HR Interview Questions for Freshers with best Answers and ExamplesHR Interview Questions for Freshers with best Answers and Examples1Votes 1 2 3 4 5Hits: 2029

Best way to answer frequently asked HR Interview Questions for Freshers on Questions likeTell me about yourself, Why should we hire you, your strengths and weaknesses, how to handle challenging situation, your hobbies and interests, inspiring person in your life, change management, flexibility, Why do you want to work for us, about the company, expectations from your first job etc.Before we start, remember that, in a HRinterview, there is no right or wrong answer. All you have is a right way of answering, but the answer initself depends on the candidate.Before you dig into the questions and answers for a fresher HR interview, it will be helpful to read theintroduction article here -HR Interview Preparation Tips for Freshers.Earlier article explains how one prepare for a HR interview.

HR interview more often, is not a selection process, but a short listing process, where few of theselected candidates from previous rounds are weeded out. So more than concentrating on gettingselected, one should be focused on NOT getting rejected.First few minutes are very important and so does the first few questions. The interviewers do not knowanything about you. The impression you make in the first few questions, is going to set tone for theentire session and plays a huge factorLet us split up the questions into few categories, which will be About Candidate About Company About Common stuffsHR Interview Questions about CandidateHello, how are you today ? This is more of a make yourself comfortable statements. Answer with a pleasant smile. If you had any trouble during the day, dont hesitate to mention it. But make sure you express it in a positive note.Examples:

I am very well today sir, thank you. I am very well today sir, just that the traffic here is bit of a hassle. But I made sure, I start a bit early to beat it.

Tell me about yourself. The FIRST & BEST question for any HR interview. The answer to this basically setsthe tone of rest of the interview. Good news is You can earn a lot of points if this isanswered right. Give a brief of your education background (up to plus two is fine, your family andlocation, any of your hobbies etc. You can also mention one of your major achievements, if it fits the circumstance. Keep the answer to just about 3-4 sentences and not more than that. No need to explain your strengths & weakness at this points (as that will definitelycome along). A common mistake seen is most HR interview is to start the sentence like I ambasically from... No need to start a sentence like that. Keep the answer simple, to the point and give space and time for further questions. Donot stretch it too much.Example:Hi I am Kiran and hails from Bangalore. I did my B.Tech in electronics andcommunication from Rameswara College of engineering, which is underBangalore University. I had completed my plus two from Chinmaya VidhyaMission School and secured 98% in CBSE Boards. I have four members in myfamily and I am the youngest son. I love outdoor sports, specifically athleticsand was a member of college athletic team.

What are your key strengths ? This is another most common question in any HR interview. The idea here is to understand how much you know about yourself and how confidentyou are about your strengths. Just stay positive. Even a simple answer like I am a very positive person is goodenough. You can also change this as per the requirement of the interview. Knowing a bit aboutthe profile you are being interviewed helps as well. Explaining your strength with an experience from the past is desirable here.Example: Sir, my greatest strength is my ability to learn things quickly. For example,I had to represent my college in an inter college science exhibition, and wasintroduced to the team at the very last minute. I was able to understand ourexhibits and artifacts and present them with great success. I think my greatest strength is my positive attitude, even during themost hardest of times. During my college project, there has been coupleof occasions, when our idea was not falling in place and the results werenegative. I had to believe and think positively and keep my team motivated topersist on our idea, and finally we got the desired result. My best skill would be my verbal ability and articulation skill. I have workedas editor for our college magazine and have been involved with various literaryforums during my school and college days.

