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This type of questioning is known as Behavioural Based Interviewing. It is based on the idea that your behavior and performance in previous jobs predicts future behavior and performance. It is a technique I always use when I interview. If it is done correctly, it can yield excellent results. I also train interviewers and interviewees in the technique.
Easy way to answer the questions is to anticipate what the interviewer will ask before you get to the interview and to prepare beforehand. Use the STAR technique, Situation - Task - Action - Result.
John in Oz
From Australia, Melbourne
Easy way to answer the questions is to anticipate what the interviewer will ask before you get to the interview and to prepare beforehand. Use the STAR technique, Situation - Task - Action - Result.
John in Oz
From Australia, Melbourne
(I think he copied this from a tamil movie - Arunachalam) However - here is how I would spend: I will invest it in Gold. (They will not believe if I say that I will donate it!)
From India, Madras
From India, Madras
You can say that in case you have free time in office, in that you will interact with your colleages, juniors if they have any problems or what improvement can be done in the working of the company. Other options may be if company have any sites, factories I shall visit & see how things are going over their.
From India, Dehra Dun
From India, Dehra Dun
Dear Shikha, On utilising free time in office, you could say, that, "I would ask my senior to give me added responsibility, or I could share some colleagues work , who is over loaded"
From India, Ahmadabad
From India, Ahmadabad
I would have said its difficult to recruit an experienced person:
Reasons
a) Availability
b) A fresher can be easily moulded, but an experienced will take time to blend with new culture
c) Experienced demands like anything and knows to present himself fradulently
d) A fresher will have a high energy drive, and all it takes is proper motivation to get them on right track
e) experienced people find it difficult to change their old ways
From India, Madras
Reasons
a) Availability
b) A fresher can be easily moulded, but an experienced will take time to blend with new culture
c) Experienced demands like anything and knows to present himself fradulently
d) A fresher will have a high energy drive, and all it takes is proper motivation to get them on right track
e) experienced people find it difficult to change their old ways
From India, Madras
Hey can any one plz guide me to choose a topic for my dissertation.....i am a sudent of mba(hr)....so would like to take topic in human resources only.... Thanks for your help.... Regards, pooja
Hi Geeta (and friends)
Answering Interview question is an art/science in itself. One should does not just answer in a mechanical fashion, but explain the answer and bring it to a satisfactory conclusion; so that there are no supplementary questions (unless one desires - by way of strategy- to have more supplementary questions).
If you are looking for more responses, then here is mine :
1 - If you are so good why you are paid so less ?
I had actually, been asked this question. There are no standard answers. In my case the answer was,
"I come from (name of the PSU); and as you are aware, in PSU's the salary is lesser than in Pvt sector, but there are other significant perks. First is the job security (this must have made them feel uneasy); then we have medical benefits for the whole family including parents and there is no limit to medical treatment costs even if the patient is a terminal case (this made them feel inadequate); then we have housing facilities, as such the HRA component is not there; subsidised electricity, LTC even for parents; club facilities and so many other perks. So, the salary is less in terms of monetary component.
When I joined private sector, my existing salary was benchmarked erroneously, for proposing my CTC. And this has continued.
2 - Why do you think you should get a 40% hike ?
Naturally, to correct this imbalance :icon1:. Well, I have other reasons as well. Normally a job change involves a hike of xx - xx %. Moreover, I have been rated very highly in my apparisals and I am expecting at least 20 - 30 % increment. [This is to show-off your performance].
Moreover, as an HR professional I keep tabs on the compensation packages at various levels in various industries. You must be aware that Mercer's findings say that this year there has been xx % [this is before recession] increase in salaries across all sectors. [This is to show-case your understanding of Compensation management and salary administration, as an HR professional].
Looking into all these factors, I don't think a 40% hike is unreasonable.
3 - Coming from a small company how do you justify your role in this (big) company,what value addition you will do and within how much time (This question is specific to HR pros) ?
