HR Job Interview Questions and Instructions

The key to making a job interview successful is preparation. A person who is prepared overcomes tension and nervousness and exudes a peaceful spirit despite pressures in the interview.

I drafted 31 common “Questions and Instructions”. This “Q & I” was extracted from different people behind the virtual world to give you [fresher] an idea on how to formulate your own answers and to keep you away from nerve-racking situations. You must not use them verbatim or adopt them as your own.

Read as follows:

Tell me about yourself. The answer should relate a little personality to professionally. Start by stating your education; how your education prepared you for the position, and what your strongest point is that could be an asset to the company. Limit your time on answering the question; around two minutes is enough. Be careful about your answer not to sound rehearsed. The recruiter is only trying to find out how well you express yourself, so stay who you are and relax.

Why do you want to work for this company? The recruiter is trying to determine what you know about the company. Doing research about the company will give you a good answer to this question and it will also show your willingness to make a commitment to the job. You may answer as follows: “The company is high profile and it is a consistent leader in the market. It is my privilege to be associated with that unparalleled image.”

                                                                                  

What are your career goals? Likewise, “Where do you see yourself 5, 10, or 20 years from now?” The recruiter is trying to figure out your longevity in the company whether you will stay in the company on a long-term basis or whether or not you will be using this position for higher ambitions in one way or another objective. The recruiter may also want to know your expectations of the company in order to determine if the company will be able to satisfy your professional needs. Talk about your professional goals, not about little personal matters like whether you want the recruiter’s job or the interviewer’s job. It could kick you out. For example: “I want to work in a company where windows of rich opportunities exist like becoming a top performing employee and continually grow, and have a chance to move up to the company ladder.”

What is your strength? It talks about your edge over everyone. Stress out your strongest point by conducting a self-assessment. You cannot do this without knowing yourself first. Differentiating yourself is very crucial because it will define who you are among other job applicants. You may think of what you can do that others cannot. Think of something unique and yet impressive.

What is your greatest weakness? Honesty is the best policy. Don’t say you don’t have it because no one will buy to it; the recruiter will only think you’re lying. Think of weaknesses that could turn positive but be careful to divulge information that could blow your chances of being hired. You may answer the same this, “I find it hard to speak fluently in English so I did take Call Center Agent Training/Foreign Language Tutorial to overcome that gap.”

What is your expected salary? You don’t have the right to raise numbers unless you have work experience that could justify your salary should not be lower than your last. This involves employee benefits so be ready to discuss whatever you may be offered. Answer this question the same as “The work should always be more important than money but I am also expecting a salary that is both just and fair for my effort. The lowest number in salary should not be lower than what I am willing to do for the job. May I ask what you have in mind or can you tell me the range for this position?”

Are you willing to do overtime? Answer yes. It’s hard to find a job so why say no. Besides, you are obliged to do overtime if necessary to the nature of your work. This will give you additional points of showing that you do have a sense of commitment and you are a goal-driven or results-oriented rather than a time-conscious person.

What motivates you? Say something that could build up your work values, personality, and character. For example, “Being a part of a humane working environment that pays both fair and just compensation where the management acknowledges my contribution for the effort I made.”

What do you look for in an employer? Say positive as you can. Think of some managerial skills and leadership approaches. Like Having a sense of humor, being Approachable, Thoughtful, Understanding, and Impartial; then expound these character traits.

Do you consider yourself successful? Always answer yes and briefly elaborate why.

What do you know about this organization? This is a chance to show you do research the company before the interview. Browse the company by skimming its company statements/mission, vision, goals, objectives, status, history, and career.

Are you applying for other jobs? Be honest. If you have applied for other jobs say so but if you have not, talk about your plans about it.

Are you a team player? Could you work better in a team or alone? The recruiter is trying to figure out your ability to get along with others. This will assess your suitability for the company. Always say yes to this question then justify your answer. Example, “Yes of course. In school, I always find excitement in group work activities. It gives me a chance to express myself. It gives me continual learning by sharing some thoughts to produce a good output in the activities.”

