Hiring is an expensive and risky undertaking—which is why internal recruiting can seem like such an appealing option. Internal recruiting mitigates the risk that comes with external hiring. Not only do you know an internal candidates strengths and weaknesses, but they also know your business.
Plus, research suggests that internal hires are more likely to succeed. A study of more than 109,000 commissioned salespeople by the University of Minnesota found that employees who are hired from within are more likely to stay with the company for a long time and do a better job.
By asking the right questions during an internal job interview, you can show current employees that you care about their growth and keep them interested, whether you hire someone from inside or outside the company.
Find out the best questions to ask in an internal interview and the best ways to run an internal job interview below.
A lot of employers don’t want to interview their own employees because they don’t think they’re qualified for the job. This is a big mistake.
Internal hiring can be an effective way to reap the fruit of your employee development efforts. Not only does this save you money on hiring new people, but good employee development also lets you fill more positions with people who have already been trained.
Internal mobility, which means letting employees switch roles within a company, can be very good for business in many ways, such as:
Giving your employees fair consideration can show that your company wants to invest in their growth and recognize their progress, even if the internal candidate doesn’t get the job.
The key is to make sure that your internal interview questions only cover the most important parts of the job and the career path that comes with it. Remember, honest consideration can fuel engagement among your employees.
Interviewing at BambooHR? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll walk through the top 15 interview questions candidates can expect during the BambooHR interview process and provide tips for crafting winning responses.
BambooHR is a leading HR software provider known for its intuitive, customizable platform designed to create a more positive employee experience. But to deliver on their product promise, BambooHR needs to hire the best talent out there. That means asking smart interview questions that get at candidates’ capabilities, motivations, and fit for the role and company culture.
We analyzed Glassdoor reviews and reflected on our own experiences interviewing at BambooHR to pull together the 15 most common BambooHR interview questions. Read on to get the inside scoop on what BambooHR interviewers want to know and how to impress them with your answers.
1. Why do you want to work at BambooHR?
This is a basic interview question, but it’s an important one. This question is meant to see how interested you are in BambooHR and how much research you’ve done on the company. Strong responses will convey:
- Knowledge of BambooHR’s products/services and competitive differentiators
- Passion for the company’s mission and culture
- How your background makes you an excellent culture/skill fit for the role
For example: “I’m really excited about the opportunity to work at BambooHR because of your focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly HR software. My background in UX design has taught me the importance of understanding users’ needs and crafting simple, aesthetically-pleasing interfaces. I love that BambooHR builds tools to make work and life better for HR professionals and employees. If hired, I’d be thrilled to contribute my skills in user research and interface design to help BambooHR continue innovating.”
2. What do you know about BambooHR?
This question is like the first one, but it tests your knowledge of the company even more. Interviewers want to know you’ve taken the time to research BambooHR before interviewing. Make sure to highlight:
- BambooHR’s history and growth trajectory
- The company’s core products/services
- Unique aspects of the culture based on news coverage or employee reviews
For example “From my research, I know that BambooHR was founded in 2008 by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders Since then, it’s experienced impressive growth as a leading HR software provider, now with over 1,000 employees BambooHR offers an online HR platform that brings HR data, people and tools together in one system of record. I’m really impressed by the focus on user-centered design, simple and intuitive interface, timely product innovations like BambooHR Payroll, and stellar customer support.”
3. What makes you qualified for this position?
With this common question, interviewers are assessing whether you have the right background and skills for the role. Be sure to highlight:
- Specific work experiences relevant to the position
- Technical qualifications/certifications required for the role
- Soft skills like communication, organization, collaboration
For instance: “I’ve been managing and setting up HRIS systems for more than 5 years, so I know the problems that HR teams often have that BambooHR is meant to fix.” I have a lot of experience with your software because I helped set up BambooHR at my last job. I’m also analytical and pay close attention to details, and I really enjoy fixing problems in complicated systems and processes to make them work better. I’m perfect for the Implementation Specialist job because I have hands-on experience with HRIS, can solve problems, and really want to make HR work easier. ”.
