what would you like to say to him?
56. How quickly do you learn new things/technology/software?
57. If you had to invest in stocks, would you prefer high risk/high rewarding ones or low risk/low rewards ones?
58. Explain the difference between group and team. Are you a team player?
59. What is your definition of an ideal company or workplace?
60. What is the difference between hard work and smart work?
61. If you could choose one superhuman ability, what would it be?
62. If you were stuck forever on a deserted island and had all the food, water, and shelter you needed, what three personal items would you bring?
63. Which literary character did you always dream of being?
64. Describe the work environment that will help you to contribute most effectively.
65. How will your skills contribute to the accomplishment of our company’s mission?
66. How are you going to continue to develop your professional skills and knowledge?
67. Name a professional experience you would never want to go through again. 
68. If I gave you INR 100,000 to build your own business, what would you do?

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How to Prepare for HR Interview Questions and Answers?

The HR interview questions and answers round is your one and only opportunity to make a good first impression. Because it affects whether you advance, it is critical to prepare for the interview as if the HR professional will make the final choice. Aside from knowing the questions you could be asked, you should study the firm, review the job description several times, rehearse your responses ahead of time, and create a list of questions to ask HR or the interviewer. Elucidated below are some pro-tips that will help you to prepare for your HR interview:

Research About the Company 

Although conducting research on the company is a no-brainer, many of us enter into an interview with only a cursory grasp of the company and its product/service offerings. In your study, try to figure out not just what the firm sells, but also who it sells it to. If possible, use the product prior. Examine the company’s rivals and their competitors in the market. Keep a track of their past performances, numbers and growth charts. Finally, make an attempt to gain a full knowledge of the company’s culture.

Read the Job Description Carefully

We understand how tough it is to maintain track of job advertisements, especially if you have applied multiple of them. Reread the job description and try to locate the original posting (or a duplicate of it on various job search websites and portals). If possible, print it out and underline the portions that you believe are most relevant to your qualifications. Highlight significant phrases and incorporate them into your responses.

Practice, Practice and Practice!

Practice, practice, and practice.  Nothing can guarantee that you will ace your interview in a single night. Practice and dedication are the only things that can help you excel in your HR interview questions and answers round. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of a camera, and in your own room. But don’t memorise your responses; instead, read over them a few times to ensure they’re eloquent, passionate, and brief without seeming wooden or rehearsed. Structure your replies using the STAR technique. Don’t forget to concentrate on the positive outcomes.

Make a List of Questions

These questions should be broad enough for an HR expert to respond yet specific enough to feel personalized to the organization. You might ask broad questions about the position, such as “Are there possibilities for professional growth within the role and the department as a whole?” You may also ask about their experience and what it is like to work at the organization.

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In order to successfully tackle both the traditional as well as the unique HR interview questions and answers, it is important to realize that just a match between skills is not enough. The interviewers also look for an employee who is fit in terms of future goals and aspirations, amongst others. If you have an interview anytime soon, you can consult the counsellors at Leverage Edu for expert guidance so that you can sail through with flying colors.