Top 39 HR Generalist Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
Think you know what it takes to ace an HR Generalist interview? Think again. Discover key questions you’re likely to face and arm yourself with tips that can set you apart from the competition. Get ready to showcase your skills and land that dream job!
The interview, in-person or virtual, is a crucial part of any recruitment process. As an HR Generalist, you must come to the interview prepared and ready to easily answer any questions fired your way. This is your opportunity to determine the match between you and the organization and showcase how you can contribute to their HR initiatives.
In this article, we’ve put together 39 HR Generalist interview questions that you can expect to encounter during your interview, along with tips on formulating your answers. Read on to find out!
Contents
What to expect in an HR Generalist interview
Top 39 HR Generalist interview questions
– Role-specific interview questions
– Behavioral interview questions
– Situational interview questions
– Problem-solving interview questions
– Attributes and motivation-focused questions
– Technical skills interview questions
What to expect in an HR Generalist interview
The HR Generalist probably has the broadest role in an HR department and is also the company’s first HR hire. This person has a wide range of responsibilities instead of a specialized line of work.
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 ensuring you have a good idea of your strengths, background, credentials, and past experience, you’ll also need to prepare for different interview questions. These can range from role-specific questions to situational questions.
But worry not! We have listed common interview questions for HR Generalists you can start practicing with. They are divided into 6 categories, and for each of them, we have included sample questions and some tips for you to ace your interview.
Top 39 HR Generalist interview questions
Role-specific interview questions
The HR Generalist’s work covers most HR functions, 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.
Questions
- When drafting a new HR policy, what factors are most important to you?
- Can you list the steps to process a suspension or termination of an employee?
- What are the ways to ensure you stay compliant with national laws and regulations?
- How important do you think collecting data and creating reports on staff performance is?
- Why or why not would you consider 360-degree assessments suitable for improving work performance?
- How do you process a sexual harassment claim?
- Can you list the skills and expertise you think are necessary for an HR Generalist?
- What can you do to make sure that your record-keeping is correct and up-to-date?
Tips to answer these questions
To ace these kinds of questions, 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 show 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.
Behavioral interview questions
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 grievance procedures). 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.
Questions
- How do you stay organized and efficient when working under pressure?
- How would you react when an employee approaches you with a discrimination claim?
- Do you think you would have trouble dismissing a good friend?
- How do you handle receiving critical feedback from your superiors or peers?
- What do you do when you experience a conflict of interest at work?
- What approach do you take when you need to implement a policy that is unpopular with employees?
Tips to answer these questions
When faced with these kinds of questions, try to give your answer with care, and don’t hesitate to ask for a minute or two to think through your answer. It’s always better to answer in the best way possible rather than the quickest way possible. You should also keep in mind that, on the one hand, you need to ensure that you answer in a professional and positive manner, but on the other hand, you don’t need to be too apathetic or indifferent. The bulk of HR’s work is people-related, and it requires as much heart as skills and knowledge. Finding the sweet spot between professionalism and empathy is the way to go.
Situational interview questions
Dealing with difficult HR situations hinges not only on how you behave but also on how you handle them based on your expertise. More often than not, during a job interview, you will encounter questions that focus on specific instances that you’ve experienced in the past or hypothetical situations similar to what you might have to deal with in your new job.
Questions
- Describe how you would manage a situation where there is a sudden change in senior leadership that impacts company culture.
- Describe a time when you had to mediate a conflict between two employees. What steps did you take, and what was the outcome?
- Have you ever done something that led to regulatory issues? Tell us how you handle the situation.
- What would you do if an employee requests confidential or otherwise sensitive information from you?
- If an employee comes to you about the discrimination that they has been getting from management, how would you handle this?
- Can you give an example of how you have dealt with an employee who consistently underperforms despite repeated coaching?
Tips to answer these questions
Use your previous experience in handling these situations as a basis for your answer. Companies don’t just want someone who can recite a hundred HR theories on handling issues like racism at work. They want real-life experience, and this is a good opportunity to demonstrate that. Another thing is to not talk too much about how you feel or how you would personally react. The spotlight here should be on how you handle the situation in the best way possible for the company.
