Interview HR Questions

Interview HR Questions


Here are a list of some important Interview Questions.


Develop excellent answers


Practice!

Be enthusiastic and confident when responding to questions. Don't rush your answers, but don't ramble on and on, either. Try to, um, avoid, like, using unnecessary words, right? And um, repeating yourself or, like, annoying phrases, you know?
A good technique is to write out your answers to the questions you anticipate, and then edit them to make them more concise. Then practice your polished answers out loud, over and over. If you can have someone help you do a "mock interview," that would be the best way to do this.
Most questions will relate either to your ability to do the job or to the type of employee you will be. Here's one that is very commonly used to help the interviewer learn about both:


"Tell me a little about yourself."


When responding to this request, you should focus on both your personal and professional values. Always be honest, but talk about your best traits only, especially those that relate to the position for which you are applying. Highlight experiences and accomplishments you are most proud of. Here's an example:
"I'm an experienced communications specialist with extensive knowledge of public information tools and techniques. I've developed comprehensive communication plans for major public events, written dozens of articles accepted by worldwide publications, and created specialized educational programs for adults and students. I am always eager to learn new methods and procedures, and have implemented continuous improvement techniques in my past positions that saved money and increased productivity. I like working with people and enjoy group projects, but am also a self-starter who doesn't mind working on my own. I'm a volunteer with the local chapter of Special Olympics and enjoy participating in community events. My goals are to complete my Master's Degree and broaden my experiences with community relations."
Remember to tailor your response to the specific job. By studying the job announcement, you'll get a good idea of the skills and experience being sought. Work those into your response.
Consider this your own personal commercial. If the interview consisted of only this ONE chance to sell yourself, what would you say?


"What do you feel has been your greatest work-related accomplishment?"


Choose one example from your past that was important to you and helped the company you worked for. Give specific details about what you did, how you did it, and what the results were. Try to pick an accomplishment that relates to the position for which you are applying. Employers like to hear about accomplishments that reduced expenses, raised revenues, solved problems or enhanced a company's reputation.


"What is your greatest strength?"

This is a great chance to highlight your best skills. Don't pick just one, focus on your top three or four. Some examples are: leadership skills, team-building skills, and organizational skills. Determine which strengths would fit best with the position for which you are applying. For example, if the job announcement stresses the ability to handle multiple tasks, you could say: "I'm good at organizational skills, prioritization and time management. But my greatest strength is my ability to effectively handle multiple projects and deadlines."


"What is your greatest weakness?"

As every coin has 2 sides in it i too have weakness.
) One of my weaknesses as I perceive is occasional compromise on time for quality and perfection.


2) I feel I am not very detail-oriented. I’m a person that wants accomplish as much as possible. I realized this hurts quality and therefore I‘m trying hard to find a balance between quality and quantity.


3) At times even when I need help, I try to solve my own problems instead of asking a co-worker who might know the answer. This would save me more time and I would be more efficient. I’m working on knowing when it would be beneficial to ask for help.`


4) I believe one of my weaknesses is my impatience. Whenever I work in a team and any of the team members don’t perform up to the expectation, I get impatient and annoyed. I understand if they are working hard and if their portion is difficult, but sometimes a person can’t do the assignment due to incompetence and laziness. I know I can help out by explaining things to some people and encouraging lazy people by reminding them of deadlines. I know it’s bad to be impatient, but I’m definitely working on it.
Be careful with this one. Most interview guides will tell you to answer it with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a bit of a perfectionist." Interviewers have heard these "canned" answers over and over again. To stand out, be more original and state a true weakness, but then emphasize what you've done to overcome it. For example: "I've had trouble delegating duties to others because I felt I could do things better myself. This has sometimes backfired because I'd end up with more than I could handle and the quality of my work would suffer. But I've taken courses in time management and learned effective delegation techniques, and I feel I've overcome this weakness."

IMPORTANT: Be sure the weakness you talk about is NOT a key element of the position!




"How do you handle stressful situations?"

Give some examples of stressful situations you've dealt with in the past. Tell how you use time management, problem-solving or decision-making skills to reduce stress. For example, tell them that making a "to-do" list helps. Site stress-reducing techniques such as stretching and taking a break. Don't be afaid to admit that you will ask for assistance if you are feeling overwhelmed.
If it's true, say you actually work better under pressure.



