Top 20 Human Resources Generalist Interview Questions and Answers for 2022
hr generalist interview questions
To ace these kinds of questions, be sure to lean on your general HR experience and knowledge. They provide you with a strong foundation to help make your answer more concrete, as well as showing the depth of your expertise. But don’t forget to also base your answers on your understanding and previous research of the company you’re applying for. Your potential employer is not looking for the best HR Generalist, but the HR Generalist that best fits their company. Show them that you can use your knowledge and expertise to add value to the organization.
The bulk of HR’s work is people-related — and, in many cases, this means dealing with difficult situations (think contract termination, turning down job candidates, or workplace grievances). To succeed in your job as an HR Generalist, you need to know how to behave in a sensitive, but also assertive, manner. Here are some behavioral questions that you might be asked during your job interview.
For aspiring HR Generalists, this might mean that the kind of questions you’ll be asked at a job interview can vary greatly depending on the needs and requirements of the company. Aside from making sure that you have a good idea of your strengths, background, credentials, and past experience, you’ll also need to prepare for different types of interview questions. These can range from role-specific questions to situational questions.
You’ve probably heard this time and time again — but practice really makes perfect. It is impossible to prepare for every situation that might occur inside the interview room, but that is no excuse to not come prepared with a general sense of what might happen and how you can behave. With a bit of preparation, you will surely land your dream job as an HR Generalist.
The work of the HR Generalist covers most of the HR function, which can include hiring, compensation and benefits, administration, and so on. This means that your potential employer will want to make sure that you have adequate general HR skills and knowledge. How you answer these questions will showcase your suitability for the job and your HR expertise.
Interview Questions About HR Generalist Job Requirements
Since the HR generalist position is a relatively entry-level HR position, it can have varying job requirements based on the company and industry. When a recruiter asks this question, they want to understand what you make of the role.
A lot of companies tend to have pretty generic job descriptions and requirements. More often than not, the actual duties and responsibilities go way beyond whatever is mentioned in the job description. Alternatively, the JD may also have some redundant tasks that you may never have to do.
In any case, it’s important to know and understand all the possible responsibilities that you might have. Go over each of the primary responsibilities and explain how you will go about it.
Try to research the HR generalist role in other companies so you can prepare an answer accordingly. More importantly, make sure you check out companies within the same industry and category, if possible. That will help you develop specific examples and answers for your interview.
In any case, you have to show the recruiter that you have a good idea of what the job expects from you.
If youre interested in ensuring you get the HR Generalist role you want, then check our HR Generalist Certification course.
This is a critical question during the interview because, at this point, you have to start to sell yourself. This is your opportunity to list down and talk about all your skills and knowledge.
You’ll find things like problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills in every job description. However, it’s best to go one step ahead and talk about specific things, including the following:
Talking about such stuff provides a better outlook of you as a candidate rather than just saying that you have great communication skills. That’s because it’s hard to provide an accurate representation of your skills.
In any case, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mention the skills while providing your answer. If you can, talk about communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, decision-making, research, analytical, organizational, and team-building skills.
6 HR Generalist Interview Questions and Answers
Q: