HR Manager Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

Do not go over board and ask for , it might give an impression that you are too demanding, some of the answers could be:

☛ An ideal company provides maximum opportunities for growth of employees.
☛ They provide comfortable and flexible work environment, so that employees can perform at their best and work towards company’s benefit.
☛ A company that encourages learning
☛ A company that encourages open culture

Always say yes if you need the job

You can ask whether they will compensate for relocation costs

Answer it with honesty, as they can go deeper into this discussion. You can include:

☛ Browsing the internet
☛ Blogging,
☛ Listening to music,
☛ Chatting with friends,
☛ Reading newspapers,
☛ Reading books,
☛ Shopping,
☛ Watching movies….

The purpose of this question is to find out what your definition of difficult is and whether you can show a logical approach to problem solving. In order to show yourself in a positive light, select a difficult work situation which was not caused by you and which can be quickly explained in a few sentences. Explain how you defined the problem.

Motivation is key to eliciting cooperation and productivity of people individually and as a team. So, I believe one of the most effective ways to get team members to cooperate is to recognize their strengths and delegate tasks accordingly. For example, in the last project I lead I was overseeing three team members. I had the team member who was highly organized to create and maintain the measuring tools, the individual who was most personable spoke with the employees and the last individual is quite analytical, so I had her compile the data in the report. This way, each team member was allowed to play to her or his strengths, which kept both the motivation and morale high.

This HR leader's favorite interview question gives an idea of the factors involved in a candidate’s decision. For example, perhaps the candidate needs to consult his or her family, already has offers on the table, or isn’t able to leave their current role just yet.

Each employee has a unique career path. This HR manager's interview question digs into what attracted them to prior roles—as well as what makes your current role a good fit right now.

Look for honesty and transparency in the answer. Many talented employees lose their jobs in layoffs, so suppress any desire to stigmatize those who were part of a downsizing.

However, if the individual offers a vague reference to differing opinions or the arrival of a new boss, dig deeper for possible performance issues that can be verified through reference checking. “As you listen to each answer, look for a situational context within which you can judge the individual’s decision-making abilities, decisiveness and ability to work in concert with others,” Falcone says.

Many things can be said here. You are expected to simply give a few examples of your strategies and tactics. You can talk about the larger issues of advertising campaigns. If you personally conduct interviews, you can describe how you decide in favor of any particular candidate. For example, how you examine overall competencies beyond impressive education and experience.

The employers will assess very carefully the personality of the candidate for traits of openness, honesty, integrity, sociability, initiative, flexibility, determination (as opposed to stubbornness), etc. Say that it’s not about attracting talented individuals, but about creating a talented community of employees with a common vision.

To receive information, feedback, and coordinate decisions throughout the company for optimal efficiency, HR managers cooperate with other departments within the company.
For example, they can cooperate with the accounting division to make salary decisions. This way the employee feels adequately rewarded, while the company remains optimally faithful to its budget policies.

Discuss situations when you must have done so to fulfill project requirements in the past

A grievance in the traditional sense of the word is typically defined as a complaint against an employer by an employee for a contractual violation. Simply put, this means that an employee has a problem with his/her employer and feels the problem is legitmate based on the contract he/she has with the employer. However, not all grievances have to be contractual grievances. Typically, labor unions have a grievance procedure by which they follow and the process of tracking that grievance can take many forms.

☛ The employee usually files the grievance with a shop steward, grievance rep, or union/management official.
☛ The grievance rep typically fills out a pre-defined grievance form and submits it to the union for processing.
☛ The union typically files the grievance and all relevant hard copy documents into a filing cabinet or electronic database, like the IGS.
☛ The grievance rep and the labor union officials are responsible for keeping track of the grievance meeting steps 1-Arbitration.
☛ The meeting steps are usually defined in the contract between union and management and typically have timelines that must me met between each step.

I work very well with individuals from diverse backgrounds. I appreciate different cultures and backgrounds, and understand that it has a strong impact on how individuals interact with one another. Also, I have studied different learning and personality styles to understand how they impact individuals at work. I utilize all of this knowledge to lead and encourage individuals in the way that they best receive it. I believe this helps to enhance communication and to make me an effective leader.

Taking the temperature on a candidate’s current role can give insight into what kind of a work environment the candidate thrives in and how he or she works with others in an organization.

☛ Tell us a little bit about your previous work experience as an HR manager.
☛ Describe your system for prioritising HR projects. What HR discipline do you think is the most important?
☛ How do you motivate your HR employees?
☛ How many people have you supervised at one time?
☛ How long were you their supervisor?
☛ Did you have the sole responsibility of hiring and firing individuals?
☛ Describe how you were able to assess the success of the HR department and employee relations at your last job.
☛ What is your management style?
☛ How do you get your employees to cooperate?
☛ What makes a good leader?

