Top HR Interview Questions
Every company or business or organization would always have a Human Resources or HR Interview in its hiring process. As a job applicant, job interviews are probably one of the most nerve-racking parts of a typical job application processes aside from the possible examinations upon application.
It is during the stage of the job application that most job applicants do not know what questions would be thrown at them by the interviewer because although nothing much had changed by the common interview questions, there is still a possibility that an HR officer might steer away from the common ones.
However, there are some good old interview questions that an HR officer should not miss out when asking because it is vital to the hiring process. Even if these are already too common and overused, it does not mean that you should not take the time to learn more or gain from it. You may also like pre-interview questionnaires.
The challenge that comes along with interview questions could vary from two different kinds of applicants: the freshers and the experienced ones.
The freshers’ disadvantage is that they are still new at job interviews and even if the college had helped them prepare for that fateful moment, it is still not a guarantee that they would be able to ace their first job interviews effectively. You may also see research questionnaire examples
For the experienced candidates, the real challenge is the possibility of being asked of questions pertaining to their previous jobs that may or may not have ended on a good note. With that, here are the top HR interview questions, each for both freshers and experienced, that will surely be asked of you in your job interview.
Top 3 HR Interview Questions for Fresh Graduates
1. Tell us Something about yourself.
Most applicants would dread this question only because they do not know where to begin since they have already supplied all their basic information and they feel compelled to tell something that is not on their resume. While it is true that some employees who would like to challenge their applicants into telling something that they have not written down, there is still no harm to respond a basic elevator speech.
Preparing an elevator pitch beforehand can help you prepare for the things you would want to say about yourself. This question would enable you to sell yourself to your future employers and a well-prepared elevator speech can help you do so. Through your elevator speech, you can tell about who you are, what your strengths are, how can the company benefit from these strengths, and how qualified are you for the job position you are applying for. You may also like interview agenda examples.
2. Tell Us Your Strengths and Weaknesses.
It’s time to lay down your cards on the table.
Do not brag too much for this will either threaten your HR offer or you will seem arrogant and proud. Do not hold back either because this makes your application go down to the rejection list. Just mention the strengths that you think will be useful for the job position you are applying for. You may also like interview schedule examples.
Make yourself desirable that they would not take the risk of losing an applicant like you. You may be a fresher but it does not mean that you lack abilities and skills.
Mention your experiences during your internship because this can also be helpful for your lack of job experience. Do not also confess every single weakness you have; mention the ones that you can definitely work and improve on. You may also like pre-interview questions.
3. Why Should We Hire You?
This question is challenging to freshers because there could be follow-up questions like “Among the experienced applicants who are vying for the same job position, why should we choose you?”, “Why should we hire you when you have no job experience?”, or “How can you prove to us that you are someone we would regret not hiring?”. You may also see interview email examples.
It is always safe to say that you are a fast learner and despite your lack of experience, you are a person who is willing and quickly learn new concepts and new skill sets.
You could mention your experience while you were still studying. Mention your school affiliations that are related to the job position you are applying for. Mention your on-the-job or internship experiences as well. You may also like interview eassy examples.
Top 3 HR Interview Questions for Experienced Candidates
1.Why Do You Want to Leave your Present Job? or Why Have You Left Your Previous Job/s?
There are various reasons for switching jobs.
You may have been job hopping for a while and included even the ones that have a span of more or less five months in your resume. Your HR interviewer would definitely see it as alarming but it would also make them curious and would ask you to explain or tell something about it. You may also see job interview tips.
It’s time to put up your defenses, and of course, make sure these are true and not just made up.
You could say for better prospects in exposure and experience. You could say that your previous jobs were not related to your career path in which you have only decided much later after your graduation. You could also say that the principles of the company you were previously affiliated with do not match with yours that it had greatly affected your performance. You may also like a job interview thank-you note.
Make sure not to blame anyone else from your previous company and do not also mention anything about the salary.
2. What is Your Salary Expectation?
As much as you would want to say “millions!”, you have to quote an amount or a salary range that is reasonable.
Now the real question you could ask yourself after hearing the question is, how could you “Name your price?”. If you are an experienced candidate and has been receiving pay slips or paychecks for a while, the interviewer would most likely ask you about this. You may also like impress at a job interview.
You could make your previous job’s pay as your basis if ever you want to go higher. You could also base on your experiences and how your previous jobs have made you an expert on the job position you are applying for.
But before anything else, make sure you know what the company is offering before walking in. Or if they do not give an exact range in their job postings, you can ask what the job position’s salary range is during your interview. You may also like interview evaluation forms.
3. Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years from Now?
This is the question that HR officers would ask to see if you have already made plans and goals for your career. Employers would like to have employees that already know how to plan because this is a valuable skill needed for work.
However, there is a tendency that even the experienced candidates do not have a clear career path planned out for themselves which is the reason why questions such as this are asked during job interviews.
In answering this question, never ever make the mistake of hinting that you are going to leave (if hired) the job you have in the company. Assume that you are still in the company by that time and mention your intentions of growing by being in that position.
In this real, corporate world, these top HR interview questions are a rite of passage that almost every single employee has undergone. It is definitely all right to mess up sometimes and answer with all the wrong answers to these common HR interview questions but just make sure that you have learned from your previous shortcomings and ace your HR job interviews the next time around.
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