What questions should you expect in an HR manager interview?
Interviews are an important aspect of the hiring process if you want to work in HR management. These offer you the best chance to prove that you are capable of performing the job. Your ability to respond to questions in a straightforward and relevant manner will help you stand out from the competition.
In addition to some suggestions for crafting your responses, we’ve put together a sample of 25 interview questions for HR managers. There are countless possible interview questions, and companies typically use a wide variety of them. We have concentrated on the four types of questions in this article: situational, behavioral, role-specific, and personal. Let’s get started!
Frequently asked personal questions
People frequently use personal questions as icebreakers to learn more about you as a person and your goals in life. These types of questions will look like the following:
- “Give me a brief introduction to yourself.”
Be concise in your response. Avoid going into needless detail or revealing too much about your personal life. After summarizing your work experience and education, concentrate on your current role. You can outline your duties and give an overview of a current project or effort that you are working on. Emphasize your areas of success and areas of interest.
- “What inspired you to pursue a career in HR?”
It’s fantastic that you choose to pursue a profession in human resources, and you can explain why and what you find appealing about it. It’s also acceptable if you entered via a different path. You don’t have to act as though working in human resources was always your dream job. You can discuss how you’ve used your broader experience from employment in various industries and occupations to your advantage in HR.
- “In five years, where do you see yourself in your career?”
Be truthful during the interview as the interviewer is trying to determine whether your objectives match the prospects the role or company may provide. Tell them about any other goals you may have, such as becoming a specialist in a particular field. Describe what steps you intend to take to bring this about.
Be honest about the options you’re thinking about if you’re unsure. You want them to know that you’re ambitious and that you’ve thought things out. As you consider your options for the future, you may highlight how dedicated you are to this specific role.
- “What would your managers and coworkers from the past and present say about you?”
Naturally, you want to project your best qualities, but it’s equally critical to project humility. Recognize the good things people think of you, but don’t overstate them. The interviewer wants to know if you are sincere and is searching for honesty. You might discuss the qualities that your coworkers have expressed they like about you, or you can cite the rating that your boss gave you on your latest performance review.
- “Why are you applying for the position of HR manager?”
In order to prove that you are not merely sending out generic applications, your response should explain why you are interested in this particular position/company. Prove that you have done your homework on the company, why it interests you, and how you would fit in well.
You may also explain your reasons for wanting to quit your job. Express your desire for a more demanding role that will allow you to utilize your skills to their fullest. If you’re looking for a new job because you’re unhappy in your current one, try to keep your criticism of them to yourself, even if it’s justified. Having a bitter attitude can reflect poorly on you. Saying “I’m searching for a healthier working environment” is preferable to saying “My present company is a horrible place to work.”
Interview questions specific to the role
A wide range of abilities and expertise are needed for HR manager roles. Role-specific interview questions are designed to find out if you have the skills necessary to do the job. Here are a few examples:
- “How do your training and experience make you a good fit for this position?”
You need to provide specifics since the interviewer wants to know if your background and education are a good fit for the role. This is your chance to explicitly connect your prior duties and accomplishments to the job description and the principles of HR management.
You can even go one step further and discuss how your unique traits have helped you perform your job well.
- “What do you like best about your job in HR?”
It could be difficult for you to focus your response on just one aspect of HR because you most likely appreciate a lot of them. Is it assisting and collaborating with employees directly? Is it the significant effect it has on the company? Perhaps you enjoy that HR requires you to use so many of your abilities and entails a wide range of tasks.
Choose the aspect of your job that you would miss the most if it were eliminated, then begin by describing your favorite part of it. You might then go on to discuss a few other features that you particularly like. The greater your appreciation for human resources, the more your work will reflect your passion.
- “What attributes do you have as an HR manager that will help you achieve results for our company?”
Recognize that your responsibilities as an HR manager extend beyond managing benefits and hiring candidates. Rather, it involves making sure every procedure operates as intended in order to forward the company’s goals. (There is no purpose in selecting the wrong candidate for a position or ineffectively resolving conflicts among employees.)
