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Denis PopovContent:
Everyone who is looking for a dream job must go through a stage called HR interview, which determines whether a potential employee will get a job. But contrary to popular belief, an interview is not a survey, but a conversation between two people. This is a rather difficult process, not only for those who are looking for an employee, the employer must, during the interview, get to know the person whom he sees for the first time as best as possible, and determine whether this person is suitable for work in a particular company. And on both sides, any interview requires careful preparation. In addition, each HR deals with many candidates, and from all it must choose only one person.
On HR interview questions there are no correct or wrong answers, there is only your and it is only correct. Any answer you give must be an absolutely honest answer, do not avoid the truth, and do not lie. If this is your first job, in this article I will write sample answers that will help you understand how approximately you need to answer the question. In any case, all questions and answers are specially selected so that HR will know everything he needs to know. You should always answer as honestly as possible, and as calmly as possible. In order to successfully pass any interview, you need to carefully prepare for it.
There are different types of HR interview questions that employers use to get to know a potential employee better and understand whether he is suitable or not.
Clarifying questions. This type of HR interview questions are asked in order to verify the information that you indicated in your resume or application for a job role, as well as to find out more about your education or qualifications.
Behavioral HR interview questions. Such questions are intended to show whether you have creative problem solving skills, time management skills and how you used them, for example in your previous company. You may be given a situation and asked how you would solve it, or give examples of solving various problems from your personal practice.
Analytical questions. HR interview questions like this should give the person who is interviewing you a better understanding of you, your goals and motivations, and what type of team player you will be in their work environment.
Personal questions. They are probably not asked so often, but some employers are interested in finding out who you are outside the office walls and what you live there.
Not all questions on HR interviews can be pleasant and acceptable. The purpose of such common HR interview questions is to find out how you react to situations that are uncomfortable for you, and how you get out of them. And remember that there are no right answers. There are only your personal answers to all questions that concern only you, and are individual for each person.
This question must be answered honestly, but culturally. You should remember that in the HR round interview you can’t talk negatively about your previous boss and employees. This will show you as a very negative and angry person, and every employer will think that after you leave his company, you will also speak about his company in the same way. Your interview may end there, and you most likely won't get the job. Therefore, it is necessary to describe the problem as carefully as possible. Don’t forget about constructive criticism. For example, if your previous team does not have a healthy work environment and has a toxic effect on you, Don’t forget to mention all the good things from your last job, what it taught you, what good experiences you had there. You don’t have to hide it, and it’s advisable to speak directly about it. But so as not to ruin the company's vision of you as an ideal worker with good creative problem solving skills. It is very important for an employer to see that you are able to find positive moments even in bad times.
Sample answer: The objectives of the team at the previous job and past employers did not coincide with mine. I had to overtime work in order to do what people wanted and to move in the direction I was interested in. So I decided to find a job for myself that would be interesting to me and fit all my expectations
In order to competently answer this question, you need to study the particular position in detail, and find out what exactly is required from the applicant. And then think about how your technical skills and practical knowledge can help in the development of the company if you get this job role. Again, it is advisable to consider answering this question in advance, as this will allow you to name as many of your strengths that you can bring to this job role.
Sample answer: I have enough knowledge to improve your company’s productivity. In addition to the knowledge I also have many technical skills that I may need. I understand that to work in your reputed company I will need to learn a lot, but I believe that I am a quick learner, so it will not take me much time.
When talking about money, you need to be very careful. You can’t evaluate yourself too cheaply, and all hiring managers will think that you are an incompetent worker who, with his skill level, does not even expect a high salary in any reputed organization. But it is also impossible to value yourself too expensively, since it is very difficult for employees who are too expensive to find a job. Before the interview, study the labor market in the category in which your vacancy belongs, calculate the average salary in this category, especially if this is your first job and you still don’t know all that will be related to your pay. And during the HR interview, answering this question, you can say that the average salary in this area is so much, but you are ready to discuss this issue. This will allow the employer to submit their salary proposal and discuss it with you.
Sample answer: I have studied many job descriptions in the category in which my vacancy belongs, counting the average salary in digital marketing (for example). It averages about $2,500 per month (for example) which coincides with my salary expectations, but I am ready to discuss this issue and listen to your suggestions.
This will allow your employer to make an offer about your salary.
This HR interview questions is not really about your day to day problems. I don’t think an employer will be interested to know that your pancake burned down in the morning, the washing machine broke down yesterday, and a week before the interview, your partner broke up with you. This question aims to reveal how you solve your problems in professional life, how you complete all the tasks, what lessons you learn from all the bad situations in your life, and what you do to avoid similar mistakes in the future. When talking about your problems on the HR interview round, you can use a short outline to describe the problem.