How long would you expect to work for us if hired? This is when the recruiter begins to discuss your career plans in the company. Point out your specific career goals for them to know if you meet their expectations and if they meet yours. For example, “As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job and I’m growing professionally and of course, keep motivated and challenged, there is no reason for me to make a move.”

What is your philosophy toward work? Discuss your work/management style, or describe your work ethics or values which could benefit the company that could label you as an ideal candidate for the position.

Why should we hire you? Market yourself. Explain how you would be an asset to the company. Give several reasons like skills, abilities, and interests. Draws out your strongest point and make differentiation yourself from the applicant to come up with a unique quality within you.

Tell me about your dream job. If you say your dream job is the position you are applying for, it means that you are determined. But if you say other jobs, it means you will have a tendency to be job dissatisfied if hired from the position you are applying for.

Do you know anyone who works for us? Say yes if you do especially if it is a family member. Never dwell on people who could not give you a glowing personal reference like someone you don’t like or you can’t count on or can’t trust unless the recruiter brings up a name and ask you about a specific employee at the company.

What kind of person, would you refuse to work with? Stay focused on being positive and keep things professional. Don’t degrade people by their personalities which you don’t like. Also don’t discuss something which could discriminate against race, class, or gender. If you discuss one particular or more, it means you can’t manage to get along with any other types of people.

What is more important to you: the money or the work? Work comes first. But in analyzing the question, the answer is both. Work is important because you need to survive. If you work, you’ll get paid. [in the form of money]

Tell me about your ability to work under pressure. Talk about how you surpass with working under pressure in school like submitting requirements, assignments, projects, or group work, or try to show how you prepared for exams while doing a thesis or any stressful situations which benefited your learning experience.

Are you willing to relocate? If you want the job say yes but if you want to work not far from your family say no. If your priority is to get a job say yes but if you have restrictions say no.

Do you have any blind spots? You cannot say you have blind spots because you wouldn’t know about them. But if you know, they are no longer blind spots. Blind spots are not meant to be revealed. Let the recruiter or the employer know your bad points.

If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you be looking for? Say something that would relate to your qualifications. Do it discreetly knowing that you recommend yourself as the best candidate for the position.

Do you think you are overqualified for this position? Say you are well qualified for the position. State again your strongest qualifications and why you should be hired.

How has your education prepared you for your career? Talk about what have you done in the past year. Talk about some meaningful educational opportunities you have participated in in order to be prepared for your career goals. An example, “My education taught me not only on the fundamental theories I learned but also focus on practical application such as formulating and organizing a training program for out-of-school youth to be educated in computer literacy. The said training program is part of the subject prerequisites back at my undergraduate degree.”

If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say? This is background checking. Ask a professor before the interview or as much as possible early at the time before you graduate. If they provide a glowing personal reference, ask them for a letter of recommendation. Present the letter of recommendation if the recruiter asks this question. It may go this way, “I believe he/she would say I’m courteous, industrious, and energetic. May I show you his/her letter of recommendation, if you want to see the details?”

If you had to live your life over again, what would you change? Anything that happened in the past should not be singled out as a missed opportunity. The past makes who you are and the future is the chances you want to be. Focus on the future. Make the best of yourself by stopping thinking of regrets.

What do you do in your spare time? Pick an interest or hobby that could relate to the position. Only mention an active and productive activity such as basketball, volunteering at charity events, or being associated with environmental societies. You could also mention you love reading, it hints you are a hunger for new ideas and learning.

Why did you choose this line of work? The recruiter would like to know how passionate you are about your chosen career. Talk about how you chose your course to the point you decided on your profession. Is it your personal choice or does somebody influence you? What interests you most about the said course? Or is it you feel you could become successful in the field you chose.

The key here is to create your own answer based on your capacity. That is all. I hope you digest some of it.