Facing Tough HR Interview Questions: How Would You Answer These Common Challenges?

I recently went for an interview, and the interviewer asked me the following questions:

1. What are the components of Organizational Development? I told him I am not an MBA, but still, he wanted me to answer this.

2. How do you analyze a person and their resume?

3. What do we generally look for in a resume to shortlist a candidate?

4. What questions should we ask in an interview?

5. How will we measure stability, and if we get a genuine answer from the candidate, how will we know if their answer was truly genuine or not? I mean, if the candidate has really given a valid answer.

I would request you to please answer the following questions.

Regards,
Shweta

It is evident that this interviewer is not professional. It is also presumed from the questions that he is not keen to hire you. Please do not join a company that does not show professionalism at interviews.

Best Wishes & Regards,
Murali

Can you please clarify the designation where you attended the interview? If you went for an interview for roles such as recruitment analyst, job consultant, or other HR-related jobs, all these questions are compulsory.

Regards,
Rajiv Saha

Hi Murali, I too felt the same because I have never seen an interviewer asking such questions. The questions were quite silly.

Regards, Shweta Gehlot

Recruitment Analysis in a Consultancy

How far do you think you have gone in the recruitment analysis job for a recruitment consultancy where these types of questions are being asked?

Regards,
Rajiv

No, it was not a consultancy; it was an engineering firm, a well-known engineering firm with about 2000 employees. The questions asked were very general, but he was not satisfied with general answers. I mean, how would you answer how you will analyze a resume and how you will know if the candidate's excuse for a stability issue is valid or not?

Regards,
Shweta Gehlot

It can be done by just comparing the resume of the employee, including the degree, job titles, and years of experience, with the vacancy for the post in the company. So, the tasks and responsibilities given to him/her should be properly maintained, and progress happens with respect to time. For example, if there is a vacancy for a software engineer in the company, you must search for the resume of the employee who has a BE in Computer Science and has worked in software development, not a B. Pharma degree holder with years of experience in pharmaceutical exports.

Hope you understand why this question is being asked of you.

I just went through your query. I don't know where you went for the interview and for what position, but there is nothing unusual in these questions as they can be answered. There are more complex questions that can be asked, and some I have faced. Anyways, I would like to try to answer some of these.

Analyzing a Person in an Interview

A person can be analyzed based on their behavior, gestures, and posture in an interview. For example, if they are not maintaining eye contact and take a lot of time while answering, it means they might be a confused person who lacks confidence.

Analyzing a Resume

To analyze a resume, first, the career objective mentioned should be considered. Then, one should analyze the person's experience, such as the time period worked in different industries, whether they have worked for a suitable time period or frequently switched jobs. If they have switched jobs at very short periods, maybe they easily get bored and are a job hopper. If they are not experienced, project work can be analyzed, etc.

Education should match the job applied for; experience, if fresher, then project works, achievements, and references.

Questions to Ask in an Interview

Questions to be asked in an interview depend on the job one is conducting the interview for. If the job is in sales, questions that analyze a person's presentation skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills should be asked.

Measuring Stability

Stability can be analyzed by reviewing past records. More information can be gathered from references given. If there are doubts, the person can be appointed on probation first.

I hope I am able to provide a somewhat satisfactory answer. If anything is wrong, kindly correct me.

Regards