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It is always difficult for a job
seeker, to face the interviewer, especially for freshers who are just out of
college, seeking a job. It is wise to prepare some hr interview questions
before attending the interview.
Some of the difficult hr questions to face are as follows.
Tell me about yourself?
Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position.
Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your
qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you
must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important
strategy in job hunting.
So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to
uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal. To do so, make you take these two
steps:
Do all the homework you can before the hr interview to uncover this person's
wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)
As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of
what the position entails. You might say: "I have a number of
accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use
of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that,
could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position?
All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad,
etc.)"
Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw
out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or third
question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.
You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything
else you see as essential to success in this position?:
This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier
simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and
needs will your answers make the most sense. Practice asking these key
questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and
you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing
with.
After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of
this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be
sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and
especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as
a perfect match for the needs he has just described.
What are your greatest strengths?
You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's
greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1,
you know how to do this.
Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your
greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which
illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most
impressive achievements.
You should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding
examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that you can
recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM. Then, once you uncover
your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose those
achievements from your list that best match up.
As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love
to see in their employees are:
proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match
up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.
Intelligence...management "savvy".
Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.
Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team
player who meshes well with interviewer's team.
Likability...positive attitude...sense of humor.
Good communication skills.
Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.
Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.
Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.
Confident...healthy...a leader.
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Disguise a strength as a weakness.
Example: "I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense
of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength."
Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely
used, it is transparent to any experienced interviewer.
BEST ANSWER: (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough
description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure
the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of
your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you
strongest qualifications.
Example: "Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this
position, I believe I' d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire
people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the qualifications
to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well? Everything in my
background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to
achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I
see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my
strong desire to perform this job with excellence."
Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk
about such a perfect fit):
Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like
least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most
important qualification for success in the position, and what you like least
is not essential.
Example: Let's say you're applying for a teaching position. "If given a
choice, I like to spend as much time as possible in front of my prospects
selling, as opposed to shuffling paperwork back at the office. Of course, I
long ago learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and I do it
conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer
were a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)
Tell me about something you did -
or failed to do - that you now feel a little ashamed of?
As with faults and weaknesses, never confess a regret. But don't seem as if
you're stonewalling either.
Best strategy: Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you
practice regularly for healthy human relations.
Example: Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you.
Then say to hr, "You know, I really can't think of anything." (Pause again,
then add): "I would add that as a general management principle, I've found
that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid causing them in the first
place. I practice one habit that helps me a great deal in this regard. At
the end of each day, I mentally review the day's events and conversations to
take a second look at the people and developments I'm involved with and do a
double check of what they're likely to be feeling. Sometimes I'll see things
that do need more follow-up, whether a pat on the back, or maybe a five
minute chat in someone's office to make sure we're clear on
things...whatever."
"I also like to make each person feel like a member of an elite team, like
the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers in their prime. I've found that if you let
each team member know you expect excellence in their performance...if you
work hard to set an example yourself...and if you let people know you
appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind up with a highly motivated
group, a team that's having fun at work because they're striving for
excellence rather than brooding over slights or regrets."
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