"What is the toughest problem you've had to face, and how did you overcome it?"

Try to make this about a problem that faced your company and not just you or your particular work group. The bigger the problem, the better. Give specific examples of the skills and techniques you used to resolve this problem. Emphasize the successful results. Be generous in sharing credit if it was a team effort, but be sure to highlight your specific role.



"Have you ever had to discipline a problem employee? If so, how did you handle it?"

This is a likely question if the position for which you are applying requires supervisory duties. Explain how you used problem-solving skills, listening skills, and coaching skills to help the employee. If those techniques turned the employee around, be sure to say so. If those techniques failed, tell how you followed the company's policies and what the end result was.


"Why do you want this position?"

Here's where your research about the company will help you stand out among the other candidates. Explain how you've always wanted the opportunity to work with a company that... provides a vital public service, leads the industry in innovative products, whatever... find something specific about that company that you can tie in with your answer. Explain how your qualifications and goals complement the company's mission, vision and values (use specific examples). If you are applying for a position in a company for which you already work, explain how you'll be able to apply and expand on the knowledge and experience you've gained from your current position, and will be able to increase your contributions and value to the company through your new responsibilities.


"Why are you the best person for this job?"

As with all other questions, be confident and enthusiastic when you answer this. Don't try to say you are the best qualified person, because you don't know the qualifications of the other applicants. Instead, emphasize several reasons why you should be hired. For example: "I've got extensive experience in [name the appropriate field] and have the specific skills you are looking for. I'm a fast learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground running. I'm dedicated and enthusiastic about helping your company meet its goals, and will provide top-quality results with minimal oversite. I'm an outstanding performer who takes pride in my work. You won't have any regrets when you hire me."



Why should we hire you?

The interviewer asks this question just to find out how your skills, experience and knowledge can add value to the job.Well to answer this question you need to learn what they are looking for and then tie them with your strengths. This ensures that you are a viable fit for the position.

The more detail you give the stronger your answers will be. Try to summarize all your accomplishments and relate what makes you unique.


Your answers can be:


1) You should hire me because I’m the best person for the job. I realize that there are likely other candidates who also have the ability to do this job. Yet I bring an additional quality that makes me the best person for the job - my passion for excellence. I am passionately committed to producing truly class results.


2) I believe I’m the perfect fit for this position. I’m very detail oriented, and I organize my work and time very efficiently. But what makes me unique? If I were in your position I would hire myself because of the passion for this industry and my optimistic personality. I want to make more of an impact than just doing my job. I don’t want to blend in with the company; I would rather want my addition to improve it.


3) There are two reasons I should be hired. Firstly, my qualifications match your needs perfectly. Secondly I’m excited and passionate about this industry and the position and will always give my 100%.


4) You should definitely hire me. I have a proven track record of success throughout my education. My education graph always kept roaring with time. This position requires someone who has the ability to solve problems quickly and who can logically add value to the job. I believe my skills and abilities matches perfectly with the requirement and what makes me the unique candidate is my passion towards my work and industry. So I’m confident I’ll be the best candidate for this position.


5) I’m a perfect fit for this position. I have three years of experience in this technology and my skills enable me to develop better products in less time. On top of that I’m a great team player that gets a long with everyone.


6) This position seeks a Quality Assurance Manager, I’m confident I’m the best person for this job. I have earlier worked with xyz Software Company and I was in charge of a team that was responsible for the quality of three different applications. I have adept knowledge in Quality assurance, Product support and even some creative processes that will benefit a quality assurance team. I love mentoring junior employees since I believe in sharing knowledge to everyone in the company who work with me. So I strongly believe that I’ll be the best candidate due to the combination of my experience, my management skills, abilities and my desire to provide growth in employees.


Always remember: “Never compare yourself to other applicants who are vying for the same position”


Where do you see yourself five years from now?

Well this is a similar question to the short term question but you need to answer them differently.


Some answers are:


1) I see myself as a ¬Senior Software Engineer in your esteemed organization where by with all my enhanced learning and skill, I shall be able to make up a valuable and meaningful contribution to your organization.


