The questions that you ask while interviewing the candidates will tell you a lot about the candidate. You can know everything from how well they will fit into the organisation to their past experience, just by the way they answer the questions. It is, thus, vital for you to ask questions, which will help you gather important information, such as the attitude, skills, abilities, cultural fit, and responsibility. We spoke with human resource experts and business owners from reputed firms, such as TrumpLearning, to identify some of the questions that should be present in every HR interview.
Question 1 – Describe any one time you had a conflict with your fellow employee, and what did you do to resolve it immediately?
In an organisation, the primary role of HR is to mediate the conflicts between the employees. So, the HR needs to take measures to gauge the familiarity and the comfort of the candidate with the workplace. It will help you look for the best candidate from several different applicants.
Question 2 – Let us know about the one time you failed. How did you deal with it? What lesson did it teach you?
It is your opportunity to see how the candidate will manage risk, and how honest, humble, and vulnerable a candidate is when it comes to their failures or mistakes. Steer away from candidates who pretend it was all fine or someone who blames on external circumstances and takes no responsibility. All of these are red flags that you need to be careful about. It will also help you see how reflective the candidate is and how well they can handle rejection and criticism. You have to see how resilient they are via the action they took after failing. Did they try again? Why or why not? Also, you need to know if they are humble enough to acknowledge the role of other people in their success and failure. No one is capable of doing everything all by themselves, and credit does go a long way. It will tell you a lot about their character and humility.
Question 3 – What has the last week taught you about yourself?
It is an excellent question and can give you an insight into the other person’s motivation and focus. We all grow and learn every day. So, asking someone to think on the spot introspectively can give you an impression of how capable they are at self-managing. It will also help you see if they are susceptible to learning and change when they need to. The question will also enable you to understand the areas which they feel are most important. Is their answer oriented to self-care or some skill? There is no correct answer to this question, but it is a great question to see how well the candidate opens up to you. It will help you understand his personality better.
Question 4 – Tell me about an incident where you had to win over a decision-maker just by way of your thinking?
Persuasion is a vital detriment of a successful HR business partner, regardless of the level of the organisation. You should be able to put forth an understanding of the challenge and depict how well you communicate the idea effectively.
Question 5 – Give me an insight into your previous (or current) company from when you were hired. Also, what improvements did you see in yourself while you were there?
Daisy, an HR with FineGrades, says this is an important question, and their answer can tell a lot about them as a candidate. So, it would be best if you were a careful listener to find the best fit. While answering, are they using me’s or I’s? Have they given credit to the team and other people involved? Have they done anything for the company since the time they joined in? This question will help you unveil a lot about their working style. You will know how this person works with others, and do they have adequate skill and ability to bring in change. Both of these are essential skills and would determine their success in the position they apply for.