And don’t forget to get up-to-date on national regulations and laws, employment rules and company policies. These form the basic guidelines that you need to follow whenever you make a decision regarding something — especially with more sensitive issues.
Problem-solving interview questions
An HR Generalist is involved in almost every aspect of the HR functions — from recruiting and benefits administration to HR business partner and employee relations. Having the ability to solve your organization’s most pressing HR issues is, therefore, a vital attribute for any HR Generalist. This means that problem-solving questions will undoubtedly come up during your job interview. Here are some examples of the questions that you might encounter.
Questions
- Can you propose an employee wellness program that we can use to boost morale?
- What is an instance in which your advice to management led to a change in your company’s policy or improved your employees’ work experience?
- When faced with a high rate of unwanted turnover, what would you do to retain your talent better?
- What steps would you take if you found out that a manager is not adhering to the performance review process?
- How would you address a significant discrepancy in pay equity discovered between different departments or job levels?
- What strategies would you take to ensure and/or improve employees’ job satisfaction?
- What do you consider to be the biggest challenge as an HR Generalist? How do you plan to overcome these challenges?
Tips to answer these questions
The first thing to be mindful about when answering these questions is that you need to be specific. It wouldn’t do to just make some general statements like “I would carefully analyze the situation and come up with a solution accordingly.” Go in-depth and use plenty of details about how you solved problems in the company’s best interest. Lean on your past experience to provide real-life examples of your problem-solving skills.
Additionally, don’t forget to back your answer with facts. At AIHR, we believe in the saying that “Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion”. This also holds true for job interviews. When answering problem-solving questions, remember to provide data on, for example, the decrease in unwanted turnover or increase in the eNPS score of your organization thanks to your initiative.
Attributes and motivation-focused questions
Like most job interviews for other positions and fields, your prospective employer would want to know more about your competencies and motivation for applying as an HR Generalist. This is the perfect opportunity to showcase your character and enthusiasm for this position, so be sure to come prepared!
Questions
- What motivates you to apply for this job?
- Why do you think you are a good fit for this position as our HR Generalist?
- Name three of your biggest strengths as an HR Generalist.
- What personal values do you believe align with our company’s mission and values?
- How would your credentials and past experience help you excel in this position?
- Tell us about your biggest win and/or biggest fail in your career as an HR Generalist.
- How do you stay passionate about your work in HR, especially during repetitive tasks or periods of high stress?
Tips to answer these questions
With these kinds of questions, the first tip that we have for you is to do your research about the company. It’s not enough to just tell your potential employer you’re enthusiastic about working there — you must also walk the walk! Coming to the interview ready to answer any questions about why you like the company or why you think you’re a good fit is an excellent way to showcase your dedication and motivation. You can scroll through their social media pages, check out their websites, or read reviews on Glassdoor or Indeed.
And don’t forget, know your strengths! These kinds of questions would be asked to dozens of job candidates, so make sure that you can demonstrate what makes you unique from everyone else. It can be a fresh perspective from a different country and culture or mastery over a third or fourth language. Remember that these attributes have to be in line with what the employer is looking for, so use the job description as a guideline when you’re formulating your answers.
Technical skills interview questions
As an HR Generalist, proficiency in various HR technologies and analytical skills are crucial for efficient management and strategic decision-making. Employers are keen on evaluating your technical expertise in handling HR management systems, data analytics, and software tools that are integral to modern HR practices. Here are some examples of questions you might encounter:
Questions
- What HR management systems are you familiar with, and how have you utilized them in your previous roles?
- Can you describe your experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS)? Which ones have you used, and how did you optimize their use?
- How do you ensure data accuracy and security when handling HR analytics?
- What experience do you have with automated payroll systems? Can you describe a payroll issue you resolved?
- Explain how you have used HR metrics to improve business outcomes in your past roles.
Tips to answer this questions
To effectively respond to these questions, emphasize your hands-on experience with HR software and technologies. Provide specific examples of how you have used these tools to solve problems, improve processes, or achieve measurable outcomes. Discuss your approach to learning and adapting new technologies, which showcases your commitment to maintaining relevance and expertise in your field. To finalize, demonstrate your attention to detail, especially when managing sensitive data, and your proactive measures to maintain data integrity and security.
Over to you
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 not to 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.
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