July 1, 2007
HR Interview FAQs
1. Tell me about yourself
2. What are your greatest strengths?
3. What are your greatest weaknesses?
4. Tell me abt something U did-or failed to do-that U now feel a little ashamed of.
5. Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
6. The “Silent Treatment”
7. Why should I hire you?
8. Aren’t you overqualified for this position?
9. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
10. Describe your ideal company, location and job.
11. Why do you want to work at our company?
12. What are your career options right now?
13. Why have you been out of work so long?
14. Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team,...)
15. What good books have you read lately?
16. Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.
17. What are your outside interests?
18. The “Fatal Flaw” question
19. How do you feel abt reporting to a younger person (minority, woman,..)?
20. Would you lie for the company?
21. Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?
22. Could you have done better in your last job?
23. Can you work under pressure?
24. What makes you angry?
25. Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?
26. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
27. What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
28. Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.
29. Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?
30. What changes would you make if you came on board?
31. I’m concerned that you don’t have as much experience as we’d like in…
32. How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
33. Are you willing to relocate or travel?
34. Do you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing many people?
35. Why have you had so many jobs?
36. What do you see as the proper role/mission of…
37. What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?
38. How could you have improved your career progress?
39. What would you do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t pulling his/her weight…and this was hurting your department?
40. what would you do if he still did not change his ways?
41. You’ve been with your firm a long time.
42. May I contact your present employer for a reference?
43. Give me an example of your creativity
44. Where could you use some improvement?
45. What do you worry about?
46. How many hours a week do you normally work?
47. What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title)?
48. The “Hypothetical Problem”
49. What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?
50. Have you consider starting your own business?
51. What are your goals?
52. What do you for when you hire people?
53. Sell me this stapler...
54. “The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?
55. The Illegal Question
56. The “Secret” Illegal Question
57. What was the toughest part of your last job?
58. How do u define success & how do u measure up to ur own definition?
59. “The Opinion Question”
60. If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?
61. Looking back on your last position, have you done your best work?
62. Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?
63. Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company
64. On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.
2. What are your greatest strengths?
3. What are your greatest weaknesses?
4. Tell me abt something U did-or failed to do-that U now feel a little ashamed of.
5. Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
6. The “Silent Treatment”
7. Why should I hire you?
8. Aren’t you overqualified for this position?
9. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
10. Describe your ideal company, location and job.
11. Why do you want to work at our company?
12. What are your career options right now?
13. Why have you been out of work so long?
14. Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team,...)
15. What good books have you read lately?
16. Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.
17. What are your outside interests?
18. The “Fatal Flaw” question
19. How do you feel abt reporting to a younger person (minority, woman,..)?
20. Would you lie for the company?
21. Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?
22. Could you have done better in your last job?
23. Can you work under pressure?
24. What makes you angry?
25. Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?
26. Who has inspired you in your life and why?
27. What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
28. Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.
29. Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?
30. What changes would you make if you came on board?
31. I’m concerned that you don’t have as much experience as we’d like in…
32. How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
33. Are you willing to relocate or travel?
34. Do you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing many people?
35. Why have you had so many jobs?
36. What do you see as the proper role/mission of…
37. What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?
38. How could you have improved your career progress?
39. What would you do if a fellow executive on your own corporate level wasn’t pulling his/her weight…and this was hurting your department?
40. what would you do if he still did not change his ways?
41. You’ve been with your firm a long time.
42. May I contact your present employer for a reference?
43. Give me an example of your creativity
44. Where could you use some improvement?
45. What do you worry about?
46. How many hours a week do you normally work?
47. What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title)?
48. The “Hypothetical Problem”
49. What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?
50. Have you consider starting your own business?
51. What are your goals?
52. What do you for when you hire people?
53. Sell me this stapler...
54. “The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?
55. The Illegal Question
56. The “Secret” Illegal Question
57. What was the toughest part of your last job?
58. How do u define success & how do u measure up to ur own definition?
59. “The Opinion Question”
60. If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?
61. Looking back on your last position, have you done your best work?
62. Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?
63. Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company
64. On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.
June 30, 2007
On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.
- Once again, never be negative. The interviewer will only resent criticism coming from you. This is the time to show your positivism.
- However, don’t give a numerical rating. Simply praise whatever interview style he’s been using.
- If he’s been tough, say “You have been thorough and tough-minded, the very qualities needed to conduct a good interview.”
- If he’s been methodical, say, “You have been very methodical and analytical, and I’m sure that approach results in excellent hires for your firm.”
- In other words, pay him a sincere compliment that he can believe because it’s anchored in the behavior you’ve just seen.
Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company…
Just remember the rule – never be negative – and you’ll handle this one just fine.
Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?
Help him see the qualifications that only you can offer.Example: “In general, I think it’s a good policy to hire from within – to look outside probably means you’re not completely comfortable choosing someone from inside.
“Naturally, you want this department to be as strong as it possibly can be, so you want the strongest candidate. I feel that I can fill that bill because…(then recap your strongest qualifications that match up with his greatest needs).”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)