20 Most Important HR Interview Questions For Freshers
Confronting professionals, who have excelled in their fields, can be unnerving. Especially when you are a fresher, and it is your first one-to-one session with the HR interviewer. So here is a list of HR Interview Questions for freshers.
Being so close to your dream job and getting scrutinized for every action and reaction, altogether is deceivingly threatening. It feels as if you are on probation, which is not quite the case. Although, you never know where you get the red flag and why.
However, to solve the mystery of HR interview questions and answer sessions, I have looked upon various profiles. I observed the common factors: fears and myths leading to actionable mistakes, reducing the interviewees’ performance during the interview, altogether.
Create Content effortlessly with The Best Content Writing Course
Below are the common fears and myths regarding the HR interview questions and the environment. Let me break it all down for you and assist you a way forward:
Common Fears
1. Fear of uncertainty: This is quite natural. However, if you insist on thinking about bad luck, rejection, or sounding unauthentic, your actions will seamlessly express your thoughts. Try to prepare all you can rest leave it to the future. To reduce anxiety research well about the company and job, be genuine, and keep on practicing.
2. Fear of incapability: Yes, interviews are tough. Sometimes this mere thought is enough to roll heads. However, if you visualize your strengths and understand your weaknesses, not as hindrances rather as an area of improvement, you will see yourself as a unique person, which will conquer the fear and assist you in preparing calmly.
3. Fear of not getting to the point: First of all, it is normal because you have to be smart with your time and answers during your interview with HR. It is fundamental. However, people tend to mix irrelevant experiences or overstate their experiences. For this, you have to be prepared beforehand to use proper narrative and give relevant details while answering.
4. Fear of facing strangers: It is likely to feel nervous when you are being scrutinized. However, it would help if you practiced improving the areas you lack during the interview. Observe as you practice. Study and control your body language, emotions. This is important to understand for not getting a red flag. Work on your details while answering the HR interview questions.
5. Fear of asking questions: Do not feel anxious while asking about the job or company operations, where you are deciding to serve for the long term. But having no questions for the HR interviewer is a complete opportunity loss. Remember, your questions must not be abrupt or conflicting. Be relevant while choosing your questions.
Feeling fearful is ordinary. Because, hey! You are human. Also, it’s about your life and future. However, with the common myths, these fears get heightened and compel you to go automatic. Let me break them at once!
Common HR Myths
1. Arriving unprepared: Believing that “resume is enough” or “interview is just a formality” can lower your chances of getting a job. HR Interviews are conducted to know you better in person and deal realistically with real questions.
2.Impudence and optimism: Confidence enriches you. However, try to be calm and balanced. HR Interviews are highly competitive, and HR interviewers may reject as many candidates unless they find the right match for the job.
3. Rehearsed answers: you must improve your voice and tone to have the right communication skills as an HR interviewer might ask for. If you think preparing too much makes you sound mechanical, you must work on it until you sound natural and genuine. It is advised to train yourself with the right partner to help you before the interview and express your answers in a structured manner.
4. Selecting that one dress: The way you are dressed must be congruent with the location, job, and company. You should not wear anything you desire but the one which is required.
5. Designing a Luxurious resume and application: although resume and application must be impressive and appealing, however, don not take away the essence of originality. You must be truthful about the things you write in your resume.
6. Reluctant to add your shortcomings: Remember, you are an imperfect being, and your interviewer knows it too. What matters the most, how determined you are to work on your shortcomings and be useful to the company.
Learn how to leverage the digital domain with the Best Digital Marketing Course
What HR Interviewers May Expect From You?
I have classified various factors from different career sources that influence interviewers’ choices for selecting an ideal employee for the organization.
1. Awareness: When you are being interviewed, the HR interviewer looks for your awareness about yourself, your job, and the company. It can be exhibited from the answers you give or the questions you ask. This also shows your long-term plans and intentions about the company and the job.
2. Maturity: Maturity is the control of emotions while reacting to a cause. It can be revealed in the manner or tone of your speaking, your body language, and problem-solving answers.
3. Genuity: HR interviewers do not look for liars or irrelevant experiences. However, their search begins with looking for structured or well-narrated answers. Credibility is the key that you can easily demonstrate by being genuine.
4. Ambitious: “Do you want to evolve in this role?” This is an important characteristic an HR interviewer looks for. They want to know your plans/goals and how well you are prepared to achieve them.
