Top 50 HR Interview Questions And Answer Techniques in 2024 [Updated]

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Today I’m writing about questions asked during HR Interview from the candidates pursuing Masters in Human Resource.

Let’s see the insights about life of HR…

The people or staff or workforce inside an association liable for playing out the assignments given to them with the end goal of accomplishment of objectives and targets of the association.

Ones which is conceivable just through legitimate enlistment and choice, giving legitimate direction and acceptance, preparing, aptitude improvements, appropriate evaluation of representatives (execution examination).

Also, giving fitting remuneration and advantages, keeping up appropriate work relations and at last looking after wellbeing, government assistance and wellbeing worry of workers, which is the procedure of the human asset the board.

Who is HR? What are his roles?

HR gives less quantitative capacities: It exists to enable workers to flourish.

All things considered, representatives are the single greatest advantage for any association.HR payroll course It follows, at that point, that securing their prosperity is of most extreme significance.

A HR office that never collaborates with workers isn’t carrying out its responsibility. While you’re building up an onboarding methodology, teach new workers on when to connect with HR and what assets HR brings to the table.

The HR office ought to normally plan one-on-one meetings with workers to monitor their profession movement, comfort in their jobs, and some other issues the representative might be having.

Thinking about these obligations, representatives should learn about happy with coming to their HR divisions in these, and comparative, circumstances:

At the point when you (or a collaborator) experience badgering or segregation from your associates, including your supervisor

At the point when you have inquiries concerning benefits, including organization gave medical coverage, or rights ensured by law

At the point when your own conditions change (for example having a youngster, expecting to decrease your hours, requiring convenience for an inability)

At the point when you have inquiries concerning progressing at the organization, including chances to shadow different representatives or take an interest in extra preparing

At the point when you need a goal outsider to work through a business related issue

Here is a list of very frequently asked questions in an HR interview.

Q1. Tell us something about yourself?

Ans : This is probably the most common question asked in any HR interview and the most important too. This question puts a lot of pressure on the candidate but it’s important to stay alert enough to answer this question.

Start with a confident yet not arrogant tone and structure your answer properly. Your answer should not sound scripted, proper use of articulation and punctuations, and clear pronunciation are some important pointers to keep in mind while answering this question.

Analyze the interviewer’s interests and express your most relevant accomplishments first.

Start by thanking the interviewer for a chance to speak about yourself. Then state your academic accomplishments and then go on to more personal details about yourself.

When you state your strengths, you also need to state your weakness to give the interviewer a sense of trust and honesty.

Lastly, end with some personal details like hobbies and interests.

Q2. Why do you think you are good for this position?

Ans : By this question the interviewer wants to know the following:-

-Are you fully aware of the job description

-If you have the qualities they are looking for

-What attracts you most about this job

While answering this question you should make sure you answer in a way that convinces the interviewer that your qualities match what the job requires. Focus on the above-mentioned points and form your answer.

State your willingness to deliver results and state your qualities and relate them with the job requirements.

Q3. Are you comfortable with working overtime or at odd hours?

Ans :Make sure you answer this question with honesty and not compromise just to get the job.

If you’re comfortable with the asked tasks, you can answer like this:-

“I know when a company asks for extra hours of work it is because it needs the extra effort and I am ready to do it if it is in the company’s best interests.”

Q4. What comes first for your work or money?

Ans :This is a tricky question. Keep in mind that in the interviewer’s opinion, work is more important and answer accordingly. Explain that it’s vital to work hard for gaining money hence work comes first.

Keep your answer short but full of details so the gist is delivered to the interviewer successfully.

Q5. What can you tell us about this organization?

Ans :You should have good knowledge about the organization’s structure, hierarchy, history, working style, projects, etc. collect all this information through the company’s website, Facebook and Linkedin pages, twitter profile, etc.

The interviewer wants to know here how thorough you were while preparing for this interview and this also show’s your interest in working for the organization.