Describe your definition of successful people management and your success criteria. Be ready to describe a project you would like to undertake and how it might affect the financial performance of this organization.
- “What project management experience do you have as an HR manager?”
This question is designed to find out if you can manage issues and offer solutions while overseeing a group of people and working on a project. Your answer should demonstrate your effective communication abilities, as well as your capacity to inspire others and identify the root of issues.
If you haven’t been in charge of an HR project team, you can talk about a moment when you were a member of a team and saw excellent leadership. You may also give an example of a volunteer position you held in your personal life or a team you led in a different industry.
- “What is your background in using HR software?”
Software and data are essential components of modern HR. Employers will ideally search for applicants that have prior expertise with the initiatives they are aiming to develop or put in place. Explain the scope of your knowledge with other systems and your knack for picking up new tools and software fast if you haven’t worked with their system.
- “How do you go about finding qualified applicants for your recruitment process?”
The interviewer wants to know if your approach to hiring complements the company’s present procedures or has room for improvement. It’s critical to demonstrate your sound judgment by putting together a thorough strategy that includes all of the essential components, like:
Recognizing the exact requirements for available roles in order to match qualified individuals.
Employment postings that are clear, concise, and integrate the business brand.
Good communication with candidates.
A comprehensive interview and application procedure.
Using cutting-edge hiring techniques (social media, specialized job sites, past candidates, etc.)
- “In the next five years, what do you think will happen that will impact and transform HR?”
Astute HR managers understand how much change is inevitable in the sector. They have to keep up with new developments in HR. Inform the interviewer that you are aware of potential issues that could impact HR and its future course.
Discuss the potential effects of an issue, such as artificial intelligence, remote hiring and working, or diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. You can demonstrate that you’re up to date on industry studies and trends by citing information from conferences, trade journals, and other sources related to HR.
Interview questions related to behavior
An HR manager must possess a healthy mix of decisiveness and empathy. Behavioral interview questions are designed to gauge your ability to solve problems and how you handle different situations. Among the possible questions are:
- “Please elaborate on your style of management.”
You can tell the interviewer how you lead and how you prefer to be led by mentioning the style of leadership you lean toward. It’s crucial to show that you are adaptable and willing to attempt new approaches that the company supports, though.
Make sure to highlight, with concrete examples from your previous HR responsibilities, your experience in coaching and inspiring staff members. You might outline the management style you intend to take and that you have appreciated in others if you’re looking for your first managerial job.
- “What do you think are your best qualities, and where do you think you could improve?”
This is your chance to show the interviewer who you really are. Clearly demonstrate your strengths in relation to the responsibilities of this position and the company’s core principles. Next, you ought to support them with a succinct description of an instance in which your skills contributed to success.
Interviewers are not expecting you to disclose your greatest weakness. They will be interested to see how you address the idea that there is room for improvement, though. To turn things around, consider a challenge you’ve faced in the past that you conquered by being self-aware enough to see your errors.
An alternative would be to select a weakness that is unrelated to this specific work (“I need to be challenged, or I get bored”) or one that can be readily overcome with training (“I’d like to improve my data analytics skills”). You ought to discuss your approach to growing in this field as well.
- “Describe your HR mentor(s) to me.”
The interviewer gets a glimpse of your personality by learning about your mentors. They can see what sort of person motivates you and that you’re open to learning from others and pursuing personal development. Even if you don’t personally know a particular mentor, you can talk about influential HR industry professionals who you admire and follow.
- “Explain how you handle pressure at work.”
Under difficult conditions, HR managers must maintain composure, reason logically, and behave responsibly. You must demonstrate your abilities to a prospective employer. Be ready to provide an example of how you’ve developed your ability to solve problems, manage your time, and make decisions under pressure in the workplace.
Given the pressure of an interview, answering this question with composure and assurance will support your points.
- “How would you define a positive work environment?”
The interviewer wants to know if you think you could improve the corporate culture or if HR managers have an impact on your workers’ general work environment.