What is one thing, which you want to improve about yourself ? (OR) what are your weaknesses ? This is a trick question. The expectation here is to answer a negative trait with apositive twist. Something which in general a weak point of a person, but is alright froman organization perspective.Example I tend to try to take up too many things, leaving little time for myself. I am a perfectionist and sometimes, concentrate too much on one single taskto get it to perfection, using up time from other tasks. I tend to say Yes, when someone asks for help. I am working on learning to sayNo at times.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now ? This is a question intended to know, what are your career aspirations, how long wouldyou be committed to the organization, is there any immediate plans for you to move onetc.; If you have an actual plan, explain it with reasoning. If you do not have any specificplans as of then, give a generic answer along with some interesting activity you wouldlike to take up.Example I would like to see myself donning one of the senior positions in theorganization contributing to technology as well as participating in businessgrowth. I am hoping, I can position myself with relevant experience by then. As a fresher, I am assuming by first five years will be a huge learning curve.I want to absorb much of the industry knowledge and also to sharpen mytechnical abilities. In next five years I see myself playing various roles in theteam from a developer to leading a team. I would like to see myself as a technical architect in next five years. My corecompetency is with technologies, and I would like to work and contribute in thefield of most recent technologies and advancements. I would like to get takeup some of the major technology certificationsHave you been in some challenging situation ? Explain how you handled it ? This is usually an add-on question to explain your strengths that you mentionpreviously. This is good opportunity to give a suitable example, as to why you mentioned what yourstrengths are.Example: Yes, we did have some challenging situation during our final semester projectdelivery. Usually the kind of code logic we were trying to implemented, workswith a 64bit processor, while we were trying to make it work with a lowerconfiguration, due to budgetary contraints. Theoretically it was possible, butresult was not coming through and the team wanted to give up and upgrade thehardware. I was positive, that this will work and that we stick to the plan andfigure out our actual problem. It took some effort to convince my team, a lotmore hard work and few extra hours of reading, but finally we stayed positiveand cracked the issue and delivered the project. The above example, explains your strength like Positive thinking, hardwork etc. I have a huge passion for sports and have been a regular member of collegeathletic team. There was an event coming up slightly ahead of one of our examschedule. Although our coach said, I can skip the competition, I was sure I canwin points for the college. So I decided, I will put in extra time in studies lateevenings, while also practicing and attending the event. I had to stretch a bitphysically & mentally, and also manage my time tightly. But finally I was ableto win the tournament and also come out with good scores in exam. The above showcases, you multitasking capability, time management,passion for things and hard work.Why should we hire you ? As a fresher, you cant commit to any expertise in any specific domain. So this questionis intended to understand what quality of yours will be helpful most for the company. Knowledge about company and what quality of yours suits the organization, is the keyto answer this. In case you dont know much about the company, quick learning ability, flexibility,team player etc are few common qualities that will fit any organizational needs.Example: I have had someinternshipsand industry exposure. So being a fresher, it willstill be easy for me adapt to the new environment, which is significantly lessenmy training cost. I have a sharp learning curve, which will help company ramp me up quicklyas a productive resource. An example of my learning curve is my final yearproject, where I have worked on a short time frame on an entirely newtechnology I am a strong team player a good leader. I have been leading teams fortechnical and cultural activities during my college days. In your company I willbe a great player within any challenging team and provide leadership whenopportunity arises.

What are your hobbies and interests ? You cannot say, you dont have any other interests, other than academics. Even if you are very studious, your answer should include reading non-textbooks andfollowing cutting edge stuffs in technology. A company looks for a candidate who are more rounded and keeps diverse interests inlife. Identify one of your interests other than academics and prepare answer based on that(Dont include eating, watching TV, sleeping etc.)Example: I love singing and I also play instruments like Guitar. Outdoor sports is my interest. Specifically cricket I am a numismatist (coin/ currency collector). I have been doing it sinceschool days

Who is the most inspiring person in your life The important part is not who, but why? When you answer this question with a name, you should follow it up with why he / sheis most inspiring person.Example: My greatest inspiration is Sachin Tendulkar. He had such a humble upbringing& his hard work took him to the greatest heights in the world of sports. Hestill keeps himself rooted and stays humble. I also believe in hard work andhumility. My greatest inspiration is my dad. He has always thought me to not worryabout my weakness and take most advantage of my strengths. This hasdeveloped a lot of confidence in me during difficult times.