2) In five years, I want to be a senior analyst (Senior Software Engineer/Manager/Lead). I want to expertise to directly impact the company in a positive way.


3) Although I really enjoy working as a Software Engineer, I want to eventually become a manager. I want to continue gaining experience, and after learning many different aspects, I see myself in management.


4) Five years from now I see myself as a marketing manager. I am going to be learning and gaining experience until then. I know there are a lot of things to learn, but I’m going to be working hard for the next five years. I Know opportunity knock the door of great workers and I’m going to try to be one of them.


Can You Work well Under Pressure?

The best answer to this question is “Yes”. Working well under pressure is a good strength to have. But saying yes is not enough; you need to explain how you can handle pressure situation to bring the best out of it. Tell the interviewer that you work the same with pressure and without pressure.


You can answer as:


1) Sir, I can handle pressure of work. Whenever there is pressure of work, we need to tackle it from the mental and physical stand-point. Mental stand-point would mean being in a state of relaxation and composure so that I do not feel stressed out during the course of my work and from physical stand-point; I always prioritize my job in their exact order of merit and importance so that I can dispose them off quickly and effectively.


2) I work well under pressure because I don’t panic. I use the pressure to help me work more efficiently. I maintain self control and work as efficiently as possible. At times, I try to prioritize and plan as much as I can.


3) Working under pressure has always been a learning experience for me because it helps me grow. I have always worked well during deadline, and I always learned how to work more efficiently afterwards.


4) Well I believe I work the same if there’s pressure or not. I try and take the emotional factors and work hard regardless of down time. I always prioritize and organize my work and hence that gives me a Psychological advantage over pressure. At times whenever time becomes a constraint I put extra effort and time to meet the deadline. So pressure has nothing to do with my work.



What do you know about this company?

The interviewer simply wants to check out whether you have come prepared. Your answers also signify how passionate you are for the job and the company. Therefore it’s a very important question. Your answer should reflect your knowledge about the company and passion for the job. If you state a simple answer and use tags it will definitely show that you have not done sufficient research.


You don’t have to list everything you know… just enough to let them know that you did your homework. Also, take a little time to give the company a compliment such as the last sentence. It is a psychological tool that you should use to your advantage. This type of compliment is directed at the company and the interviewer will be happy to hear this.


Your can say:


1) This company is the leader in delivering IT Solutions. It’s a global company in 18 different countries, and finally it’s one of the best companies to work for.


2) I learned that this Company has a great work environment and is an employee oriented. It’s a place where strong contributors are rewarded. I want to work for a company with opportunities and I know this company will definitely provide me.


3) I learned that this company provides a strong core competency, very strong value systems and best practices so I believe I have a strong vision of viewing myself as a member of this company. Also it has one of the fastest growth rates and turnover in the industry and that would mean a faster growth rate for me as a professional.


4) The practices of your company are more employee and customer oriented. Also I learned from sources that this company provides services to large corporations and is a leader in IT Solutions. That’s why I ‘m excited to have the opportunity to join this company.



How do you evaluate success?

Here the interviewer simply wants to know what success means to you in your professional and personal life. Many people view success in terms of power, wealth, or fame. But many of the most enduring and satisfying forms of success have nothing do with acquiring power, wealth, or fame. Success is what you make it. For some people it is just keeping busy, having fun and enjoying life as never before.


Your answers can be:


1) If my contribution has positively benefited my company, than that’s “Success” for me. From the personal front, success to me is fulfilling my parents dream.


2) Success to me is to set a goal, plan the steps to achieve the goal, implement the plan and finally achieve the goal.


3) Success to me means satisfaction for whatever I do. If I am at my workplace, positive result gives me the satisfaction and at home happiness in parent’s eyes gives me the satisfaction.


4) Success to me means completing a task or assignment in an excellent manner and within the stipulated time. But if it was a group project and say only two people did the work, I wouldn’t call that success. If everyone participated and worked together, then it’s a success. Therefore I believe both the result and the process should be great to call something a success.



Why should I hire u?

You've got the opportunity and I've got the ability to fulfill that opportunity. So let's exchange the vows.


How long would you stay with us?

As long as I am confident of contributing effectively to the organization. I am looking forward for a long term relationship