4. How would your skills and experience translate to success in this role?
This question is all about making the case for why you’re the ideal candidate. Make sure you:
- Connect your background directly to day-to-day responsibilities of the role
- Provide examples of times you successfully used the required skills
- Highlight achievements that would enable success in the role
For example: “In my last role as an HRIS Analyst, I spearheaded the implementation of Workday and developed extensive training guides and tutorials to support employee adoption. This experience would translate directly to success as a BambooHR Implementation Specialist. I can apply my technical expertise to configure BambooHR for customers and draw upon my training development skills to produce onboarding resources and webinars to enable adoption. Given my successful track record of deploying HRIS solutions and developing educational materials, I am confident I can be productive and add value in this role from day one.”
5. How would you describe your work style?
With this question, interviewers want to understand your working preferences and tendencies. Be honest, but frame your response in a positive light. For example:
- If you tend to be introverted, emphasize your focus and ability to work independently.
- If you’re an extrovert, play up your collaborative spirit and communication skills.
- If you’re detail-oriented, highlight your organizational abilities.
For example: “I would describe my work style as methodical yet flexible. I like to create plans and follow processes to ensure consistency and accuracy, but I can adapt on the fly when needed. I’m a self-starter who takes initiative on projects but also thrives collaborating cross-functionally. Clear communication is really important to me, whether verbally or in writing.”
6. How do you evaluate success throughout the onboarding process?
Since BambooHR sells HR software, they are dedicated to perfecting the onboarding experience. With this question, they want to understand how you set yourself up for success when joining a new company. Emphasize that you:
- Proactively build relationships and learn workflows
- Seek out training/development opportunities
- Solicit feedback on performance
- Track ramp-up milestones and key metrics
For example: “I evaluate my onboarding success by the relationships I build, how quickly I deliver value, and the feedback I receive. In the first month, I make it a priority to introduce myself to cross-functional partners and understand how my role connects to theirs. I sequence my learning by urgency, tackling mission-critical systems first. Within the first 3 months, I aim to complete core trainings and have defined key milestones I want to hit. Every step of the way, I check in with my manager and colleagues to welcome their feedback on my ramp up.”
7. Have you ever had a conflict with a manager? How did you handle it?
With this behavioral interview question, BambooHR wants to know how you navigate workplace conflicts. To impress, highlight how you:
- Raised issues tactfully and objectively
- Found compromise solutions together
- Maintained a respectful relationship
For example: “Yes, I have faced conflicts with managers about things like workload during busy seasons or last-minute priority shifts. When issues popped up, I requested a 1:1 to discuss them transparently and objectively. I focused on finding solutions, not casting blame. For example, when I felt overloaded, I revisited my priorities with my manager and we agreed I would delegate lower-priority tasks. Through open communication and compromise, we found ways to resolve tensions while maintaining positive team dynamics.”
8. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. What was your thought process?
Another behavioral question, this one assesses your judgment, accountability, and learning mindset when faced with mistakes. Tailor your response to the role. For customer service positions, highlight how you prioritized the customer; for sales roles, how you recovered revenue. Explain how you:
- Quickly owned the mistake
- Troubleshot the root causes
- Made process improvements to prevent future issues
- Followed up to address impacted stakeholders
For example: “In my last job, I once sent an email containing a client’s confidential information to the wrong recipient due to a typo in the email address. As soon as I realized my mistake, I apologized to the client and explained the steps I took to prevent further exposure. I immediately reached out to the unintended recipient, asking them to delete the email, and followed up with a phone call to confirm. I re-verified the client’s contact information throughout our database to ensure no other errors. The client was understanding, and I used the experience to be more diligent about double checking recipients on sensitive communications.”