Give your own opinions about the company’s characteristics but only positive ones and say how you can add to it.

Q6. Where did you work before this and why did you leave?

Ans :You should think before answering this question. Trashing other employees or giving statements like you need more money should be avoided.

Try shaping your answer in a more generic and positive way. Explain that it’s a career move, that you are looking to broaden your skillset and are ready to face new challenges. Tell them how you think growth is a very important factor for you.

Make sure you sound confident and sure about your answer that makes you more believable.

Q7. Why should we hire you?

Ans :There are two aspects to the answer this question based on your skillset and experience.

If you’re a fresher, start by saying that you need a platform to prove your abilities and skills. Do not sound arrogant rather make sure you deliver this a little naively. Express your abilities and explain how they can help you do a better job at the organization.

End by saying that you think this company is the right place to explore your abilities and ensure your growth.

If you’re experienced in this field, explain your abilities and give an example from your experience. This will give the expression that you know what you are doing and you can handle things easily at their organization.

Q8. What are your salary expectations?

Ans : Here rather than asking for exact numbers, try to show your commitment towards the job itself.

You can start b saying that you are more interested in the role than the pay and you expect to be paid appropriate money for the role based on your experience.

Or if you’re a fresher you could start by saying that salary is not an issue for you here and that learning and gaining experience are a major priority for you.

You could also go for a more generic answer by saying that you haven’t thought about that and you’re more focused on learning the requirements for the position you’re applying for.

Q9. If you’re hired, how long do you plan to work for us?

Ans :Here you have to put your interests in front as well as the employer’s interest.

As long as one gets the career growth, job satisfaction and respect that one deserves, there is no reason to quit a job. Start by explaining that you will give your best to the company as long as your goals and expectations are met.

You could also shape your answer in a more positive manner by saying that you’re pretty sure that the company fulfills most of your expectations so you will work for the company as long as your presence benefits both the company as well as you yourself.

Q10. Where do you put yourself on a scale of 1 to 10?

Ans :You can answer this question based on some parameters. Start with rating yourself on the basis of hard work. 8/10 is a good place to stand as far as hard work is concerned as there should always be scope to increase your skills.

Then comes creativity. Only you can best judge yourself in these criteria. Give the interviewer some instances and examples of your creative work.

To talk about patience, if you’re an entry-level candidate, rate yourself a 5 or a 6 and raise the rating according to your experience. Explain that just like in your personal life, professional life also needs some patience and it comes with experience.

According to the assumptions we made here you’re an overall 8 but you can change the rating according to your professional qualifications and experience.

Q11. What are your achievements in life?

Ans :Here the interviewer is interested in your professional achievements. You could give a generic answer like the biggest achievement in your life was to overcome failure and that it gave you a sense of achievement.

You could also go for a specific achievement of yours that you think is worthy of mentioning here.

Q12. What is your aim in life?

Ans :You should structure your answer in two parts- short term and long term goals.

A short term goal usually means something you plan to achieve in the near future. For example, you could say that your short term goal is to start your career by working with a well-reputed company like theirs where you can enhance your technical skills and knowledge.

A long term goal is something you want to achieve but over a longer period of time, anything more than a year. Saying that you want to rise in this company and be one of the people responsible for the reputation it has today.

You could also go for a generic answer here by simply saying that you want to become a successful person and make your family proud of you.

End by saying that this company seems like a good platform for you to achieve that goal.

Q13. Discuss what you think are your strengths?

Ans :Here any quality you think is your strength, you should be able to relate it with the job description or the role. Every person has a different strength so there is no specific answer to this question.

The answer will be different for different people but the structure remains the same.

State your quality first. Explain to the interviewers how you gained it or sharpened it. Give an instance or example where your strength was useful and helped you succeed.

Lastly, tell the interviewers how you plan to apply it in their company and relate it to the job description.

Q14. What are your weaknesses?

