HR
Interview Questions
And Answers
V I
S I T T E C H P R E P A R A T I O N . C O M F O R M O R E I N T E R
V I E W Q U E S T I O N S A N D A N S W E R S
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HR Interview Questions and
Answers
Tell me about yourself?
Start
with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember
that the
key
to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the
interviewer is
looking
for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single
most
important
strategy in job hunting.
So,
before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover
your
interviewer's
greatest need, want, problem or goal.
To
do so, make you take these two steps:
Do
all the homework you can before the hr interview to uncover this person's wants
and needs
(not
the generalized needs of the industry or company)
As
early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what
the position
entails.
You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about,
but I want
to
make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help
me do, that,
could
you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position? All I
know is what I
(heard
from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc
Then,
ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his
needs even
more.
Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third question that unearths what the
interviewer
is
most looking for.
You
might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there
anything else you see as essential
to
success in this position?:
This
process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to
answer questions,
but
only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make the
most sense.
Practice
asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more
natural
and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing
with.
After
uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job
bear
striking
parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with
specific examples
of
your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared
to present
yourself
as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.
What are your greatest
strengths?
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You
know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest
wants and needs
before
you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this.
Prior
to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest
strengths. You
should
also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an
example chosen
from
your most recent and most impressive achievements.
You
should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples
from your
achievements
so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold after being shaken
awake
at 2:30AM.
Then,
once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose
those
achievements
from your list that best match up.
As
a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to
see in their
employees
are:
A
proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up
with the
employer's
greatest wants and needs.
Intelligence...management
"savvy".
Honesty...integrity...a
decent human being.
Good
fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player
who meshes
well
with interviewer's team.
Likeability...positive
attitude...sense of humor.
Good
communication skills.
Dedication...willingness
to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.
Definiteness
of purpose...clear goals.
Enthusiasm...high
level of motivation.
Confident...healthy...a
leader.
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Disguise
strength as a weakness.
Example:
“I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency
and
everyone
is not always on the same wavelength.”
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Drawback:
This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is
transparent
to
any experienced interviewer.
BEST
ANSWER: (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of
your
interviewer's
needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think
of
nothing
that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with
excellence. Then,
quickly
review you strongest qualifications.
Example:
“Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position, I
believe I' d
make
an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things
most of all. Do
they
have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well?
Everything in
my
background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve
excellence in
whatever
I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you
even a
small
concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.”
Alternate
strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a
perfect
fit):
Instead
of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making
sure that
what
you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in
the position,
and
what you like least is not essential.
Example:
Let's say you're applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, I like
to spend as
much
time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling
paperwork back
at
the office. Of course, I long ago learned the importance of filing paperwork
properly, and I do
it
conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer were
a sales manager,
this
should be music to his ears.)
Tell
me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little
ashamed of ?As
with
faults and weaknesses, never confess a regret. But don’t seem as if you’re
stonewalling
either.
Best
strategy: Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you practice
regularly for
healthy
human relations.
Example:
Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. Then say to hr,
“You
know,
I really can’t think of anything.” (Pause again, then add): “I would add that as
a general
management
principle, I’ve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid causing
them in
the
first place. I practice one habit that helps me a great deal in this regard. At
the end of each
day,
I mentally review the day’s events and conversations to take a second look at
the people
and
developments I’m involved with and do a double check of what they’re likely to
be feeling.
Sometimes
I’ll see things that do need more follow-up, whether a pat on the back, or
maybe a
five
minute chat in someone’s office to make sure we’re clear on things…whatever.”
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“I
also like to make each person feel like a member of an elite team, like the
Boston Celtics or LA
Lakers
in their prime. I’ve found that if you let each team member know you expect
excellence
in
their performance…if you work hard to set an example yourself…and if you let
people know
you
appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind up with a highly motivated
group, a team
that’s
having fun at work because they’re striving for excellence rather than brooding
over
slights
or regrets.”
h
