What are the top HR generalist interview questions?
No hiring process is complete without the interview, whether it’s in-person or online. You should be well-prepared for the interview and able to confidently answer any questions thrown your way if you are applying for the position of HR Generalist. Take advantage of this chance to demonstrate how you can help the company with their HR objectives and find out if you’re a good fit with the company.
We have included a list of 28 questions that are common in HR generalist interviews, along with some suggestions on how to answer them, in this post. Find out by reading on!
Most companies start their human resources journey by hiring an HR generalist, a position that covers a wide range of responsibilities. As opposed to working in a narrow specialty, this individual is responsible for a wide variety of tasks.
As a result, your HR generalist interview questions may differ substantially from one organization to the next, depending on their specific demands and requirements. You should be well-prepared for various sorts of interview questions in addition to having a solid grasp of your own abilities, experience, education, and background. These questions might vary from being situational to being role-specific.
No need to fret, though! Here are some sample questions that you may use to prepare for your HR generalist interview. We have included sample questions and interview-winning strategies for each of the five groups.
Questions tailored to each position
Most human resources tasks fall within the purview of the HR Generalist, including but not limited to administration, compensation and benefits, and hiring. Therefore, it is important to have solid general HR knowledge and abilities while applying for jobs. The way you respond to these questions will demonstrate your knowledge of human resources and your fit for the position.
Questions
- What are the most essential considerations for you when creating a new HR policy?
- Please walk me through the procedure for terminating or suspending an employee.
- Are there any measures you can take to guarantee that you adhere to all applicable national rules and regulations?
- Do you think it’s critical to keep track of employee performance metrics and create reports on them?
- To what extent do you think 360-degree assessments can help employees perform better on the job?
- After a victim reports sexual harassment, what happens next?
- Please provide a list of the knowledge and abilities that you believe an HR generalist should have.
- How can you guarantee that all of your records are accurate and current?
Advice on how to respond to these questions
Use your broad knowledge and experience in human resources to your advantage and ace questions like these. In addition to demonstrating your extensive knowledge, they offer a solid basis for making your answer more precise. Be sure to base your responses on what you know about the company and what you’ve researched before applying. Rather than searching for the greatest HR Generalist, your prospective employer is more interested in finding the one who is a good fit for their business. Demonstrate that you can contribute worth to the company by utilizing your skills and knowledge.
Questions about behavior in the interview
Dealing with uncomfortable situations (such as contract termination, rejecting job applicants, or workplace disputes) is a common part of human resources’ work because much of it is people-related. As an HR generalist, your success depends on your ability to strike a balance between being understanding and forceful. During your job interview, the interviewer may ask you questions about your behavior, such as the ones listed below.
Questions
- How can you maintain your composure and productivity while the pressure is on?
- When an employee comes to you with a charge of sexual harassment or discrimination, how would you respond?
- In your opinion, would it be difficult to fire a trusted friend?
- When faced with a potential bias in your job, what steps can you take to avoid it?
Advice on how to respond to these questions
Respond thoughtfully when asked questions like these, and don’t be shy about asking for a moment or two to gather your thoughts before responding. Instead of going for the fastest answer, try to think about how to answer best. One thing to remember is that you should answer professionally and positively, but you also shouldn’t come out as overly indifferent or apathetic. Human resources mostly deals with people, thus the job calls for empathy in addition to expertise. Being professional while still showing empathy is the best approach.
Interview questions based on real-life scenarios
Your behavior and the way you manage challenging HR issues based on your expertise are of utmost importance. Asking you about your past experiences or making you think about hypothetical scenarios that are comparable to those you could face on the job is a common tactic during job interviews.
Questions
- In your prior position, what qualities did you prioritize when hiring new employees?
- Suppose a cultural shift is occurring at your firm. In order to lessen pushback from staff, how would you go about explaining these changes to them?
- Have you ever broken the rules and caused problems with the authorities? Describe your approach to dealing with the problem.
- If an employee were to ask you for sensitive information, how would you respond?
- How would you respond if an employee confided in you about experiencing discrimination at the hands of senior management?
Advice on how to respond to these questions
Your response should be based on your prior experience with similar situations. To address issues like workplace racism, for example, employers aren’t looking for someone who can recite a laundry list of HR ideas. They value practical knowledge, and here is a chance to show them that you have it. Be careful not to share your emotional state or your expected reaction too much. Your ability to respond in a manner that benefits the business the most should be the center of attention here.
Always stay current on all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, as well as any and all business policies and procedures. Particularly when dealing with delicate matters, this should serve as your primary framework for making decisions.
Interview questions related to problem-solving
From employee interactions and business partner management to benefits administration and recruiting, an HR generalist is involved in nearly every facet of human resources. Therefore, it is crucial for an HR generalist to be able to resolve the most critical HR challenges facing your company. Because of this, you can be sure that your job interview will include questions designed to test your problem-solving skills. Questions like this are only examples of what you could face.
Questions
- Would you have any suggestions for a wellness program that we may use to improve morale?
- Can you think of a time when you made a difference at work by advising upper management on how to improve processes or adjust business policy?
- How would you improve talent retention in the face of an unacceptable rate of turnover?
- If you were in charge, what steps would you take to make sure your workers are happy in their jobs?
- As an HR generalist, what do you think is the most difficult aspect of your job? Tell me your strategy for overcoming these obstacles.
- What is your strategy for resolving conflicts with other team members or with leadership?
Advice on how to respond to these questions
Answering these questions accurately requires you to be explicit from the get-go. Simply saying something like, “I would carefully consider the situation and think of a solution accordingly” is not enough. Outline your problem-solving strategies in great detail, making sure to include how you acted in the company’s best interest. To demonstrate your problem-solving abilities, draw on your past experiences.
Also, be sure to provide evidence to support your answer. Job interviews are no exception. Make sure to include numbers while answering problem-solving questions. For instance, you might mention how your initiative led to a drop in undesired turnover or an improvement in the eNPS score of your firm.
Questions that focus on characteristics and drive
The interviewer for the position of HR Generalist will likely ask you about your relevant experience and education, as well as why you are interested in working for the company. Show your character and excitement for the position by coming prepared; this is your chance to shine!
Questions
- Tell me why you want to work for this company.
- In your opinion, what makes you an ideal candidate for the role of HR Generalist at our company?
- Please highlight three areas where you excel in your role as an HR generalist.
- Please tell me what you think of our company’s culture and why you think it would be a good fit for you.
- Please explain how you would be an asset to the company in this role based on your education and work history.
- In your role as an HR generalist, please share your most notable accomplishments and setbacks.
Advice on how to respond to these questions
Our first piece of advice when faced with a question like this is to learn as much as can about the business. It’s not enough to express your enthusiasm for the position to a prospective employer; you must also demonstrate it. Show your enthusiasm and commitment by being prepared to answer questions regarding your interest in the firm and your suitability for the position. You can peruse their online profiles, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed, or browse their social media accounts.
Remember to be aware of your own abilities! There are probably hundreds of other applicants for this position, so you’ll want to show them what sets you apart from the crowd. It could be fluency in a third or fourth language, or an outside viewpoint from a different nation and culture. Keep in mind that these qualities must align with the employer’s expectations; thus, make use of the job description as a roadmap for developing your responses.
Now it’s your turn
Practice makes perfect, as you’ve undoubtedly heard many times before. You should nonetheless arrive at the interview with a broad idea of what to expect and how to act, even though it’s hard to anticipate every possible scenario. If you put in the time and effort, you can become an HR generalist.