Ans :This is a common question asked to determine how honest you are about yourself. Don’t spend too much time thinking about this, just state 1 or 2 minor weaknesses and relate it to the job description.

It is essential here to make sure the interviewers know you have a plan to overcome those weaknesses and better your performance in the line of work.

Q15. What are your hobbies?

Ans :The answer to this question may vary from person to person but the important part of answering it is that you justify your answer.

Start by thanking the interviewer for an opportunity to introduce yourself. Then list your hobbies and how you picked them up, all this in a concise manner, not too lengthy.

Q16. How do you think you can be an asset to us?

Ans :Most people have a misconceived idea about what qualities make one an asset for a company. Stating your strengths like the fact that you are hard-working, dedicated, punctual, etc. don’t make you an asset for the company.

These qualities are what the management already expects from you.

If you’re a fresher, stating that you’ll be passionate about your work and be ready to gain experience in various parts of the industry will leave a good impression on the interviewer.

Also, you should express the fact that you will be faithful to this company. This gives a sense of trust to the interviewers.

If you have prior experience in the field, stating your skills and achievements in your previous company and relating them to how you could be useful in this company is a good way to structure your answer to this question.

Q17. Would you be willing to put the company’s interests above your values?

Ans :The answer to this question has to be structured in a very diplomatic manner to show your loyalty towards the company without harming your character in the eyes of the interviewer.

Saying that if it has a positive impact on the company you will be willing to put its interests over your values.

To help other employees or benefit the company, if the conditions persist you can compromise yourself but also make sure that you deliver to the interviewers that you hold your values high.

Q18. Have you applied for other jobs alongside?

Ans :There is a very specific purpose to this question. The interviewer wants to know whether the candidate is honest enough to admit that he has applied to other places or lies about that.

Don’t lie about this in the interview, answer truthfully and validate your answer by saying that you have but this company is the dream platform you were aiming for and that you have your backups in place.

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Q19. How’d you get to know about this company?

Ans :This is a question for the betterment of their marketing strategies. If you wish to work in the company, answer this question truthfully as it will have a positive impact on the company.

Plus the interviewers are an experienced group of people who can easily detect if someone is lying or not and if found lying, it could have a major negative impact on the course of your interview.

Q20. What does success mean to you?

Ans :Keep in mind yours as well as the company’s interests here. Success for you could be to rise in the management hierarchy but it’s different for the company.

Your answer should indicate that the meaning of success to you incorporates the company’s best interests too.

Q21. Describe yourself in one word?

Ans :The purpose of this question is to judge how spontaneous you are and how thoroughly can you explain yourself using that particular word.

Some generic words are original, genuine, logical, incredible, focused, curious, active, quick, balanced, achiever, practical, positive, etc.

Q22. What do you think is the difference between confidence and overconfidence?

Ans :Confidence is based on the knowledge of the facts of a person, on the other hand, overconfidence is based on experience and speculation.

Confidence is the internal belief based on your knowledge and facts that you can do a particular job. Overconfidence is an internal belief that tells you that you are the only one who can do a particular job, based on your speculation of the situation and the task at hand.

Q23. How can you differentiate between smart work and hard work?

Ans :Hard work and smart work are very closely related, rather one is dependent on the other. Without doing hard work, smart work is not possible.

To become a smart worker one has to specialize in their field or the work they do, only then can they figure out more efficient and smart ways to work. To specialize in their fields, hard work is necessary.

Q24. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Ans :If you think the answer is yes, you’re wrong. You have to express the fact that you are a professional and you don’t just work to earn money. You love your work and would like to keep at it rather than just retire.

You can say that you might want to spend some quality time with your family and friends but you love your work and there is no question of retiring.

Q25. Don’t you think you’re overqualified for this?

Ans :This is a trick question, the interviewer wants to know how boasting you are and he also wants to know how highly you think of yourself.

Even if you are overqualified, don’t let the interviewer know that.

Start by saying that qualification is not just based on theoretical knowledge but also on practical knowledge and experience. Assure the interviewers that you have a lot of scopes to learn and that you are willing to learn.