☛ You’ve recently discovered that a HR department employee has been discussing confidential information with employees outside of the department. What steps would you take to address this issue?
☛ Describe an instance in which you handled an employee grievance that resulted in a better working relationship?
☛ A member of staff is accused of harassment. How do you deal with this issue and maintain alignment with best practice?

☛ Describe your ideal onboarding process. In what ways would this process provide the best hiring experience? How does the onboarding process support the company’s business goals?
☛ Describe your hiring approach. How and where do you find talented job applicants?
☛ Provide an example of a time when you led a complex HR project from inception to conclusion.
☛ What would be the first employee policy you would draft as a new HR manager? Why is this policy a high priority? How would you ensure company-wide compliance with this policy?
☛ How do you define company culture? What would you do to help maintain it as the company grows?
☛ Which HR technology tools do you prefer? Can you suggest one system per function for us—applicant tracking, payroll, onboarding, referrals?
☛ In your experience, which benefits/perks drive the highest employee satisfaction and engagement?
☛ How do you stay current and ensure compliance with national labor laws like taxes, industrial laws, social security, health insurance? Have you ever experienced a misstep that resulted in regulatory issues? How did you handle it?
☛ In your experience, what is the most effective way to resolve employee and upper level management conflicts?

☛ What are some of your strengths?
☛ What are your weaknesses?
☛ How would you describe yourself professionally?
☛ What are your reasons for leaving your previous/present job?
☛ What is your favourite aspect of HR?
☛ How do you remain abreast of new developments in technology?
☛ Why should we hire you?
☛ Have you got any questions?

Smart interviewees who might technically be underqualified focus on the experiences and skill sets they’ll bring to the position and the value they’ll deliver. However, this is a question that often leads to lengthy explanations that can offer real insights into a person’s true motivations, good and bad, for seeking the job, Enelow says.

Conversely, as highly qualified Baby Boomers age, it’s not uncommon for them to seek a position with lesser responsibilities where they can be a strong team player and a mentor to younger employees. So, depending on the position, don’t automatically count overqualification against a candidate.

Try to put the ball back in interviewer’s court by asking him about the salary they offer for a position like this. Most of the big companies will have a fixed remuneration for each level.

However, if this is negotiable, you will have more negotiation power if you have some work experience. So, know your lower limit (amount below which you can’t go) and also know the maximum salary in the industry for the position then put forward a figure which is not very exact. It is better to mention a range. For e.g. if you are expecting something around 55 K, say that you expect something in mid fifties. Don’t keep the range to broad otherwise you will be offered something towards the lower end.

If you are a fresher, most of the times you will have to accept the company’s offering for the position. However, if you find it too less, you can definitely discuss that during the interview.

Companies look for team players as well as those who are self starters and can work independently, so you need to be versatile:

You should show that you enjoy working in a team. Say that you are open to suggestions from team members and seniors.

It is always good to work in a team as one can get the support of other members and in times of crisis everyone can work together to achieve the goal.

Especially in a team atmosphere, it is critical that conflict be handled properly, otherwise it can hurt the morale. That is why I strive to first identify the source of the issue and isolate it as much as possible. I have taken a mediation course, and I utilize those skills to counsel the parties involved and to come to an amicable resolution. I check in with the parties periodically to ensure that the resolution is effective.

Nothing should eliminate a person from consideration faster than a lack of research into the employer’s business lines, locations, customer base and company culture.

“I don’t take these applicants seriously because they obviously don’t take the interview process seriously,” says Falcone, who suggests that interviewers should dig for more than superficial answers that could have been gleaned from a five-minute review of the company’s website.

“Even at the entry level, while a candidate may not know much about a company, there are multiple opportunities to research the organization in advance of the in-person meeting thanks to Google, Glassdoor and the company’s website,” he says. “I often refer to this as the ‘candidate desire factor,’ which can serve as a significant swing factor in the ultimate selection.”

Applicants who prepare well for interviews and are smooth enough not to sound too rehearsed can be thrown by this inquiry since it requires them to talk about something other than work experiences.

“When I ask this question, I’m often told by candidates that they’ve never been asked that before, A few struggle and can’t think of an answer, but I often hear terrific responses from some candidates who really showcase their soft skills,” as well as talk about what’s most important to them in their personal lives, he says.

HR managers appraise performance and motivation and introduce necessary changes.
It requires analytical thinking, independence and initiative, problem solving ability, and interpersonal sensitivity. Training is one way to improve motivation. Conflict management is another. You can give specific examples of how you’ve resolved a conflict (between employee and company or between several employees) which resulted in better motivation.