9. How do you stay organized when juggling multiple projects with tight deadlines?
In many BambooHR roles, candidates need great time management and organizational skills to handle competing priorities. This question assesses those capabilities. Demonstrate your proficiency by explaining your approach to:
- Creating structured project plans and managing schedules
- Tracking progress and identifying roadblocks
- Collaborating with managers or teammates on priorities
- Balancing rigor and flexibility in organizing work
For example: *“Organization is crucial for me to deliver quality results on tight timelines across multiple projects. I create detailed project plans mapping out milestones, key tasks, and deadlines. I use tools like Excel and Trello to track progress and flag behind-schedule items needing attention. I touch base regularly with leadership and project teams to re-prioritize if new urgent tasks
5 Internal Job Interview Questions About Collaboration
Collaboration is pivotal in the workplace, so delving deeper into the candidate’s collaboration skills is essential.
Below are some questions to raise in an internal interview:
- What is your ideal team structure?
- How would you manage collaborative communication on projects?
- Who in your department have you worked directly with and what did you do?
- Have you worked with other departments in the organization before?
- What do you do when something goes wrong with a project? How do you work with your team to fix problems?
Remember that one important part of working together is figuring out what each person’s strengths are and using them to reach your goals.
These skills aren’t limited to one personality type. For example, an introverted writer might be perfect for doing a lot of research for an outgoing product marketer to put together a presentation. When suggesting roles and responsibilities, a good collaborator will know their own strengths as well as the strengths of others.
In your applicant tracking system, go through the questions and answers from internal interviews. Make sure you judge each candidate’s strengths based on the needs of the job, not on the example of a current employee. Which will benefit the team more: adding new strengths, or doubling up on existing strengths?.
7 Internal Job Interview Questions About Leadership
Just because internal candidates haven’t had managerial titles doesn’t mean they haven’t shown leadership. Giving team members chances to lead during projects can show that their managers and the company trust them.
It’s also important to encourage employees to be open with their motivation behind applying for leadership positions.
With that in mind, we recommend asking questions such as:
- What traits make someone a good leader?
- How would your teammates describe your leadership style?
- Please describe a project where you took leadership responsibilities. Who helped you with the project? How did you divide up the work? Did you stick to a budget or find other ways to save money? What went well? What would you change?
- What are some things you can do to keep getting better as a leader?
- Do you enjoy leadership responsibilities?
- Are you excited by the challenges of leadership?
- Do you want to move up the career ladder and make more money by getting different titles?
Keep in mind that leaders should be fairly compensated for their work, but money shouldn’t be the only reason someone applies for a leadership position. Is compensation tied to leadership positions in your organization? Or are there several paths for employees to progress?.
Cultivating leadership in rank-and-file employees may also be important as workplace collaboration continues to evolve. Recognizing and developing leadership abilities can help your employees keep up.
Questions to Ask in an Interview – Top Interview Tips for Job Seekers, Managers and HR | BambooHR
FAQ
How do I pass HR interview question?
How can BambooHR help you improve your hiring experience?
The key is to narrow your internal interview questions to focus on the most important aspects required of the role and its career path. Remember, honest consideration can fuel engagement among your employees. Create a seamless hiring experience from application to offer letter. BambooHR helps you manage and personalize every candidate’s experience.
How does BambooHR work?
BambooHR helps you build an effective onboarding process with customizable onboarding checklists, welcome emails, and new hire packets—so every new hire feels welcome on day one. How can you tell if a candidate is “right”? Here are 35 interview questions to ask candidates to find top talent, plus what not to ask.
Why should you use BambooHR?
It often leads to validation and praise for a great candidate, but it can also prompt them to share red flags. Create better first days. BambooHR helps you build an effective onboarding process with customizable onboarding checklists, welcome emails, and new hire packets—so every new hire feels welcome on day one.
What are the best questions for a job interview?
2. The best questions are customized to the role. It’s important to tailor questions to the job requirements to help you assess a candidate’s relevant skills and knowledge. Focus on both hard skills (e.g., technical proficiency) and soft skills (e.g., communication or problem-solving).
