SHRM Blog

18 Interview Questions HR Managers Always Ask Candidates in Job Interviews

What one question do you ALWAYS ask candidates in a job interview?

To help other HR professionals ask the right questions, we asked HR, recruiting professionals, and business leaders this question for their insights. From learning candidate motivations to determining conflict resolution skills to identifying your organization’s challenges, there are several common questions you can plan for.

Here are 18 interview questions seasoned HR Managers always ask in an interview:

  • Learn About a Candidate’s Motivations
  • Provide Opportunities to Reflect
  • Determine Conflict Resolution Skills
  • Identify Organizational Challenges
  • Ask About Your Company
  • ...
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Flip the Script on HR Skeptics

HR skeptics are still among us. When skeptics band together, they can push HR out of the strategic landscape and devalue HR’s input and proposals outright. So how do we flip the script when we feel unsupported and possibly insecure in our role?

Through trial and error. I fought through a web of skeptics at a prior employer. The previous HR director had enjoyed wielding power and demanding compliance. She kept her door closed except when you were summoned via the loudspeaker to “report to HR” to be berated, disciplined,...

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Encouraging Employees to Speak Up—Before They Give Up

There’s a lot of chatter about the so-called “Great Resignation.” Over the past few months, organizations of all kinds—from SHRM to the federal government—have sounded warning alarms about the “tsunami” of departing employees.

Some workers are forthcoming with information and opinions but many aren’t. The quiet ones likely hold useful and unique perspectives of benefit to the organization if only managers could draw them out. They can be high-potentials. Clearly, in this environment of heightened unrest and resignation, managers have a clear mandate to proactively seek and act upon, input...

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Five Leadership Myths

Too often people find themselves in a position of leading others without the experience or training they need and assume they can, and will, figure it out as they go. While they are 'figuring it out,' a great deal of damage can be done to the people and to the business’s results. These five leadership myths are alive and well today in every enterprise. Let’s take a look at some common leadership mythology.

1. Myth: Star performers in their field or discipline will surely be a star leader of other people. 

Reality:...

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11 Valuable Qualities of Highest Performing People Managers

What is the most valuable quality of your highest performing people managers?

To help HR professionals nurture their leadership skills, we asked HR professionals and business leaders this question for their best advice. From cultivating emotional intelligence to paying close attention to detail, there are several qualities that may help you become a high-performing people manager as you build your career. 

Here are 11 characteristics of high-performing people managers: 

  • Have confidence in your leadership ability
  • Cultivate high emotional intelligence
  • Develop communication skills and reliability
  • Show empathy to build solid relationships
  • Learn
  • ...
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We Were Warned

We were warned.

For years, companies like Gallup cautioned that the vast majority of our employees were disengaged from their work. Researchers showed us that this lowered productivity and morale, and increased absenteeism and employee turnover. They said that large chunks of our workforce were considering changing jobs or careers.

And they placed the blame squarely on managers. They said that more than 80% of our managers weren’t qualified to manage people. They found that only about 20% of people have natural management ability and that few companies have a way of...

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The Authenticity Gap

When I began my career, employees were told to leave their personal lives at the door. Bringing personal problems into the office was considered unnecessary at best and unprofessional at worst.

Today, organizations encourage employees to bring their whole selves to work. The word "authentic" is often used in recruiting material to describe a progressive, transparent and supportive organization. The idea is that if people are given the space and the freedom to be authentic at work, then creativity, collaboration, and connection to co-workers and the organization will flourish. More importantly from...

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HR Shouldn’t Be Puzzling !!

I have a phenomenal family! I don’t take that for granted. They allow me to be myself and it’s something that we value in each other. Recently, we celebrated Father’s Day, and, true to form, my kids got creative. I’m not your typical dad. I’ve always been someone with more eclectic tastes and am more comfortable with non-traditional things. I was tickled that the kids reached out to have a Facetime call and I said about two words after they wished me a happy Father’s Day. They just talked, laughed, poked fun at each other, and didn’t even realize I...

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Five Steps to Preventing Burnout Blues

If you are feeling anxious, stressed, and burned out at work, you are not alone. In a new Korn Ferry survey, 89% of professionals say they are suffering from burnout, and 81% say they are more burned out now than at the start of the pandemic. Many of us are overworked and uncertain about the future. Here are five strategies that may help you re-energize, re-invigorate, and enjoy work once again.

Say “no” but provide options – It’s hard to leave colleagues in a lurch when they ask for our help. But...

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The Myth of Losing the Innovation Edge in Hybrid and Remote Work

Fear of losing their innovative edge pushes many leaders to reject hybrid and virtual work arrangements. Yet extensive research shows that hybrid and remote teams can gain an innovation advantage and outcompete in-person teams by adopting best practices for innovation, such as virtual brainstorming. What explains this discrepancy between leadership beliefs and scientific evidence?

Having consulted for over a dozen companies on a strategic return back to the office, I discovered the root of the problem. The vast majority of leaders tried to pursue innovation during the lockdowns by adapting their office-based...

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