Since it is the human resource team that is at the frontline of recruitment, the quality of candidates that the upper management will interview depends on their ability to screen candidates. As such, it is imperative that you have HR specialists exercise sound judgment when choosing which applicant deserves a seat in your company. But what if time comes that it’s a headhunter you are supposed to look for? How do you know that the person sitting across the table during the interview is the one who can bring your company the best applicants in the imminent future?
You may have a set of reliable exams at the ready and a set of interview questions in mind, but are the following inquiries on your list? To help you decide whom to hire, ask them these questions to help you identify whether they’d make the good HR specialists your company needs.
- Why did you get into human resources as a career?
Any job that you would like to turn into a career requires passion, and if you must know what drives candidates to pursue a profession in human resources, you can begin the interview with this question. Some of the skills a competent HR specialist should have are leadership, communication, and administrative. If you happen to see these things manifested by applicants, you can take it as a good sign.
Applicants who are able to utilize these skills have the potential to be effective staffers of your HR department. This question will also help you gauge how enthusiastic they are not just about getting hired but also with the work they will do. Those who show enthusiasm for making innovations in how the company operates will make valuable members of your HR staff.
- What is the role of the HR department in creating an atmosphere in the office conducive to working?
One of the key responsibilities of the HR crew is to make sure that every vacant position is filled with a qualified employee. This means that your future in-house recruiters should have a clear picture of the type of employee that would fit the job description. Furthermore, it is also the duty of the HR department to circulate company rules, supervise its implementation, and arrange for interventions when necessary.
Having said that, it’s important that your candidates realize how crucial the HR team is to making sure that all departments are informed about company policies and memos. In many cases, the HR also serves as the intermediary between the top management and the employees, making communication skills all the more relevant. Any fit HR staff candidate should have a good understanding of these responsibilities, and that should reflect in his or her answers during the interview.
- How do you stay on top of recruiting trends?
The job of HR specialists is far from easy. Apart from being good at recruitment and helping make sure that company operations run smoothly, they also have to keep tabs on trends and best practices to consistently improve. As such, ask your applicants how they stay updated on developments in the field of human resources. And while researching and reading are always good answers, it would be an advantage if they are also attending conferences and workshops that will help them upgrade their skills.
- How do you determine if a candidate fits your company’s culture?
Companies employ different metrics when screening applicants, so you need to consider the possibility that the candidates you’re interviewing may be familiar with an approach that is different from yours. Keep in mind though that the distinction between your company’s practice and what the candidates know shouldn’t mean that you shouldn’t hire them. If for anything, you’ll have the opportunity to integrate their professional knowhow into your system.
Another point to asking this question is to see their standards when it comes to signing up new employees, because only the competent ones will know how to hire the right people you will need in the future.
- What approach would you use if you are to recommend something to the management?
The HR department communicates the concerns of the employees to the upper management, and this task can be more daunting than it seems, especially when they will be discussing something potentially problematic. This is why you’d want your HR specialists to be perceptive about the needs of all parties involved, and be confident on how to approach the bosses when it’s the right time.
Ask your applicants how they would talk to the management when issues need escalation. To help them explain their answer better, you can also give them example scenarios, and then let what they say and don’t say reveal whether they’d serve you as good HR staffers.
- How do you handle politics in the office?
Office politics is among the inevitable situations that can occur in the workplace, and it’s critical that your HR department is able to handle it with grace. The problem with office politics is that sometimes, it can be hard to prove its presence even if you can feel the tension building up. However, a competent HR specialist would know how to diffuse this tension and to intervene when needed. It would also do you well if the candidates can think of a way to turn such a situation into something that will be beneficial for the employees and the management, if not get rid of it completely.
- Tell me about a time when you had limited resources in the office? How did you help your company in weathering it?
There will be times when companies encounter a significant constraint in resources, such as in finances or manpower. Either way, it would do you well if the HR specialists you will hire have knowledge in maximizing the resources the company has at times like this.
Let the applicants relate a story that exhibited their ability to help the management run the company while balancing itself on unstable means. In case they haven’t experienced this yet, you can also give them a scenario and allow them to exercise analytical thinking as they give you an answer. Ideally, the HR specialist you will hire has the ability to help adjust the company’s sails during tough times and to come up with solutions to keep the business afloat.
With the lot of responsibilities expected to be delivered by the HR department, it only makes sense that you ask applicants questions that will give you a good idea if they are a fit for your company. These questions can help you determine if the people you’re interviewing can deliver the needs of your business and withstand challenges that time will bring in. After all, it is only committed people who can stay dedicated to a tough but fulfilling job.
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from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/twitter-easyvince/7-questions-to-ask-when-hiring-a-human-resource-specialist/
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