Describe a situation that happened in your life.
Tell us what task you needed to solve to solve the problem.
Describe what you did to solve this problem, and how you have put into practice your problem solving skills. Be quite short but clear, avoid saying too many details.
The result of your solution to the problem, how it affected the situation in general, how it helped others, or improved your life.
Sample answer: I worked for a company that did digital marketing with the xyz company. And as it turned out, our project manager got very sick just before the project was submitted. At the time, I was working with him at the same company, and we had several past projects together at the same xyz company. I had to pass our team lead project. I organized the whole team and we successfully passed this project on time and it was accepted. After that, I was entrusted with a more difficult job and was asked to help with some other projects.
As you follow this plan, remember that you are in an HR interview. It is worth describing the problem briefly but very clearly. And it is advisable to choose a situation that can maximize all your advantages and strengths. But do not overpraise yourself, employers do not like this. Also, don't forget to be honest.
It is worth telling on HR interview what goals you would like to achieve in your professional career, as well as what goals you would like to help achieve the company in which you are going to work. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the information about the vacancy and the company that provides this vacancy. Don't talk about goals in your personal life unless you are directly asked about it.
Sample answer: I would like to help your innovative software company in using the modern technical skills I own. Since you are looking for experienced professionals, this is the perfect option for me - employment in your company.
Being a good team member is very important for productivity. Also, if the work of the team is set up in the best way, and the team’s target is the main goal and each working person separately, the result will be justly good. The ability to work with people and being a productive team player is one of the most important selection criteria, even in the current pandemic. Teamwork and its organization are important for the development of the company and the achievement of its goals. And also, do not forget that teamwork is what helps any person grow as an individual and a professional.
Sample answer: First of all, I would like to get to know my new team, find out what I have in common with every person, understand what we have in common, what is the main team’s target, who I can rely on at a difficult moment. And I’ll also try to learn from them about all corporate norms and traditions.
This type of HR interview questions allows the employer to find out what are your plans for the future, do you plan to develop as a professional, and do you want to work in this company for a long time? Also, this question will give you the opportunity to talk about the directions in which you self-motivated to develop as a specialist, what you want to do in this company, how you want to improve it with your skills. You can also give an example of how you were able to improve the condition of your last job over a period of time, and how it helped you in terms of professional development.
Sample answer: Since you are one of the most famous companies in the top wall street companies, during these five years I expect to develop as a specialist in the chosen field, as well as to bend the maximum effort to, to make the company even better in every way.
This is a very tricky HR interview question. Remember that all interview questions and answers, both you and your employer should be honest. So, if you, for example, a good business analyst and such employees are in demand, do not hesitate to say that you went to an interview and other places of work. It is important for the employer to understand how good and in demand you are as a specialist, and he also wants to know how much time he has to make a decision about your employment.
Sample answers: 1) Yes, I am now in an active job search, so I go to every HR round where I am offered a job.
2) I loved your job description very much and it fits into my goals and capabilities, so far your organization is the only one where I came to the HR round.
A very interesting type of HR interview questions, and answers on them contain the answer to one important question for an employer - how do you react to conflict situations when it comes to top management representatives? Will you talk negatively about them, and whether you are a stubborn and ignorant person who will spoil the company’s reputation. And remember, that you categorically can not talk about how disgusting your past boss was (even if he really was). And also, you don’t need to talk about the fact that you thought that the authorities were wrong, and then it turned out that it was you who were wrong. This will not show you well as an employee. But if you still had such situations, then from how the representatives of top management were wrong, it is better to shift the focus to how you managed to avoid the consequences of their mistakes thanks to your hard work and professional skills. Such qualities are highly valued in all employees in all areas.
Sample answer: Answer so as to highlight all your strengths and advantages over other applicants. But at the same time remember that all interview questions and answers should be about your work and not your private life. And also do not forget about politeness, and respect for the previous employer.
When working on your past projects, you have to deal with unpleasant people, especially if there were active members in that organization. When answering this question, do not forget that the world is small, and after listening to your answer, after the interview, your HR can call your former employees and ask them about you.
Sample answer: Answer really as your previous employees would describe you. Even if your particular work has been with minimal supervision and little contact with people, you cannot avoid interview questions and answers of this kind, so prepare the answer to this question in advance. All employers value honesty and openness, and will appreciate your ability to recognize yourself as weak in some things, and the ability to admit your failures. And in addition to all your strengths and qualities, do not forget to mention both failures and weaknesses.