End by saying that when you’ve gained enough experience, you’ll consider yourself well-qualified and not overqualified because learning is a never-ending process.

Ans :This is a trick question for you to specify your weakness. Don’t reveal your actual weaknesses here but deliver a generic answer to tackle the interviewer’s question.

Start by saying that everyone has a blind spot and that is where teamwork comes in. looking out for each other’s blind spots and helping each other to cover them and perform better is what you believe in.

Q27. How do you handle stress?

Ans :This is a very popular HR interview question to figure out how you’ll handle the job pressure and stress.

Working in a planned way and completing your tasks beforehand helps decrease the job pressure. Say that you’re more inclined towards reacting to a situation that to stress over it.

Another way to tackle stress and pressure is to do workout regularly. Physical exercise is a very efficient way to get rid of work stress and pressure.

Q28. What is the greatest disappointment in your life?

Ans :The purpose of this question is to judge which situations make you uncomfortable and disappointed. When you answer, don’t just state your disappointment but also what you learned from that experience.

You need to ensure the interviewer that you have learned your lesson from that situation and if faced with such a situation again, you will be able to overcome it easily.

If you haven’t faced such kind of incident then simply tell the interviewer that you think that you haven’t faced a situation of that magnitude until now in life to call it a disappointment.

Q29. What triggers your anger?

Ans :Diplomacy is essential to answer this question. Structure your answer in such a manner that it suits both your personality and the management.

Start by clearing that you are not a short-tempered person. You have to make the interviewer understand that you are morally right and immoral situations make you angry.

End this answer by expressing your approach towards handling your anger. Tell the interviewers that you try to channel your negative energy into your work.

Q30. Which was the most difficult decision you were faced with in life?

Ans :This question is asked with the purpose of knowing your decision-making capabilities, to know your decision-making process in a stressful or pressurizing situation.

Now different people may have different instances of their life.

The delivery of the answer will have a couple of points common.

Start by describing the situation under which you made the decision. Make sure the interviewer understands you correctly. Then describe the aspects you took into consideration that led you to make that particular decision.

End by telling them what lesson you derived from that situation.

Q31. How did you get to know about this position/vacancy?

Ans :Truthfully tell the interviewer how you got aware of that post. If asked about the details of the post or what appealed to you about that post.

Then simply add that you have carefully studied the job description and person specification and you are fully aware of all that the job is asking for and has to offer.

Q32. What is the motivation that drives you?

Ans :Choose a value specific motivation and explain why it drives you. The commitment to your job or the promise to learn something new or help someone in need is a good example of value-based motivations.

The fact that you could make a difference in someone’s life gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Q33. What is your favorite book?

Ans :This question is asked to know how you’ll fit in the company culture by judging your taste in books.

Answer this question according to which books you are well versed with and only name the books you’ve read. You should choose something written by a famous or reputable author, something that the interviewer has heard of if not read.

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Q34. Which is your most visited site while surfing the internet?

Ans :Here the interviewer wants to know your interests in internet surfing. Make sure your name and address related to your field of work or profession.

Make sure you don’t name a social networking site or an entertainment site as that gives an immature impression to the interviewer.

Q35. What according to you was the biggest mistake of your life?

Ans :When answering this question, make sure you choose something that has actually happened with you and doesn’t have too many mistakes as that would make you look irresponsible.

Talk about your mistake and the details that follow but make sure the interviewer knows that you won’t commit this mistake again and that you’ve grown from that mistake.

Try to look fr professional instances and avoid talking about your personal life in the interview.

Q36. Do you have a reference?

Ans :This is a pretty straight forward question that has only 2 answers – YES or NO.

Q37. How do you deal with an angry or irritated client?

Ans :Some clients are very sensitive when it comes to their property or purchase. You should try to find the exact problem and explain it to the client. Then you should get it solved as soon as possible.

