HR COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Think about your responses to the twelve most commonly asked interview questions.....
2. Tell me about yourself.
3. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
4. Why did you leave your old job?
5. Why do you want to work for us?
6. How did you like your old job?
7. What kind of salary are you looking for?
8. What do you know about our company?
9. Why should we hire you?
10. What did you think of your old boss?
11. What are your long term goals?
12. Do you mind working long hours?
13. You seem overqualified (or underqualified).
14. Interview Questions - Problem Solving related
15. In your present position, what problems have you identified that had previously
16. been overlooked?
17. How have you changed the nature of your job?
18. What are three basic managerial criteria you use in judging a colleague?
19. Have you helped reduce costs? How?
20. Describe typical problems you are likely to face during the day and ways in which you reach solutions.
21. What was your most serious problem, in the last year?
22. What was your worst mistake in recent years?
23. Describe changes you have recommended.
24. Describe situations where your judgement proved valuable.
25. How do you measure a subordinate’s judgement?
26. Who has sought your opinion in the last month and what was the nature of that inquiry?
27. Why did you take your company into product "x" market?
28. What are some difficult decisions you have made? How would you evaluate your present firm?
29. When you are making a decision, how do you go about acquiring the right information?
30. In what situations has your work been criticized?
31. How would your colleagues rate you as the person with whom to discuss their problems?
32. Describe several successes you have had in problem solving for your company?
33. What was the most difficult problem you have faced?
34. How do you go about solving a business problem?
35. What human relations’ problems have you faced?
36. Interview Questions - Communication Skills Related
37. How do you generally function in group discussions?
38. Have you ever led a workshop?
39. What makes you effective person-to-person or in small groups?
40. What accomplishments can you tell me about which would show you are a good communicator?
41. Do you prefer to communicate by memo, phone or face-to-face?
42. How do you communicate with individuals who work for you? With others within the organization?
43. How do you rate yourself as a presenter?
44. Describe your "platform" skills?
45. How do you go about selling your ideas?
46. How would you improve your communication skills?
47. Do you volunteer to speak at gatherings?
48. Describe some of your presentations.
49. From whom have you sought advice in the last five years? Last month? Last
50. week?
51. When you are in discussion, do you consider yourself a good listener? Why?
52. For whom are you a mentor?
53. Interview Questions - Motivation Related
54. What are your short-term objectives? Long term?
55. What do you look for in a job?
56. Give me the reasons for your last three job changes?
57. What new goals or objectives have you established recently?
58. What is the best aspect of your current position? The worst?
59. What interests you most about the position we are discussing? The least?
60. What factors would lead you to leave your present position?
61. What aspects of your previous positions have you disliked?
62. Do you prefer staff or line work? Why?
63. Describe a crisis situation when energy was an important consideration?
64. What kinds of events make you emotional?
65. How do you react when your boss puts pressure on you?
66. What are the aggravations of your present position?
67. Do you enjoy hectic activity?
68. What would your colleagues say about your drive? Your boss?
69. What failing situation have you rescued?
70. How do you get things done?
71. Did you finance college?
72. How did you find your first job?
73. How would you react to heading a start-up situation?
74. In describing your leadership style, what is more important – form or content?
75. Have you ever left a position because the standards set were not high enough?
76. In your expectations for others, how close do your colleagues come to meeting the
77. mark?
78. Describe situations in which you have had to "bend" to achieve objectives.
79. Which is more important – completing a job on time or doing it right?
80. What are your outside interests – social, community, arts, sports?
81. What does success mean to you?
82. What is most important in your life?
83. Who is a well-known figure (dead or alive) whom you admire? Why?
84. Did you have a mentor and, if so, how did that individual affect your career? interpersonal skills
85. In what situations do you mandate and when do you consult?
86. Describe your management style.
87. How do you motivate people?
88. What makes a good leader in business?
89. What is your leadership style?
90. Describe several examples of your leadership skill.
91. Describe an ideal boss.
92. Describe an ideal subordinate.
93. What perceptions do employees have of you?
94. How have you improved subordinates’ performance?
95. What do you think of your boss?
96. What do you look for in hiring people?
97. How would you go about firing people?
98. To what degree have you developed subordinates who have been promoted to other executive positions?
99. How have you supported the weaker members of your group?
100. What techniques have you used to build team spirit?
101. Do you generally speak to people before they speak to you?
102. Have you been a spokesperson for your company?
103. Are you asked to take on special assignments?
104. Describe special projects or task forces for which you were selected.
105. How would you describe your impact on your company?
106. Interview Questions - Administration Related
107. How do you allocate your time during a typical day?
108. How do you set priorities?
109. How do you assign tasks? What controls do you use?
110. What types of tasks do you feel you cannot delegate?
111. Do you have a succession program set up?
112. How have you contributed to change in your organization?
113. How do you determine if a subordinate is good?
114. Have you used MBO? What were the results?
115. Describe how you plan and organize your work.
116. Do you have many "crises" in your job? Why?
117. Are you a better planner or implementer?
118. How do you administer the subjective part of your incentive program?