If you have previously worked on vacancies technical expertise and are applying for a vacancy software developer, you will not avoid such interview questions, and answers to that kind of questions should be prepared before the interview. For example, you can say that in your previous career you were not satisfied with some prospects, that you got to know the work better and decided that it did not suit you. Also don't forget to tell how you can apply your past work experience in a new place. In addition, if you can correctly present a seemingly inappropriate experience in a new field of work, this will make an even greater impression on your employer.
Sample answer: My previous work violated my healthy work life balance, because of this I no longer felt self-motivated enough to work on such a job and in this area. I have sufficiently developed technical skills that will help me in programming. Since I worked in another field I may not know all the intricacies of the job, but I am a quick learner, so it will not be a problem to fill in all the gaps in knowledge about the job offered.
If you've been out of work for a while, feel free to explain why. Usually, taking such a break, people devote free time to themselves or their families, improving their qualifications, studying, improving their health due to the serious medical issues, or retraining. In any case, try to give a weighty argument why you decided to take a break. The ability to correctly prioritize at certain moments of life, as well as caring for the people around you, is a fairly serious reason to take a short break from work.
Sample answer: I needed time to solve personal issues (name your reason, do not lie) and after a break I am absolutely ready to work. It is very important for me to have job satisfaction, so I decided to find a job where experienced professionals will be needed to work.
While answering this HR interview question, choose a situation in which you not only did not make mistakes in a state of stress, but also showed your leadership skills and managed to make the situation as good as possible. At the same time, this situation should not be fictitious and indicative. And it will be even better if it concerns your actions as a professional in his field, who, knowing what to do, saved everyone from collapse. But in such a way not forget about honesty.
Sample answer: In stressful situations I usually (describe what exactly you do to not get nervous).
For example, how you will get acquainted with the team, with your rights and duties, and equip your workplace. You can mention that you would like to assess the state of the company before you join, and using your knowledge and skills, offer some improvements or optimization of the workflow. Many things need a fresh look, so the employer will appreciate your desire to improve the state of the company to the best of your ability. But we must not forget, because people who want everything to be as they want only they most often do not like. Adequately assess your capabilities and desires, and correctly combine all this. I do not think that the top management will highly appreciate the criticism in their direction of some assistant to a junior specialist. But do not forget that even working in the most insignificant position in the company, you can improve your work, and the work of the one for which you are responsible. Initiative people are loved, but do not forget that most often the initiative, you know, in most cases is punishable, and your suggestions for improving something will have to be fulfilled by you. But if you do it qualitatively, you will be able to increase the level of respect for you in the team, and you will establish yourself as an employee responsible for your words.
Often, employers ask the applicant questions of a personal nature in order to see how the potential employee will fit into the already formed local corporate culture. Try to share only what you are really interested in and what you really do. But keep your frankness within reason, and try not to tell something that you may later be ashamed of, or that may worsen the employer's opinion of you as an employee. In this case, you risk not getting the desired job.
For example, you may be asked what animal you associate yourself with. There are no right answers to such questions, so they simply reveal to the employer what kind of person you see yourself as and what you associate yourself with. But even when answering questions of this kind, try to emphasize your advantages and strengths. Some questions with very strange conditions are generally asked not in order to get an answer, but in order to see your reaction to very strange circumstances, will you understand what you are being asked and whether you can give a logical answer to even the most illogical question.
If you are going to work for any newly formed firm or organization, you are more likely to be asked questions like “What would you like to change in our organization?” But nevertheless, you can ask it in the old and big global companies. In any case, to answer this question, you need, as far as possible, to get acquainted with the company in which you are going for an interview. The person who asks you this question wants to know how experienced and qualified you are and whether you can take a critical look at the position of the company and its organization. Do not be afraid to offer ideas that will really be useful to this company and help make its work more efficient. But also, don't go too far and never talk about the fact that the company needs to be completely rebuilt, even if it seems to you that it needs to be done. In this case, you risk not only not getting a job, but also getting a bad name from employers, which will make it very difficult for you to find a job.
Even though the decision about your employment will be made on the basis of your answers to certain questions, it is very important to look right. Each company has its own trends and its own culture, and if you have the opportunity to find out how it is customary to dress in a particular company, then I advise you to dress as it is accepted there. In addition to the fact that you will come in the clothes that are customary to wear in a particular team, you will also please the employer with attention to his company. If you do not have the opportunity to find out such information, you will have to dress in accordance with generally accepted standards, and hope that you will make the right impression on the employer.