Are you willing to change your role and profile when required for project? As a fresher, your most sought after quality is flexibility. You need to showcase, youare flexible and ready to learn. Saying you are flexible doesnt necessarily mean, you will be forced into things, youdont like. It just shows your positive attitude to learn and try new things.Example:Yes, most definitely sir. As a fresher, I hope and wish to learn as much thingsas possible. I believe taking up different roles and profiles only helps me learn and grow in this industry

Are you ready to relocate As long as you do not have any compelling reasons, being a fresher it is better to beready for relocation. Todays IT industry works on global operation model, where they have officeslocated at several locations. These are staffed strategically, as per need and businessrequirement and there could be a need for your skills at a particular location. Being flexible enough to suit the staffing need of a company is a great advantage fora fresher and since most of fresher move around with less baggage (example: beingsingle), it is easier for company to move them at short notice. Remember, this applies for a foreign country placement also. So denying a relocationmeans, you are also saying No to an onsite opportunity as well.Example: Yes, most definitely. I believe being at different locations helps me learnabout new culture and people. Yes, I dont see a problem in relocation. Its always a better learningexperience than being around with same environment and people

Are you flexible with timings (if have to work in shift) ? This question yet again checks about your flexibility. The same answer above applies here. If there is a genuine problem for you to work in night or early morning shifts, mentionthat.Do you wish to pursue higher education? If you are seriously considering higher education, its wise to say so. If you are unsure (may be May not be), your answers could be I am interested in higher studies, but not immediately. I want to get startedworking and then look for higher education based on my experience and careerprogressions. Yes, but not immediately. I plan to take up part time studies, with eitheran MBA or an VLSI engineering masters, depending on which will be morebeneficial for my line of work. Some companies support and provide various incentives for part time, full timestudies. If you already know of any such programs, it will be good to align your answeraccording to thaHR Interview Questions on about CompanyIn todays world, with so much information available online and through various sources, it is a gravemistake to not read up about the company, you are attending the interview for. A good knowledgeabout the company during the interview shows your genuine interest in getting placed.Few basic things that you need to look up about a company are Domain expertise of the company Various industries they cater to Few niceties about being employed at that company (Eg: Best employer award by Timesmagazine) Locations they operate from and main business geographies. Company history, its current leaders General working culture Any subsidiaries or affiliated companiesWhy do you want to work for us? Mention some good word about the company at the same time, try to align a strengthof yours with the company vision or goal or working culture.Example Working for an organization, which has won best employer award multipletimes, in itself is a motivating factor. But more importantly, I would like tostart off my career at a place, which values ethical practices and encouragesoverall development of a person. I have always admired XYZ (company), for the cutting edge products anddevelopments it bring about in the modern world. The impact of our work,is directly reflected among the society in general, which is a great feeling. Iwould like to be a part of this modern day game changer bandwagon. Note the clever & subtle use of our work instead of your work. Youalready seems to be a part of company. I believe, life is always a mix of hard work and fun. I find the work culture ofxyz to carry the same principle. Work hard... Party harder. What better wayto start off my career, than at a place, where I will feel like home.What is one thing that you like about our company? Again, always know about the company before choosing your answer. A wrong lineof answer could cost you the job itself. Like you go to a research Organization & tellabout your partying habit, you most likely lose the chance to get through. Most likely one of the above answers applies here also. The difference is, you donthave to align this with your interests & strengths.

What are your expectations from your first job? You can always quote a simple vision or strategy which you like about the company. As a fresher, your most important expectation should be To Learn & this is what mostcompanies expect from you. There could be additional personal expectation like contributing to society, placingyourself within corporate world, paying off your education loan etc;Examples: I have had lot of studies during all these years, but mostly theoreticalleanings. My first & foremost expectation from my first job would be to learnhow all these are applied in a practical and industrial way. I also want to be apart of the corporate culture and learn how this is run. I consider my first job as an extension of my studies only. More like a practicalclass. I want to learn a lot of new technologies, learn how the corporate worldworks, be part of a big energetic team and contribute to the projects, developmy soft skills and to prepare myself for tougher challenges in future.

Do you have a referral in this company? The question could be for two reasons 1. To understand, if you are familiar with thecompany culture. 2. If you will be motivated enough to join the company, if given anoffer. If there is someone close to you, working in the company, or if there are many peopleyou know as working here, there is a high probability, you will be a long term prospectfor the company. So, If you know anyone or many, working in the company, give the name, department& employee number No need to tell any fake names or numbers, because in case of any verification, youmight lose out a chance to make it.Note: Reach out to them & get this information before hand

General HR Interview QuestionsWas it difficult to find the location ?

