Human Resources Job Interview: Sample Questions and Answers (2023)

You are looking forI work in the HR sectorAnd you finally got the call for the human resources job interview you wanted so much. Have you read our articles abouthow to prepare for the interviewehow to face a video interview, but now you would also like some more practical advice to successfully overcome the chat with the recruiter. Here you are in the right place.

Human resources officers are responsible for personnel management of the company. Usually in larger companies each member of the HR team is dedicated to carrying out specific tasks, while in smaller companies only one person is responsible for personnel selection, organization of the signing of contracts, management of holidays, shifts, illnesses and permits and payroll processing, among others. Whatever your case, the HR job interview will rely heavily oninformation in the CV, how aboutmore difficult questions, called situational, or questions to test how you would react in hypothetical scenarios. Below we have prepared a list of possible HR job interview questions and some examples to help you understand how to answer them.

Human Resources Job Interview Questions

1. Why did you choose to work in Human Resources?
2. What interpersonal skills do you think are important for this role?
3. What do you think are the most important challenges for this role?
4. Tell me about a time you had to motivate or support a colleague, employee or team?
5. How would you act if you had to disagree with your boss?
6. Why should we hire her?

Question 1. Why did you choose to work in HR?

Start the HR job interview with a question like this, together with the dreaded “tell me about her”, has a dual purpose for recruiters. On the one hand, she helps break the ice to get started, on the other she begins to investigate the candidate's motivations.

• Please provide a comprehensive but short answer. This is an introduction to the interview, no longer than 2-3 minutes
• Try to link job duties to your personality traits to be more persuasive

How could you answer

“Working in human resources means building the success of a company starting from the people who make it up. I like the idea of ​​helping people to fulfil, improve, grow and achieve great goals alongside the right company for them. It's what motivates me the most. I am an empathetic person who knows how to listen, I am comfortable managing relationships with people and for this reason I decided to pursue a career in human resources.”

Question 2. What interpersonal skills do you think are important for this role?

Covering a role in human resources means knowing how to work every day in contact with different people and personalities: colleagues, employees of other departments, managers, potential candidates and other figures outside the company. This can be very challenging, but also challenging. The recruiter who asks you this type of question in an HR job interview wants to make sure that your values ​​and those of the company align and that you are aware of which onessoft skillsare necessary for the position.

• Avoid making a mere list of qualities and argue your answers
• You will never go wrong when mentioning at least one skill that has to do with communication or managing emotions

How could you answer

“Those who deal with human resources should first of all have excellent communication skills in order to be able to interact in the most appropriate way with those they are dealing with. Different situations require different communication styles. Think, for example, of introducing the company to a candidate during the selection process or salary negotiation.

Another characteristic that I consider fundamental for the human resources sector is discretion. When dealing with sensitive issues such as layoffs, salaries or illnesses, this figure must constantly show great confidentiality to protect both the company and its employees.

Question 3. What do you think are the most important challenges for this role?

Here is another HR job interview question with which recruiters try to verify that the candidate is clear what types of more thorny situations he will have to face and how to do it. It may be useful for you to answerresearch the company. Knowing whether a company is expanding, reducing its headcount, or has a high turnover, for example, will go a long way in crafting an answer.

• If you already have experience with this, cite practical examples
• If it's your first HR job interview and you don't have direct experience, involve the recruiter in the process of formulating your answer to make him part of your cognitive process

“As a young specialist in the field of human resources, I can imagine how occasions such as layoffs or reductions in staff salaries, perhaps after a moment of crisis, can prove to be very delicate. In these cases I believe it is essential to act with extreme tact and empathy to obtain the best results.

On the other hand, I believe that talent retention is also crucial for HR work. Finding the right candidates is not everything, it is also necessary to understand how to keep them happy and satisfied in the company. To do this, great flexibility and the ability to listen to the needs of one's employees is very important."

Question 4. Can you tell me about a time you had to motivate or support a colleague, employee or team?

Using this situational question in the HR job interview, the recruiter is trying to understand if you have the ability and willingness to lead other employees and how far you are ready to go for employee success in the company . If possible, use the STAR method to build your answer, i.e. frame the situation, the problem to be solved, the necessary action and the result.

• There is no right or wrong answer, you may have helped a colleague finish a project more effectively, acombat work performance anxietyo adefend yourself against bullying
• Don't get bogged down in irrelevant or private details for a relevant and professional response

How could you answer

“During my work experience I have often found myself helping colleagues and supporting different teams. On one occasion, for example, it was brought to my attention that one of the sales team members was not achieving the desired results, despite the support of his direct manager.

After a chat with the employee it became very clear that the sales technique the manager was trying to implement was not the most suitable for the personality of the employee in question. We therefore decided to explore other methods, until we found the most suitable one and employee productivity met and exceeded the targets.”

Question 5. How would you act if you were to disagree with your boss?

Among the human resources job interview questions, an example of a question that investigates how the candidate would behave in the event of disagreements with the managers cannot be missing. This is a trick question, but you don't need to break into a cold sweat to answer it correctly.

• Keep in mind that disagreement is a useful means of evaluating new courses of action
• Conflict of opinions is a natural situation, the trick is to handle it diplomatically

How could you answer

“When I find myself facing situations of disagreement, I always try to explain my reasons clearly, but also to carefully evaluate those of the other person. I find that managing the conversation with the right emotional distance helps to use the conflict as an opportunity for growth and avoid taking it personally.

To prevent disagreements from escalating into situations of conflict, I take care to express my opinion in a clear, diplomatic and positive way, making sure that my body language is also consistent. With my boss I would adopt the same strategy.”

Question 6. Why should we hire you?

Frequently used to end the job interview, this question is designed to sum up the conversation and to give the candidate one last chance to explain why they are the right person for the role. It is the perfect moment to mention experiences and skills that have not been possible to mention up to that moment and to consolidate what was expressed during the HR job interview.

• It's time to fire the last cartridges, don't hesitate to list all the reasons why you are the ideal candidate
• Reiterate your motivations and, where possible, what appeals to you about the company culture

How could you answer

“As an HR employee in your company I would be able to bring the energy and skills needed to make a difference. I believe I can be of great support to this company not only thanks to the 3 years of experience accumulated in personnel management and the constant desire to learn and grow as a professional, but also thanks to the communication skills and empathy that distinguish me as a person .

Finally, it would be a pleasure for me to collaborate in the success of a company that supports values ​​dear to me such as transparency and sustainability."

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