About HR Interview Questions
A note on what these questions are. Most topics on this site are worked out - there is a right answer and it can be shown. This one is different, and it would be dishonest to pretend otherwise. There is no calculation here; the answers are recommended practice, drawn from the advice that recruitment and careers guidance most widely gives. They are the answers that a well-prepared candidate gives, and the explanations say why the other answers are weaker rather than why they are wrong. Treat them as a considered starting point for your own preparation, not as facts to be memorised. The rest of this page sets out what an interview is for and how to prepare for it.
What you need to understand
- An HR interview is not testing whether you can do the job - a technical round has already settled that. It is testing whether the people who will work with you every day want to, and whether you are likely still to be there in two years.
- The interviewer works from a handful of concerns: whether you can do the work, whether you will stay, whether you will fit the team, and whether you will say the same things in six months that you are saying now.
- Most of the questions are an excuse to hear you talk about your own conduct. Anything you say is more convincing with a short, specific example in it than with an adjective.
- The STAR shape - situation, task, action, result - is worth using deliberately for the questions that ask for a time when something happened. It keeps the answer to a minute and puts the action, which is the part being assessed, in the middle where it can be heard.
- The action is the answer. What the team did, what the project was and how the ending felt are all context, and an answer that is mostly context says nothing about you.
- A weakness question is testing self-awareness rather than humility. A real fault, followed by what you changed because of it, is the answer; a fault dressed up as a strength is read as evasion.
- A failure question is the same. The interviewer is not looking for somebody who has never failed - they do not believe that person exists - but for somebody who learns from what goes wrong.
- Questions about conflict are testing whether you settle things directly. An answer that involves going to a manager, or avoiding the colleague entirely, fails the question however reasonable the story is.
- A salary question is asked to find out whether the two of you are in the same range, and it is answered by naming a range you have researched rather than a figure or a percentage over your present pay.
- Expect a question about a gap, a bond, relocation and your notice period. These are practical questions and a precise answer to each of them is worth more than an eloquent one.
- Your own questions at the end are part of the interview. Asking about the work shows interest; asking first about leave and hours tells them what you are weighing up.
- The things that lose offers are rarely wrong answers - they are complaining about a previous employer, claiming a strength as a weakness, refusing to name a failure, and knowing nothing about the company.
- A prepared candidate has three or four stories - a project delivered, a problem solved, a disagreement handled, a mistake made good - that can be adapted to whatever question comes, which is why preparation means rehearsing stories rather than memorising answers.
- Interviewing is a two-way assessment. You are deciding whether to take the job as much as they are deciding whether to offer it, and the manner of the interview is one of the things you are assessing.
How to work through these questions
- Prepare stories, not answers. Four or five real episodes from your own work, each with an action and a result, can be reshaped to fit most of the questions you will be asked.
- For every answer, say what you did rather than what the team did. The question is about you, and a story told in the first person singular is the one being marked.
- Keep the answer to about a minute. The interviewer will ask a follow-up if they want more, and a long answer is harder to listen to than a short one.
- Work out your salary range before the interview, from advertisements and from people in similar roles, so that the question does not catch you out.
- Take one specific thing about the company, from their own website or news, and be ready to connect it to the work you want to do there.
- Have two or three questions ready about the role itself. They are easier to ask than to invent on the spot, and the ones you ask show what you care about.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Criticising a current or previous employer, however justified the criticism. It is the single most common reason a well-qualified candidate is turned down.
- Offering a strength as a weakness. The interviewer has heard it before and reads it as a refusal to answer.
- Saying that you have no real weaknesses, or cannot think of a failure. Both answers say that you are either inexperienced or unwilling to be candid.
- Giving an answer about what the company can do for you when the question was about the work.
- Naming a salary figure first, or quoting a percentage over your present pay rather than a range for the role.
- Answering in generalities - I am a team player, I work hard - with no example behind the phrase.
- Having no questions at the end, which reads as no interest, or asking only about hours and leave, which reads as an interest in something other than the work.
- Treating the HR round as a formality after the technical round and arriving unprepared for it. It is the round that decides offers more often than any other.
Worked example
The interviewer asks why you want to leave your current job. What would a strong answer sound like, and what makes the weaker answers weaker?
- A strong answer looks forward: I have learned a great deal in my present role, and I am looking for wider responsibility than it can offer me. It gives a reason that cannot be held against you and it tells the interviewer what to offer you.
- A weaker answer makes the manager the subject: my manager is difficult to work with and I need to get away from the team. The interviewer can only wonder how you will describe them in two years time.
- Another weaker answer makes the salary the whole reason. Money is a legitimate reason to move, but as the headline it invites the obvious question of what happens when someone else offers more.
- A third weaker answer has no reason in it at all: I am not sure, I just feel it is time for a change. There is nothing for the interviewer to respond to and nothing for them to plan around.
- Notice what separates them. The strong answer is not longer, cleverer or more emotional - it is about the future rather than about the past, and it is about the work rather than about grievance or pay. That distinction, rather than any formula, is what is being tested.
