HR Interview Questions and Tips

Written by The Editor

Introduction
Okay, so you have managed to hold your nerves in control
and brave the questions of the HR. You are now at the end
of your interview session. What next? The answer is, there
are a few more steps to go. For instance, the HR person
may ask you if you have anything to ask of him/her. How
do you respond to that? It is quite likely that you are
stressed out and nothing comes to your mind. This article
deals with this situation and gives you a few intelligent
questions that you may ask.
The Rationale
First of all let us try to understand why the HR person puts
you in such a situation. Is he/she simply being nice to you
or is there more to it? One possible reason is that the
company wants to project an image of transparency. The
company wants you to know that it encourages two-way
communication between the top management and the
subordinates, an atmosphere where everyone can ask
relevant questions and expect to get answers. In other
words, the company respects the employee’s need to
know about matters that affect him, no matter where he is
in the hierarchy.
Next, and more important, this situation checks your
presence of mind and ability to form intelligent questions.
So far you have been simply answering questions asked of
you. How do you behave when you are in a position to ask
questions? What kind of questions do you ask? It also
shows how serious you are about the company and the
job.
Let us get on to some questions now.
Some Useful Questions
Before you set out to ask questions, keep the above
reasons in mind. It would be good to sincerely thank the
HR person for such an opportunity. You can start with
something like “I have really enjoyed this opportunity to
meet you and your team at .. (the company name). Yes,
there are a few things I would like to know, thank you for
asking” However it is not wise to ask the HR a volley of
questions and turn it into a counter interview. Consider
the questions below and choose one or two from them
that you find the most useful to you.
• What do you personally find the most enjoyable part
of working for this company?
• May I ask why or how you joined this organization? /
What brought you here?
• I would like to know about the work atmosphere
here…
• Would you be able to tell me about this company’s
vision/philosophy?
• How would you evaluate this organization’s strengths
and weaknesses?
• I would like to know a little about my day-to-day
responsibilities.
• Is this an immediate requirement? How soon would
you be taking people on board for this position?
• I would like to know how my skills compare with the
other people who have applied for this position.
• I am really interested in this opportunity and I feel I
have the required skills for this position. What would I
have to do next?
• Now that our interview is coming to close, is there
anything you would like to know about my ability
towards this job?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about what the
company expects from its employees? What are the
most important assets and skills for this company?
• Does the company follow a structured path in
promoting the employees? How does it go?
• If the company finds me good at the job, how would
it advance me? What would be the next step in my
career growth?
• If I performed well in the current position, what are
the additional likely opportunities for me within this
company?
• Are there any special areas in this company that the
top leaders emerge from?/ Are there special areas
like say sales or engineering that have more
 prospects for growth within this company, or do the
leaders come from a cross section of different areas?
• The company has decided to recruit for this position
from outside. How does the company choose
between recruiting from within or outside?
• How far does this particular position contribute to the
bottom line?
• What advice would you give to someone selected for
this position?
• What are the current challenges of this
position/department within the company?
• Before I leave, can I have a formal/written description
of the position? This would help me to review the
activities and evaluate what is expected of me.
• Is this job likely to lead to other positions in the
company? What is the usual route?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about the people
I will be working with?
• Before I take your leave, let me check my
understanding of the position. The designation is ….,
the responsibilities are …., it is in the …..
department, and I would be reporting to ……. Please
correct me if I have got it wrong anywhere.
• How does this company promote equal opportunity
and diversity?
• Would you be able to tell me who the company
regards as its stars? What have been their most
important contributions?
• How do the subordinates address their seniors in this
company?
• Could you tell me about the management style of
this company?
• If you selected me for this position, what assignment
would I be starting on?
• Does this company have a formal mission statement?
Am I allowed to see it?
• What are the most important parameters along which
this company evaluates an employee’s contribution?
Some Usefull Question Answers
1. Tell me about yourself?
I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, industrious,
and thorough.
2. How has your experience prepared you for your
career?
Coursework:
Aside from the discipline and engineering foundation
learning that I have gained from my courses, I think the
design projects, reports, and presentations have prepared
me most for my career.
Work Experience:
Through internships, I have gained self-esteem,
confidence, and problem-solving skills. I also refined my
technical writing and learned to prepare professional
documents for clients.
Student Organizations:
By working on multiple projects for different student
organizations while keeping up my grades, I've built time
management and efficiency skills. Additionally, I've
developed leadership, communication, and teamwork
abilities.
Life Experience:
In general, life has taught me determination and the
importance of maintaining my ethical standards.
3. Describe the ideal job.
Ideally, I would like to work in a fun, warm environment
with individuals working independently towards team
goals or individual goals. I am not concerned about minor
elements, such as dress codes, cubicles, and the level of
formality. Most important to me is an atmosphere that
fosters attention to quality, honesty, and integrity.
4. What type of supervisor have you found to be the
best?
I have been fortunate enough to work under wonderful
supervisors who have provided limited supervision, while
answering thoughtful questions and guiding learning. In
my experience, the best supervisors give positive
feedback and tactful criticism.
5. What do you plan to be doing in five years' time?
Taking the PE exam and serving in supervisory/leadership
roles both at work and in professional/community
organization(s).
6. What contributions could you make in this
organization that would help you to stand out from
other applicants?
In previous internships, my industriousness and ability to
teach myself have been valuable assets to the company.
My self-teaching abilities will minimize overhead costs,
and my industriousness at targeting needs without
prompting will set me apart from others. Additionally, one
thing that has always set me apart from my
scientific/engineering peers are my broad interests and
strong writing abilities. I am not your typical "left-brained"
engineer, and with my broad talents, I am likely to provide
diverse viewpoints.
7. What sort of criteria are you using to decide the
organization you will work for?
Most importantly, I am looking for a company that values
quality, ethics, and teamwork. I would like to work for a
company that hires overachievers.
8. What made you choose your major?
My academic interests are broad, so I sought civil
engineering to achieve a great balance of mathematics,
chemistry, biology, physics, and writing.
9. Have your university and major met your
expectations?
The College of Engineering at MSU has exceeded my
expectations by providing group activities, career
resources, individual attention, and professors with
genuine interest in teaching.
My major has met my expectations by about 90%. I would
have enjoyed more choices in environmental courses, and
would have preferred more calculus-based learning.
10. What made you choose this college?
I chose this college for the following reasons: my budget
limited me to in-state schools, I was seeking an area with
dog-friendly apartments, the MSU web site impressed me,
I saw active student groups, and the people were very
friendly.