5. Dynamic: “Are you prepared to confront uncertain situations?” or “would you be able to adapt to changes?”. HR interviewer looks for an employee who is capable of both things. Along with it, he is considered about your multitasking abilities and endurance also.
6. Company’s Fit: this is the vital feature HR interviewers look for. They want to know how faithful you would be to the company. Also, the well-aligned company’s goals with yours, the more your chances will become to get the job.
That’s what you have to do now!
20 frequently asked HR Interview Questions with Answers:
Learning your answers for the HR interview is not a better option. Therefore, I have explained how practically you can structure your own answers, sound real and genuine. This way, your answers will come naturally to you during your interview with HR. I have categorized the frequently asked HR interview questions into 4 buckets filled with their answers in detail:
Personal/ background
1. Describe yourself in brief? Or walk me through your background.
You may already know how to introduce yourself as you have learned in school, but it should be different while asked HR interview questions. Rather than telling your name barely, location, and experience; which you have filled up in your resume; get creative and organized with your answer. Note: this cannot be used as a popup filter to your past life; you have to be genuine. This is how you should start:
During the HR interview, start your story from your early years, such as your family and upbringing. After that, you may begin with your school and college experiences, accomplishments along lessons learned. Remember to align your story so that it does not look scattered and empty, along with the given time limit.
2. What interests you outside your field? Or what do you do for fun?
A hobby is what you do for leisure purposes or to entertain yourself. Hobbies tell a great deal about you and are so close to you that you should not be false about it in the HR interview questions. Be genuine and truthful before you decide to speak of a list of things you love to do.
During the HR interview, start with the things you love to do and why you do it. What impact do your hobbies have on you? Do any of your hobbies help you learn things in a fun way? (optional)
3. How do you face criticisms and handle arguments?
This is one of the HR interview questions which tests your reaction towards the difference of opinions and views. While preparing to answer this question: think of how you handle such situations, then think of turning it in your favor.
During the HR interview, start talking about its normalcy and your confidence in yourself (in case of criticisms). Also, mention that you will be ready to accept the constructive criticisms and state that you will resolve the arguments by understanding both sides of the story.
4. What is your definition of success?
This is a very subjective question. This describes your perspective towards life, either broad or limited. While preparing to answer such HR interview questions: think of the dearest thing(s) and why? Now, think of the gaps in between or the areas you need to work on. Next, think about what now you need to fulfill those gaps. Achievement of filling those gaps will be a success.
During the HR interview, be confident and original while answering this question. Remember, for every person meaning of success is distinct.
5. Who do you see as your idol and why?
In such HR interview questions, the interviewer aims to know how your role model shaped you in terms of an asset for the firm. While preparing to answer this question: think of anyone who you believe is your role model, focus on their superiorities, how you can relate with their personality and background.
During the interview, start with a few things about your role model’s background. Now, state your idol’s qualities you admire. Sum it up, saying how you relate to them and get inspired by their qualities.
Personality Based
6. What are your areas of strength and weakness?
In HR interview questions like this, the goal is to know your strong areas to excel and be more useful to the organization and the weak points to improve in the future. Again, be sincere and not fictional. Your words are the main saviors. Being extra dramatic and less original will make your answer redundant.
During the interview with HR, start with your strength and how well you utilize them. Then you can speak about your weakness along with your diligence to make improvements while working.
7. Tell me how you handle work under pressure?
This question is to know about your patience and endurance. Because stress and pressure affect the performance of an employee (both in quality and quantity). Therefore, every interviewer is keen on the behavioral aspects of their employee during stress.
While answering such HR interview questions, start with how stress and pressure sometimes motivate you or the steps you take to get calm and balanced. Fill the rest with how this helped you get mindful and clear about your goals.
More courses from IIM SKILLS
8. Tell me about your management skills?
The purpose of this question is to know how organized you are. While preparing to answer this question: think of how you prioritize things as urgent and important? How well can you identify a task/call/action as important or not-important? How do you manage your everyday tasks?
During the HR interview, start with what kind of tasks you prioritize over others. Also, in case of uncertainties mention that you have a flexible time management style.
9. Tell me how well do you manage a team? Or tell me about your leadership style?
Team projects are part of an organization. To ensure that you have the desired employee’s abilities, you have to have the right words to express your capabilities. To prepare for an answer: think of a project where you were the leader or imagine that you are a leader and how will you make things work.
During the HR interview, talk about which methods you use as a leader. Do you like to delegate work? Do you like to get involved with the team and help them? Do you keep a flexible or fixed environment?