You can explain the type of environment that allows you to produce your best work. This might include interpersonal attitudes and behaviors as well as leadership factors pertaining to cooperation, communication, and staff input. You can also express your thoughts about how to improve the inclusive, encouraging environment at work.
- “Describe an instance where you helped your employer in any way or your company improved as a result of your management advice.”
Refer to a time when you realized something needed to be fixed or improved. Next, discuss the actions you took to win over management and implement the changes that proved successful.
If this illustration doesn’t seem like a huge accomplishment, don’t stress. Even if the kinds of positions you’ve held have limited your influence, your example can still be powerful. A modest achievement that relates to this role or the organization’s principles can serve as a strong example of your ability.
- “What is your background in handling internal conflicts in an organization?”
One of the most important duties of HR managers is to resolve interpersonal issues. The interviewer is looking for confirmation that you can look at the big picture, grasp both sides of the issue, and resolve the conflict in a professional manner.
Give an example of how you resolved a dispute and explain the circumstance, how it arose, and the exact steps you followed to achieve a successful outcome.
- “Which of your successes do you feel most proud of?”
Here’s your time to celebrate your accomplishments with pride and excitement. You should stay with anything from your profession and not your personal life, even if the interviewer doesn’t say so. Your response can highlight your professional development as well as the qualifications, experience, qualities, and background you can provide the position.
- “Would you like to ask us any questions?”
Always be prepared with a few questions in advance, in addition to any that come to mind during the interview. By posing questions, you’ll come across as interested and involved in the position.
An ideal place to start is with a question that is based on your research about the company. Try not to think about the benefits the work will provide. Instead, focus on role-specific details or show interest in the organization.
Situation-specific interview questions
HR managers frequently handle intricate and varied problems and situations. Situational interview questions assess your ability to manage common business situations and reveal information about your mental processes and communication techniques. For HR managers, here are some example scenario interview questions:
- “How would you present the concept of changing something within the organization to other staff members?”
Every workplace will experience change, so you must show that you can handle it. Talk about a time you had to persuade a team of workers that a particular adjustment was required. Say that you worked to understand and support their perspective rather than merely imposing your authority because you recognize that most individuals are accustomed to their routines and may not be amenable to change.
In addition, describe how, despite your mixed emotions about this change, you led by example by maintaining an optimistic outlook.
- “During your time working in HR, have you ever decided to stray from company policy?”
A crucial responsibility of an HR manager is policy enforcement. No policy can be precisely implemented to every circumstance. Therefore, occasionally you may need to apply good judgment to make difficult decisions or suggest changes.
If you have experienced something similar, describe how you considered it carefully and came to the conclusion that the deviation was acceptable. Make sure to specify the precise reasons you decided to take this chance.
- “Can you provide an instance from your past role where you dealt with an unethical situation?”
HR managers need to be ethical professionals who uphold the organization’s ethical standards. When responding to this question, you should describe a situation in which you saw unethical behavior and decided to confront it by following the correct procedures.
In the absence of a personal example, you may explain how you would respond in a hypothetical situation.
- “Have you managed or worked with a group of employees that came from different backgrounds? If so, please describe the experience.”
The interviewer should be reassured by your response that you have worked in a variety of settings and are at ease around a wide spectrum of individuals. Tell a story about a time when you worked well with individuals who are not like you. Talk about how you resolved disagreements and gained knowledge from having different viewpoints.
General advice on getting ready
Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself more generally for an HR manager interview:
- Know your strengths going into the meeting and emphasize the ones that the organization values most.
- Make sure you learn a great deal about the company and give specifics that demonstrate your understanding of their operations.
- Look for opportunities to highlight your qualifications for the job and your possession of the skills and abilities they require.
In sum
Planning ahead for the interview will boost your confidence when presenting yourself, whether you’re applying for a new position or a promotion within your present organization. Furthermore, well-considered answers to HR Manager interview questions accurately represent your qualifications and help you and the hiring company get the most out of the interview.