Answer: Looking forward to wider responsibility, rather than away from a manager, a salary or a feeling
Practice questions with answers
A few HR Interview Questions questions with the full solution shown, so you can see
how the method is applied before you attempt the timed set.
Question 1
You are asked how you would handle a manager who takes credit for your work. Which of these answers would serve you best?
-
A
I would raise it with my manager's manager, because it is not something I could reasonably ignore, since it affects how my work is seen.
-
B
I would point it out calmly in the meeting, in front of everyone who was there when it happened.
-
C
I would stop putting in the extra effort if that is the way the credit for it works in this team.
-
D
I would ask to present the next piece myself, so the work speaks for itself and nothing has to be said about it.
Answer: Option D — with explanation
It gets what you want without a confrontation, which is what an experienced answer to this question sounds like.
The answer that advice most widely recommends is: "I would ask to present the next piece myself, so the work speaks for itself and nothing has to be said about it."
The other options are not mistakes of fact but weaker tactics, and it is worth knowing why each of them is weaker, because they are the answers that come to mind first:
- "I would stop putting in the extra effort if that is the way the credit for it works in this team." is weaker because it damages your own record to make a point about somebody else's
- "I would raise it with my manager's manager, because it is not something I could reasonably ignore, since it affects how my work is seen." is weaker because going over their head on a matter of credit will follow you through the company
- "I would point it out calmly in the meeting, in front of everyone who was there when it happened." is weaker because it wins the point and loses the room, and it shows the employer how you handle being wronged
Common mistakes
- "I would raise it with my manager's manager, because it is not something I could reasonably ignore, since it affects how my work is seen." is weaker because going over their head on a matter of credit will follow you through the company
- "I would point it out calmly in the meeting, in front of everyone who was there when it happened." is weaker because it wins the point and loses the room, and it shows the employer how you handle being wronged
- "I would stop putting in the extra effort if that is the way the credit for it works in this team." is weaker because it damages your own record to make a point about somebody else's
Question 2
The interviewer asks what would make you leave this job if you were to join. Which of these is the best response?
-
A
A manager who does not respect the work that the team does or the time it takes.
-
B
If the work stopped being about building things and became only about maintaining them, I would want to talk about it.
-
C
Nothing at all, because if I join the company then I intend to stay here for the long term and grow with it.
-
D
A better salary somewhere else, since that is what really decides these things in the end for most people.
Answer: Option B — with explanation
A conditional answer is more honest than never, and it shows the employer what keeps you rather than what drives you out.
The answer that advice most widely recommends is: "If the work stopped being about building things and became only about maintaining them, I would want to talk about it."
The other options are not mistakes of fact but weaker tactics, and it is worth knowing why each of them is weaker, because they are the answers that come to mind first:
- "Nothing at all, because if I join the company then I intend to stay here for the long term and grow with it." is weaker because nobody believes it, and an absolute answer makes the rest of your answers less credible
- "A manager who does not respect the work that the team does or the time it takes." is weaker because a reasonable reason, but offered first it sounds like a warning about your next manager
- "A better salary somewhere else, since that is what really decides these things in the end for most people." is weaker because it tells the employer that the retention problem is only a matter of price
Common mistakes
- "A better salary somewhere else, since that is what really decides these things in the end for most people." is weaker because it tells the employer that the retention problem is only a matter of price
- "Nothing at all, because if I join the company then I intend to stay here for the long term and grow with it." is weaker because nobody believes it, and an absolute answer makes the rest of your answers less credible
- "A manager who does not respect the work that the team does or the time it takes." is weaker because a reasonable reason, but offered first it sounds like a warning about your next manager
Question 3
You are asked to talk about a project you are proud of. Which of these answers would serve you best?
-
A
We worked very hard as a team for several weeks and the result was successful in the end for everyone.
-
B
It was a very large project with a lot of people involved across many departments and several sites.
-
C
We had a two week deadline, so I split the work into three parts and we delivered it a day early.
-
D
I cannot discuss the details of the work, but it went very well and the client was pleased with it.
Answer: Option C — with explanation
Saying what you did and what came of it is much stronger than describing the project in general terms, and it gives the interviewer something to ask about.
The answer that advice most widely recommends is: "We had a two week deadline, so I split the work into three parts and we delivered it a day early."
The other options are not mistakes of fact but weaker tactics, and it is worth knowing why each of them is weaker, because they are the answers that come to mind first:
- "It was a very large project with a lot of people involved across many departments and several sites." is weaker because size is not an achievement, and the answer still says nothing about what you did
- "I cannot discuss the details of the work, but it went very well and the client was pleased with it." is weaker because refusing the detail without a reason sounds as though there is nothing behind it
- "We worked very hard as a team for several weeks and the result was successful in the end for everyone." is weaker because there is no place in it for you, so the interviewer learns nothing about your contribution
Common mistakes
- "We worked very hard as a team for several weeks and the result was successful in the end for everyone." is weaker because there is no place in it for you, so the interviewer learns nothing about your contribution
- "I cannot discuss the details of the work, but it went very well and the client was pleased with it." is weaker because refusing the detail without a reason sounds as though there is nothing behind it
- "It was a very large project with a lot of people involved across many departments and several sites." is weaker because size is not an achievement, and the answer still says nothing about what you did
Question 4
You are asked to summarise why the company should hire you. Which of these is the best response?