10. Would you be willing you help someone else succeed?
This is one of the HR interview questions, where the HR interviewer tests your sympathy towards another person. Before preparing to answer this question: imagine a situation where you decided to help someone. How would you determine the area of help for him or her? What would you do to make things favorable?
During the HR interview, start with how you will genuinely feel sympathy towards that person. Also, speak about putting yourself in his/her shoes before you reach out to help. Moreover, mention that, if you can, you will help that person. or if you have any experience with such a situation explain that. And end up telling you your learning from that experience.
11. Could you show me how creative you are?
Creativity is essential at the workplace to solve real problems with less expense. To prepare and answer this question: think of a situation where you had a creative solution(s). Brainstorm it to get an appropriate example of a problem with a creative solution(s).
During the HR interview, describe a situation (focus on the relevant aspects). Next, mention the tasks at hand before you took action. Now, give details to the HR manager of the steps you took.
Future-oriented/goals
12. What are your goals and ambitions in respect of this position? Or tell me about your short-term and long-term goals.
This is one of the HR interview questions, where people briefly mention their goals. Before preparing to answer this question for the interview: think about how you made your goals, why they are important, and why you decide you achieve them.
During the interview, start with the experiences you have had and the things you learned. Next, explain your goals out of your experiences. Also, explain the purpose of your short-term and long-term goals. Remember to be clear about your context in a limited time.
13. If these goals don’t work out, how will you act?
This is the question where the HR interviewer checks the state of mind of the interviewee. Before preparing to answer such a question: find out, are you desperate or determined towards your goals? Or how will you hold yourself to failure?
During the interview, start with your confidence in planning to achieve the goals and normalizing failures because outcomes are uncertain. Remember to mention; if the mistake is on your part, you will take the accountability to resolve shattered things. Don’t be abrupt while answering; be calm.
14. What are your expectations for our company?
The question here is “why this company?” “How would this company benefit you?”. Before preparing to answer this question: think of why you decided to work with this company and how it will help you grow.
During the interview with HR, start with the company’s importance for you if you have been trying long to work with this company. Next, talk about the values of this company you admire. Now, talk about how this company’s values and opportunities can help you grow personally and professionally.
15. Where do you see yourself within the next 5 years?
This HR interview question is to ascertain if you want to evolve in the same role or have different career goals either in alliance with the company’s goals or not. While preparing to answer this question: think of your long-term career goals and which training programs can help you achieve them—research the company and opportunities inside the organization to improve your position.
During the interview, start with talking about the opportunities or training programs provided within the company. Next, how to take these opportunities to help you excel in the present as well as future roles.
Job-oriented
16. How much salary do you consider for this post?
This is a tricky question where HR interviewers ask for your worth. Don’t simply give your answer in figures. Instead, please talk about your need to understand the job itself along with the responsibilities attached to it. If you have prior experience regarding the same role, mention that you are aware of your worth. And end this saying that we can ascertain the salary later.
17. Tell me about the skills you think will certain your chances of success in this role?
This question determines YOUR services for the company. While preparing to answer such a question: research about the company and its culture, focus upon the crucial requisites for the role, and what makes you unique.
During the interview, start with your key points in your role. If you have prior experience concerning this, mention that also.
18. How well do you know about our company and us?
This HR interview question aims to ascertain your research for the company before applying. While preparing to answer this question: think of how you came to know about this company, the key points you discovered during your research.
While answering this question, begin with stating facts and figures about the company, and how well you understand its operations or the company’s connections to expand its business. Sum it up stating your interest in the company’s operations.
19. Why do you think should we hire you?
Align the company’s mission statement with your values and goals. During the interview, start by detailing your accomplishments. Add how you might help them accomplish their business goals.
20. If you have any questions for us, you can ask.
When this question is asked, the majority says NO. don’t say no, because this exhibits your uninformed and have less interest in the post. Instead, be prepared with your list of questions while you plan to research for the company. Asking the right questions will help you know your workplace and the quantity and quality of work given to you. Try to ask open-ended questions. Answers to such questions are descriptive and detailed.
NOTE: These structures above are flexible, can be altered as per your need and relevance. Play with it until you get the winning lines.
In a nutshell, the interview with HR is smartly prepared to get your dream job. You have to be concerned about all the factors that would affect your selection as the company’s fit. The detailed answers for HR interview questions as provided above would ensure your better preparation before you dive right into the area where you are in a one-to-one session with the HR interviewer, perform and play with the right words, and relevant ideas.