In any case, your clothes should be clean, neat and intact. The same goes for shoes. Clothing style - business. This does not always mean that you can come in a business suit (although why not, in fact, this is a fairly safe and generally accepted universal option). The business style in clothes is characterized by restraint and conservatism. Bright colors should be eliminated right there - they may misrepresent you. Any employer who does the hiring process for people very subtly studies psychology, and colors as well. Try to choose soft and muted colors that will speak of you as a serious and reserved, reasonable person.
Makeup should rather emphasize naturalness, also try to avoid too bright and catchy colors. Decorations are allowed, but don't go overboard with them, as they can also say a lot about their wearer.
If you're going to work in a field that values creativity, things are very different. Here you can express your individuality both through clothes and through jewelry and make-up. But do not forget about cleanliness and pleasantness. Even when choosing multi-colored clothes and doing creative makeup, do not forget about the harmony of color. And again, if possible, check out the corporate regulations. Who knows, suddenly, in the company you have chosen, designers also go in business suits and ties.
An interview is a dialogue between two people. This means that you can and even need to ask questions that interest you. Do not forget that not only the employer chooses the employee, but the employee also chooses where he will work, and it may not suit you. And in order to avoid various embarrassing situations and disappointment from work after you have settled there, it is better to find out about everything that worries you in advance. It will also testify to you as a person who knows how to hold a conversation, and who is interested in what he needs, and also has his own comfort limits and expects others to respect them. Nobody looks for a job to suffer, so never be afraid to ask and clarify what interests you.
It is worth knowing what goals the company sets for new employees, and how much you can achieve them. This is important to know in advance, as there are times when a new employee is faced with a huge amount of work that the person before him did not complete, or he is asked to do something that he should not do. Or any goals of the company in which this or that person is going to work can violate the goals for the life of the employee himself. And in order to avoid such unpleasant and incidental moments, it is worth clarifying them in advance, in order, in extreme cases, to be ready for an additional load at first. In any case, if you have been honest with the employer throughout the entire interview, you have every moral right to expect the same honesty from him.
Before starting work in a new place, it is worth clarifying what exactly you should do and what not, and what area of work is your responsibility. This is also worth doing so that later no one can take advantage of your ignorance of your specific duties, and force you to do something that is not your job. Also, if you have already agreed on how much money you will receive for your work, having heard the answer to this question, you will be able to compare the work that you will need to do with the payment that you will receive for it.
This is important to know, because if people have already worked in this vacancy before you, you will need to familiarize yourself with the corporate standards that they personally set in a certain area of work. They can also leave behind a complete mess and confusion in all important documents or data (this may be the reason why this workplace has been vacated). Unfortunately, such cases are not isolated and occur quite often. But you will be lucky if this vacancy has just opened in this organization, and you will be the first employee to fill it. In this case, you have a chance to customize the work as it is convenient for you, and not to adapt to existing norms and rules.
It is important for the hiring process to know this at least in order to know who will be your immediate supervisor to turn to for help or advice if something happens. It is also good to know the hierarchy of the company you have chosen and to understand who reports to whom where and how. Moreover, in some organizations, all the rules regarding subordination are very highly respected, and you need to know who and how you can treat, and who should not. Of course, you can then learn this from your new employees, but why not do it right away at the interview?
If you're looking for long-term employment and want to know how much you can achieve while working hard, you'd better know right away what you should expect from this job. This issue is very important, since career growth is the most important result of labor for each employee.
If you are forced to do some overtime work, you should find out if it will be paid in any way, and whether it is worth doing it at all, or give the employer the hope that he will be able to use you for free after hours. It is worth mentioning that in large international organizations and corporations, usually all processing is always paid, as well as additional work, if any.
For many people, an individual schedule is very important. For example, if you have children who need to be brought to school or kindergarten, or you are undergoing treatment, which may coincide in time with your working hours. All these moments before you get a job. Basically, there is almost no opportunity to create an individual work schedule for yourself, but if you prove yourself during work as a responsible employee who copes well with his duties, you may be given the opportunity to adjust your schedule.
Don't be afraid to talk to your employer. Do not be afraid to communicate with him, this is the same person as you who does his job. Do not lie in any way. If you were asked about something personal or unpleasant for you, it is better to answer as it is without going into details. Do not be afraid to ask questions and be interested, as your interest is useful to you. It is in your interest to find the most pleasant and suitable job for you, in which you will feel comfortable working. Remember that the first impression is the most important. Wear restrained and neat clothes, behave politely and restrainedly, do not forget about manners. Also control your involuntary movements, for example, if your leg twitches from stress, try to control it. Too nervous people are afraid and may not be hired just because of such trifles that seem to have no strong significance.
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