13 Interview Questions to Ask Human Resources Professionals

This blog will include a curated list of 13 effective interview questions a hiring manager or recruiter can ask a Human Resources Professional to determine their knowledge, skills, and abilities. When it comes to hiring the right talent, the human resources professional plays a crucial role. In fact, they are often more involved in the hiring process than most other departments. Therefore, it is important to ask specific questions pertaining to various aspects of human resources that will reveal their abilities and will give you an opportunity to better understand their personality.

Question #1:  Why are resumes important?

This question reveals what your candidate believes is most important about an applicant’s resume. You can use this information to determine if they place equal importance on both experience and education when evaluating candidates for employment. If they value education over experience, look for another candidate who understands that skills learned through work experience are just as valuable as those learned in school.

Question #2:  What does a typical hiring decision process look like?

This question reveals how well your candidate understands the hiring process and is sure to give you some insight into their ability to think on their feet. During the interview, try to get your candidate talking about the hiring process from beginning to end. Ask them open-ended questions, such as “How would you handle this situation?” This will help you get an idea of whether they are familiar with common scenarios that arise during the hiring process.

Question #3:  What is your personal approach to employee morale?

This question gives you insight into how your applicant views employee morale and teamwork. If they hold back employees in order to boost morale, it could indicate a fear of change and a potential unwillingness to solve problems as they arise.

Question #4:  What is the best lesson you’ve learned from your last boss?

This question gives you insight into how the candidate feels about their current and past employers; specifically, it will tell you if they have ever felt mistreated by a supervisor. If so, you should probably find out what happened and whether there are any hard feelings.

Question #5:  What do you know about our company?

This question reveals whether your candidate has done their homework about your organization. You can use this information to find out whether they have done their research on the top executives of your company as well. To learn more about how to interview effectively, check out our step-by-step guide.

Question #6:  What are the basic responsibilities of a job like this?

This question shows you how well your candidate understands the nature of the job for which they are being interviewed. It will also give you insight into how they would handle certain situations that might arise during the course of their employment. For example, you could ask them if they would know what to do if a major client was angry with them for some reason and threaten to fire them.

Question #7:  What are the most important traits in an employee?

This question shows you how well your candidate understands the importance of certain traits your organization is looking for in a potential employee. You can use this information to determine what an applicant will not do or will simply not care about. For example, you could ask them if they would care if their manager were late to work every day and just expected them to stay late anyway.

Question #8:  Why did you leave your last job?

This question gives you insight into why they left their last job and whether or not they are confident that they made the right decision. You can also use this information to determine their true feelings about his previous boss. If they simply state that they left because the job wasn’t a fit with their career goals, you can continue the interview knowing that they are probably a team player. If, however, they say they left because the boss was too demanding or didn’t value them as an employee, you may want to dig deeper on the topic or rethink hiring them if they aren’t able to further elaborate on the topic.

Question #9:  What are your strengths?

This question gives you insight into how your candidate feels about themself and whether or not they believe in their own abilities. Be careful not to consider this question for too long if your candidate has trouble describing their strengths; it could indicate that they don’t have any relevant to the position or extremely lack self-confidence.

Question #10:  Can you describe a difficult decision you made?

This question gives you insight into how your candidate has handled stressful situations in the past. It will also reveal their problem-solving abilities and their personality. For example, if they exhibit signs of irrational behavior, it could indicate that they don’t handle stress well.

Question #11:  How would you handle an employee who was always late?

This question reveals a candidate’s work ethic and their ability to deal with problems as they arise. Based on their answers, they will be able to show you how they would handle issues that may arise during the course of employment.

Question #12:  How would you handle a major client who was upset with your work?

This question reveals a candidate’s personality. If they have ever had a difficult time dealing with clients, it could indicate that they are not the right person for the job.

Question #13:  What are the most important qualities of an effective leader?

This question reveals your candidate’s leadership abilities and how well they understand what makes a good leader. It is extremely important to note that age is not indicative of whether or not someone makes a good leader. For example, someone in their sixties may be loyal, hardworking and honest, while someone in their twenties may be lazy, self-centered and dishonest.