Mostly an opening statement, to make you comfortable. Be calm & start chatting upabout your experience. Such conversations will also help you cool your nerves before the interview.Do you want to ask us anything MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION!! Never ever, go into an interview without preparing to ask any question. Always keep a question handy. This is your opportunity to voice any of your concernregarding the job profile, company profile, location, timing etc; if not already covered. If you really do not have any questions, ask some general questions like does companyprovide any higher education opportunity, does company encourage corporate socialactivities. Etc;Suppose you win a huge money in jackpot, would you still work? Few trick question like this might be thrown at you during HR interviews. These are not harmful or make-or-break your chances type of questions, however, it iswise to take such light hearted questions, in its light hearted manner (of course with asmile).Example Depends on how much if left after my shopping Never really thought about it... maybe, I will start a company then. I always wanted to encourage entrepreneurship and motivate youth injob creation. I guess I might invest the money in some startups and still beworking

About any current news If you are in the habit of reading news, dont skip it for interview. Keep yourself updated, especially on the fields of your expertise and stream ofeducation.

Avoid Shabby and casual dressing Reaching late for interview Lies and false facts Stretching your answers beyond required time Arguments or debates Negative answers or criticisms

Complete guide for Freshers to crack Human Resource - HR Interview with best Preparationtips. This article discuss in detail, frequently asked questions and qualities a candidateshould have to clear the HR Round.

Cleared man!! I am through technical round!! Theres this simple HR round now & it should be done Heard this before ?Most candidates have a misconception that, HR interview is a mere formality to give you an offer letter. Although in few cases, it is true, but in this current competent market scenario, it isnt truewith most recruiters.With so many to choose from, and little separating the technical skills of freshers, HR round becomesan important differentiator to shortlist the right candidate. If an organization was a machine, thetechnical skills of an employee becomes the core machinery & their soft skills will be the lubrication- for a smooth run, you need both. Thats where the HR round becomes so important for a fresherrecruitment. Corporates like to hire candidates who are good at their soft skills and compatible withtheir organization, as much as they can do a technical job.What does HR looks forSo now that we know the importance of HR interview round, what exactly does an HR look for duringthe interview ? Here are few core parameters, that most companies will try to evaluate a fresheragainst, during the HR roundCommunication skillSome candidates think, this is language skill. Sorry to disappoint, butcommunication is not always about language. Its neither about your American accent norShakespearean English. Of course you need the basic skill to talk in English, but nothing more.The three key elements of good communication are Listen Actively listen to what the interviewer is asking. DO NOT interrupt thequestion or answer before question is complete. Absorb Understand the meaning and context of the question. If you do not, donthesitate to ask. Remember, no question is stupid. Tip: Some candidates, who are not comfortable asking Can you please repeat? or Can you please elaborate?, can do this an alternate way. Explain the question back to interviewer as you understand & get confirmation. E.g. Q: What are your outside interests? You: So you asking about any of my hobbies and interests other than in academics... right? Answer clear and loud Once you get the question, answer in clear words, short and tothe point and of course loud. Murmuring under your breath is often frustrating for the interviewer.ConfidenceIts pretty common for a freshers to get intimidated by the environment and theinterviewers and to feel lot of nerves. But hey RELAX! Understand the fact that the companywants you as much as you need them. They called you in for HR round, because they wantto select you, not reject you. So just be yourself, like you would be at your home or collegeplaying with your friends. Few things what shows confidence are

Sit straight and keep a comfortable posture. Do not lean or sit on edge of the seat, norlean back too much. Keep eye contact. Dont look into oblivion (read ceiling, curtains etc.), whileanswering. Keep a pleasant and smiling expression and show an interest in the proceedings. Answer with simple, clear words and loud enough for the interviewer to hear. Its okay to say Dont know. That shows your comfort in accepting things you dontknow about. Note: Dont overdo Dont know stuff. That might turn against you.Compatibility with the companyEach company has a different working culture. When acompany evaluates a candidate, one major quality they will look for is how compatible you arewith their working culture. Although you get information online on major corporates, preparingfor this becomes slightly tricky for lesser known companies. So getting prepared for this part isnot 100% feasible, but here are few things you can do, to avoid failing this.