Already answered well by Ash. I would just like to add;
"A small company enables an HR person to perform hands-on, end-to-end HR tasks himself. So this hsa enabled me to excel across all spectrum of HR management. Good HR practices can be implemented across all sizes of organizations. I intend to implement all the best practices that I have fine-tuned in my company. And human beings are the same, its only that in big organization, the number increases.
If you go on long enough, the Interviewer will forget the latter part of the question; "what value addition you will do and within how much time". In any case, at this stage one should not commit anything because one hardly knows much about the company. if you commit anything; then the Intervewer will remember it, and it becomes your task and target.
4 - What exactly you think companies look for while hiring a HR professional ?
This is those-kind-of-questiions that can be best answered though bookish knowledge. Just speak whatever you remeber from Strategic HRM - Introduction and Chapter 1 - that answers the question - Why Strategic HRM ?
5 - If we don't like your performance in 2 months, we may ask you to resign,how smooth can be your exit ?
Say firmly and with conviction : Such possibilities are remote. But sure, I must assure you Sir, that should you feel like that, then you won't have to take much trouble; Just let me know and I would myself not like to stay if I find myself unable to make any substantial contribution.
Do give me your feedbacks.
Regards.
From India, Delhi
Answering Interview question is an art/science in itself. One should does not just answer in a mechanical fashion, but explain the answer and bring it to a satisfactory conclusion; so that there are no supplementary questions (unless one desires - by way of strategy- to have more supplementary questions).
If you are looking for more responses, then here is mine :
1 - If you are so good why you are paid so less ?
I had actually, been asked this question. There are no standard answers. In my case the answer was,
"I come from (name of the PSU); and as you are aware, in PSU's the salary is lesser than in Pvt sector, but there are other significant perks. First is the job security (this must have made them feel uneasy); then we have medical benefits for the whole family including parents and there is no limit to medical treatment costs even if the patient is a terminal case (this made them feel inadequate); then we have housing facilities, as such the HRA component is not there; subsidised electricity, LTC even for parents; club facilities and so many other perks. So, the salary is less in terms of monetary component.
When I joined private sector, my existing salary was benchmarked erroneously, for proposing my CTC. And this has continued.
2 - Why do you think you should get a 40% hike ?
Naturally, to correct this imbalance :icon1:. Well, I have other reasons as well. Normally a job change involves a hike of xx - xx %. Moreover, I have been rated very highly in my apparisals and I am expecting at least 20 - 30 % increment. [This is to show-off your performance].
Moreover, as an HR professional I keep tabs on the compensation packages at various levels in various industries. You must be aware that Mercer's findings say that this year there has been xx % [this is before recession] increase in salaries across all sectors. [This is to show-case your understanding of Compensation management and salary administration, as an HR professional].
Looking into all these factors, I don't think a 40% hike is unreasonable.
3 - Coming from a small company how do you justify your role in this (big) company,what value addition you will do and within how much time (This question is specific to HR pros) ?
Already answered well by Ash. I would just like to add;
"A small company enables an HR person to perform hands-on, end-to-end HR tasks himself. So this hsa enabled me to excel across all spectrum of HR management. Good HR practices can be implemented across all sizes of organizations. I intend to implement all the best practices that I have fine-tuned in my company. And human beings are the same, its only that in big organization, the number increases.
If you go on long enough, the Interviewer will forget the latter part of the question; "what value addition you will do and within how much time". In any case, at this stage one should not commit anything because one hardly knows much about the company. if you commit anything; then the Intervewer will remember it, and it becomes your task and target.
4 - What exactly you think companies look for while hiring a HR professional ?
This is those-kind-of-questiions that can be best answered though bookish knowledge. Just speak whatever you remeber from Strategic HRM - Introduction and Chapter 1 - that answers the question - Why Strategic HRM ?
5 - If we don't like your performance in 2 months, we may ask you to resign,how smooth can be your exit ?
Say firmly and with conviction : Such possibilities are remote. But sure, I must assure you Sir, that should you feel like that, then you won't have to take much trouble; Just let me know and I would myself not like to stay if I find myself unable to make any substantial contribution.
Do give me your feedbacks.
Regards.
From India, Delhi
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Interview Question and Answer.doc