It is essential to have patience when dealing with such clients. Sometimes they can be over agitated but as a company employee, you must maintain your composure and deal with the problem with patience.

Q38. What is your greatest fear?

Ans :This is again a tricky question to judge your character and integrity. Now the answer might vary for different people but the structure remains the same.

Start by addressing your fear directly. Explain as to why you considered it your greatest fear and what made you fear it in the beginning.

End this answer by discussing how you plan to overcome this fear and grow as a professional.

Q39. Is there a difference between group and team?

Ans :There is one major difference between a group and a team. That is UNITY. A group can be any set of people standing together without sharing any purpose or goal.

On the other hand, when more than 2 people put in joint efforts to work towards a goal, there is unity among them and they are called a team.

A team has coordination, hierarchy, channels of communication, etc. when a project is assigned to a group, there is no coordination, no communication, no work distribution, and the project is likely to fail.

But when a project is given to a team, the study it, discuss it, divide the tasks, coordinate efforts and work in sync with each other to make sure the project is successfully finished

Q40. What will you do if you don’t get this position?

Ans :First express that you are confident that you will be selected for this position. Describe how this position is best suited for you and how your qualities will benefit the company.

Now address the main question by saying that you will continue to look for a job in the same field though it wouldn’t be easy to find a job more suited than this for you. Then explain why you think it’s best suited for you.

End your answer by saying that you will reflect and learn from this experience and if you don’t get this position, you’ll work on your flaws for opportunities in the future.

Make sure you sound very positive while saying this.

Q41. What is meant by success to you?

Ans :Success refers to the accomplishment of a previously set goal or aim. Success can also be described as the completion of a project without any flaws.

Q42. Are you comfortable with relocation or traveling for this company?

Ans :This question aims at judging how desperate a candidate is for that position. Also, it aims to reveal the candidate’s dedication or devotion to the company and his job. Do not say yes at once as this will only show desperation on part of the candidate.

Say that if there is an appropriate reason or the company is profiting by it, then I don’t think I’ll have a problem with travel involved.

Q43. What gives you joy?

Ans :Here you have to show your devotion to your field of work. Start by saying that you chose this field because you enjoy working on it.

You especially find happiness in the completion of your tasks and the sense of achievement you get after completing your task is very joyful to you.

End this by adding a sentence about your private life saying you find happiness in spending time with your family too.

Q44. What makes you stand out from all the candidates here?

Ans :It is good to start with a disclaimer that you are not fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all the candidates that have applied here. Also, you are sure that some very impressive candidates have applied for this position.

Now address your background and relate it to your field of work. Address some of your more polished skills and strengths. Explain how you are unique in those skills and how you’ll put them into use while working for this company.

Show references and commendations from previous clients and employers, that is something unique that only you have.

Q45. Describe any 3 things that are most important to you in a job.

Ans :Give your personal opinion as your answer here. Make sure you don’t include the salary or benefits in this answer. High morality aspects like honesty, loyalty, respect, growth, professionalism, safe work environment, etc. make a good impression on the interviewer.

Q46. What are your expectations from this company?

Ans :There can be various points of view on this question. Just make sure you have positive points and thoughts about this. Do not ask a lot of the company as that gives an impression of indecisiveness to the interviewer.

Make sure you mention some of this organization’s merits and sound grateful for the opportunity of working in such a prestigious company.

Q47. On a scale of 10, rate me as an interviewer.

Ans :Start your answer by declaring the fact that you are in no position to rate him as an interviewer. Moving ahead with this say that you won’t disappoint him and say that he did a 10/10 job.

But you’ll give him a 9/10 because you believe that in a person’s line of work, there’s always scope for improvement.

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Q48. Who do you consider your role model and what did you incorporate from him/her?

Ans :To answer this question you should think about the people who’s qualities and character really appeal and inspire you.

Choosing someone from your family or friends is a good idea as you’ll know them better and will be able to explain precisely what you incorporated from them in your life.