Show flexibility HRs see a freshers as a fresh clay, which could be molded to suitthe company environment. Show them you are that, rather than a hard seasoned pot. Keep your options open, like working hours, location etc. unless absolute necessary. Understand that, it is important to kick start your career, rather than looking for comforts. Stay neutral Do not overreact or speak out extreme suggestions about any generaltopic, for which your opinion is asked for. They might be trying to evaluate you against one of their company policy. Example:What is your opinion on gay rights? Dont answer with a condescended tone or be disrespectful. Just answer neutral something like Everyone should have the right to make choices based on personal preferences, which should go in line with the legality of the country. Stay legal/ moral All company policies are based on legal code of the country andmoral values. Understand this and while answering, stick on these lines. If question is What will you do if you see a female colleague being harassed by your friend?Your answer should be I will report it to the manager. An illegal conduct has zero tolerance in any corporate culture.LearnabilityThe USP of a fresher to any company is the flexibility in utilizing his/her abilitywithin its different operations - This could be for an expansion plan, an existing deliveryprocess, for a product development team. This is only effective, only if the learning ability ofa candidate is strong and steep enough - that is efficient and quick. The learning could be of anew technology, a new culture, a new life style.

Your academic graphs is one of the important indicators for this (& hence the cut offs).But thats just one aspects and remember, you already cleared that hurdle. This is mostly evaluated by few indirect questions like asking about your experiencewith team work, any challenges you faced, project works, other trainings (academics / non-academics) you did outside regular schooling. It will be prudent to have at least one example which will showcase you are willing andefficient in learning new stuffs.SalaryOf course you know this the compensation. A fresher doesnt hold much bargainingpower. But nevertheless, this is a common question asked during the interview. What is yourexpected CTC?Learn about the freshers package of the company & try to stay within the limits. All that a HRis trying to look here is, are you really interested in a company like theirs. So when a mid levelcompany usually offers a package of 3-4 L for a fresher, and your answer is 10L, then it saysyou are looking for a top level company.

Basic themes of preparationNow there are several website, offering HR interview questions and answers (we come to that in thenext article here). While you go through them, you will understand, there is no exact or accurateanswer for these HR questions. The answer varies with respect to company, candidate and what youwant to put up in front of the interviewer. Nevertheless there are few basic principles based on whicha fresher should prepare for any HR interview. So before you dive into the questions and answers,lets go through some of the underlying categories, based on which a fresher should prepare for an HRinterview round.Know yourselfUnderstanding yourself and determining what to present about yourself, is the most important andcritical aspect of a HR round preparation. This not only lays the foundation for showcasing what youare, but also determines the tone and direction for the later part of the interview.Most HR round starts with this question So...tell me about yourself. There are two objectives, a HRis trying to achieve here. 1) They are trying to make you comfortable 2) To understand who you as aperson is. Lets break down the objectives and see how to answerTrying to make comfortable environment