-
A
Because I am a hard-working person who will give everything to the role from the first day.
-
B
I have done this exact kind of work for two years, and the tooling you use is the tooling I know.
-
C
I think I am at least as good as the other candidates you have seen today for this role.
-
D
Because I need this opportunity and I will be loyal to the company if I am given the chance.
Answer: Option B — with explanation
It answers the question that is really being asked - what will you save us - and it does so with something checkable.
The answer that advice most widely recommends is: "I have done this exact kind of work for two years, and the tooling you use is the tooling I know."
The other options are not mistakes of fact but weaker tactics, and it is worth knowing why each of them is weaker, because they are the answers that come to mind first:
- "Because I am a hard-working person who will give everything to the role from the first day." is weaker because effort is the entry ticket rather than the reason to choose one candidate over another
- "Because I need this opportunity and I will be loyal to the company if I am given the chance." is weaker because the reason is what you get out of it, and loyalty offered as a bargain is not a qualification
- "I think I am at least as good as the other candidates you have seen today for this role." is weaker because it says nothing at all about you, and it invites a comparison you cannot see
Common mistakes
- "I think I am at least as good as the other candidates you have seen today for this role." is weaker because it says nothing at all about you, and it invites a comparison you cannot see
- "Because I am a hard-working person who will give everything to the role from the first day." is weaker because effort is the entry ticket rather than the reason to choose one candidate over another
- "Because I need this opportunity and I will be loyal to the company if I am given the chance." is weaker because the reason is what you get out of it, and loyalty offered as a bargain is not a qualification
Question 5
The interviewer asks whether you work better alone or in a team. Which of these is the best response?
-
A
Either, and the important part is knowing which one the task needs before I start it.
-
B
I work best on my own, because then I can control the pace of the work and get on with it.
-
C
I can work either way and it makes no real difference to me at all in practice.
-
D
I prefer working in a team, since two heads are always better than one on any problem.
Answer: Option A — with explanation
It refuses the false choice and replaces it with judgement, which is what the question is reaching for.
The answer that advice most widely recommends is: "Either, and the important part is knowing which one the task needs before I start it."
The other options are not mistakes of fact but weaker tactics, and it is worth knowing why each of them is weaker, because they are the answers that come to mind first:
- "I can work either way and it makes no real difference to me at all in practice." is weaker because indifference is not the same as flexibility, and it sounds as though neither has been considered
- "I work best on my own, because then I can control the pace of the work and get on with it." is weaker because it answers honestly but it tells them how you will react to the meetings the role will bring
- "I prefer working in a team, since two heads are always better than one on any problem." is weaker because two heads are sometimes worse, and the answer does not allow for that
Common mistakes
- "I work best on my own, because then I can control the pace of the work and get on with it." is weaker because it answers honestly but it tells them how you will react to the meetings the role will bring
- "I can work either way and it makes no real difference to me at all in practice." is weaker because indifference is not the same as flexibility, and it sounds as though neither has been considered
- "I prefer working in a team, since two heads are always better than one on any problem." is weaker because two heads are sometimes worse, and the answer does not allow for that
Frequently asked questions
Are these answers actually correct?
They are recommended rather than correct, which is why this page says so at the top. They are the answers that recruitment guidance most widely gives and that experienced interviewers say they hope to hear. A different interviewer may weigh the same answers differently, and what matters in practice is that you can explain your own reasoning - not that you produced a particular sentence.
What does the STAR method mean in practice?
Situation, task, action, result. Set the scene in one sentence, say what you had to do in another, spend most of the answer on what you actually did, and finish with what came of it. The action is the part being assessed, so it should be the longest part of the answer.
How do I answer a weakness question honestly without losing the offer?
Choose something real but not disqualifying - a habit rather than a capability - and spend the second half of the answer on what you have done about it. Used to take on every task myself rather than hand it over, so I now run a short session to hand work over properly is the shape that works.
Should I say what salary I want?
Name a range you have researched for that kind of role rather than a single figure, and do not open with a percentage over your present salary. If they press for a number, give the lower end of the range you would genuinely accept, since that is the figure they will remember.
How should I handle a question about a gap in my record?
Answer it plainly and without apology, in one sentence, and then say what you did to keep your skills current. The interviewer is less interested in the gap than in whether you are straightforward about it.
What should I ask at the end?
Something about the work: how success is measured in the first six months, who decides that, what the team is finding hard at the moment. Two or three prepared questions are worth more than any number of improvised ones, and asking about leave first tells them what you are weighing up.