Its assumed, a person is most comfortable withoneself & so is talking about oneself. So show that in your answer. Answer confidently & comfortably. Do not hurry and talk fast. Prepare this answer well in advance. Answer should contain facts about yourself, like where you studied, where you grewup, what course you completed, from which college etc. Give importance to recent information rather than play school details. Include your achievements academic and/or non-academic, which will showcase yourstrengths. You can also include information like your hobbies, and other interests like you playchess or you were your college chairman. These win very important brownie points. What HR is expecting is to know more about you and thats why its not so important toinclude your parents occupation or where your sibling work. Do not stretch it beyond couple of minutes. Keep statements to-the-points and includeonly those that are important to you.Note: Of course most of these information are there in the resume, but remember, the objective is tomake you comfortable as well.Understanding who you areThis first question is the most important tool for you in anyinterview. Not only you get to talk about yourself, but can also dictate the lines in which theinterviewer will ask their next questions. Trick here is to hold up your strength (be careful not to boast) in a noticeable way.A simple technique would be to put it in last sentence. Example:If you are very good at chess. Remember to make it the concluding sentence ... and apart from studies, Ilike to play chess & Ive won numerous inter state championships and tournaments. Its a basic human tendency to remember the last word of a conversation - The chesschampion STAYS throughout the interview. The points you make here are going to complement the statements you make in laterpart of the interview. Use this question to lay path for later questions. Example:Telling that you were your college chairman, is like giving a heads up example, of yourstrength as Leadership quality. Another trick is to end the conversation with open sentences and make interviewercurious. This can be done if you hold a significant achievement in any field. Example:I like travelling... and have done many expeditions till now, including Himalayas or I am interested in archery, and have represented the country in Junior Olympics. There are very good chance, the HR will ask you details about the same.Here are the some common questions that you might come across from Know yourself category Tell me about yourself What are your strength & weakness Give an example of your strength What are your goals in life What are your hobbies or outside interestsKnow the companyKnowing the company you are interviewing for is as important as knowing yourself. For, that willdetermine how you want to present yourself. Its said, Some facts are best used, when kept untold.So while you have 100 facts about yourself, its representation depends on how well you know thecompany. E.g.: A travel portal company is interviewing you. While you hate travelling yourself, youlove the tourism industry & knows a lot about countrys demography. So your answers should involve,your knowledge about tourism and keep aside the fact that you personally hate travelling a lot.Here are few things you can look up or inquire about the company, before you attend and HRinterview. Read about company as much you can. This should include, the companys area ofexpertise, various industries it serves, recent developments & news, its working culture etc. If possible, talk to someone who knows about the company and its culture. Learn about the location & areas of postings. This will help you choose your locationpreference.The finer details are hard to come by, but if known, will help you answer few tricky questions. Try to learn about the fresher pay, various incentives and other perks it provides.Here are the some common questions that you might come across from Know the company category Why do you want to work for my company Are you willing to relocate or travel What motivates you in a job How can you contribute to this company What are your ambitions in next 5 years? What is your dream companyCommon groundAlthough knowing yourself and about the company covers most part of the interview, there are somecommon grounds that we need to prepare for, before the conclusion. These are some generic stuffsthat HR asks during the interview. This is to test few specific qualities, they want to see in you. Itcould be some GK related, recent news related, your opinion on some sensitive topics etc. Id say gowith how you are in general and brush up things you are interested in. If you are into news, dont skipnewspaper that one day because of interview.These are mostly meant to verify or strengthen the facts you mentioned during the above discussionsand are usually not the make or break questions.Here are the some common questions that you might come across from Know the company category You said youre interested in sports... Where is current soccer world cup happening? Some puzzles Opinion about some recent news.Last but not least, there is one question, which you need to prepare for Do you want to ask anything about the company or Job? Or do you have any questions ?Now this probably is the last question, by which time the HR has mostly made up the mind to take youor not. But nevertheless, prepare a question that you want to ask about company or the job. Alsothank them for the opportunity they provided you.Common MistakesThere are few common mistakes that lot of candidates makes for a fresher interview. Here are fewcommons ones we have seen happening Interrupting the interviewers An interview is not a rapid fire round that you have press buzzerand get it answered as quickly as possible. Important thing is to respect the speakers, allowthem to complete and then start your answer. This also helps in preparing your answer moreappropriately (however well you know it). Showing Overconfidence Clearing technical round doesnt necessarily get you an offer letter.Show as much importance to HR round as you gave for previous rounds. Getting into arguments An HR might ask your opinion on several common topics. That is onlyto understand your take on the topic and your confidence in your understandings. This is a nota debate forum to prove your opinion is right or wrong. So while youre right with your facts,there is no reason for you to prove the other party wrong. Feeling Indifference or being disrespectful Every company has its own culture and policies.While some might interest you, others might not. But never show disrespect or indifference tothe ones you dont like during the course of interview. Of course you can politely express yourdislike, but nevertheless you should respect the fact that, the company works like that.No NeverApart from the common mistakes, there are some never doers in a fresher interview. Here are fewcommon ones Never dress casually. An interview is a serious process and to show you understand and take itseriously, wear what carries that attitude. Even if a company allows casual wear in their work environment, attend the interview in formals or semi formals. Never be late. Time is money, for everyone that is. Respect the time of the interviewer.Moreover, timeliness is a very important quality that every company looks for. Do not keep fiddling with paper, files, pens etc. This shows a lack of confidence andconcentration.ConclusionIn a recruitment process, every round of interview is as important as the previous or the next one.Each one holds its own purpose and method of evaluation. Like understanding the question helps toanswer it suitably, understanding the interview rounds are important in preparing and performingappropriately.