20+ HR Interview Questions You Can’t Miss

Improve recruitment efficiency with a complete set of 20+ HR interview questions of the highest quality. HR can accurately assess candidates comprehensively in terms of competency, attitude, skills, suitability, and more. Find out now!

1. 5 Ways to Ask Good HR Interview Questions for Effective Candidate Evaluation

To build an effective and high-quality set of HR interview questions, you must understand the ways to ask interview questions. This is an essential condition to help HR accurately assess a candidate’s competency, personality, and suitability for the job position.

HR professionals should keep these 5 effective ways to ask interview questions in mind:

• Open-ended questions: These are free-form questions that encourage candidates to freely express their experiences and personal opinions.
• Hypothetical questions: These are questions based on imaginary situations to assess problem-solving abilities.
• Follow-up questions: These are questions that delve deeper into a specific issue.
• Probing questions: These are questions used to extract specific information about a particular event.
• Funnel questions: These start with broad questions and gradually narrow down to details to gather specific information.

2. Set of Questions to Gather Personal Information from Candidates

What competencies do you think this position requires?

For positions requiring experience, this question serves as a measure of the candidate’s understanding of the role. Only when a candidate has performed the job can they truly understand it and know what is needed to do it well. It’s a simple question, but it helps HR assess the candidate’s competency. The entire process and accumulated experience of the candidate will be revealed in their answer to this general question. 

Can you share about the process of carrying out your previous tasks? How did you do it? 

This question aims to gather in-depth information about the candidate’s previous job and work process. The recruiter can learn details about the tasks, the work process, and the results.

Recruiters need to listen and analyze the data the candidate shares in their answer. Pay attention to the consistency of the information provided regarding timelines, tasks, methods, etc. 

Did you encounter any difficulties in your work process?

Every position and every job has its own unique difficulties. Therefore, no candidate can complete their work perfectly without ever facing any obstacles. The key is how that person resolves them. Thus, learning about the difficulties a candidate has faced in previous jobs helps HR assess their problem-solving skills, patience, flexible thinking, learning ability, and social interaction skills.

What are your achievements?

A candidate’s achievements are proof of their abilities. High-achieving personnel often have strong competencies. However, the recruiter must compare and evaluate the candidate’s achievements against the company’s needs and desires. There must be a match between the candidate’s abilities and the company’s needs for them to be a suitable candidate. 

5. Set of questions to test personnel attitude

This set of questions for testing personnel attitude focuses on assessing flexibility, collaborative spirit, problem-solving ability, past experience, and understanding of the company. 

Besides your main duties, how do you handle unexpected tasks?

This question helps HR assess the candidate’s flexibility and sense of responsibility. How they approach and manage unforeseen tasks can reveal their adaptability and willingness to take on responsibilities beyond their primary job scope.

However, this question is quite sensitive, similar to asking, “Do you mind working overtime frequently?”. Therefore, the interviewer must know how to ask the question tactfully to avoid misunderstandings or creating a sense of pressure for the candidate. 

In the past, did you participate in other activities?

The candidate’s openness and collaborative ability will be revealed in their answer. Participation in activities outside of their main job can indicate their ability to work in a diverse environment and integrate into a team. 

When you encounter a problem, how do you handle it? Have you ever faced a real-life situation like that?

If a recruiter wants to assess a candidate’s problem-solving ability and practical experience, they can use this interview question. The recruiter can easily understand how the candidate approaches and handles problems, thereby discerning their logical thinking, decisiveness, and ability to work under pressure.

What do you know about our company?

To find out if a candidate truly values and is interested in the position, HR should ask this question. It reveals the candidate’s level of preparation and interest in the job. It also shows whether the candidate has seriously researched the position and the company. In many cases, candidates “spam” their CVs without caring about or researching the companies they apply to.

6. Set of questions to test personnel loyalty and commitment

This set of questions for testing personnel loyalty and commitment helps determine the candidate’s compatibility with the job and the company, their potential for long-term commitment, and their seriousness about building a career in the industry. These are important factors in ensuring the candidate’s suitability and stability in the work environment.

Why did you decide to leave your previous company?

This question aims to understand the reasons behind leaving a previous job. The answer can reveal insights about the work environment, development opportunities, integration with colleagues and management, or any other factors that influenced the candidate’s decision.

What are your aspirations and goals for applying for this position?

The candidate’s answer indicates their career goals and whether they align with the current position. At the same time, the answer shows the candidate’s level of understanding of the position, their ability to apply skills, and their development goals in the new job.

What are your future plans for your career?

This question helps HR assess the stability and long-term thinking in the candidate’s career mindset. The answer will demonstrate the candidate’s level of commitment and potential to stay with the company. If the candidate has long-term plans and a desire for growth, it may indicate their intention to stay and contribute to the company for a long time.

7. Other related questions for HR

Do you have any questions for us?

HR can assess the candidate’s willingness to learn more about the company and the position. The answer will also reveal the candidate’s level of preparation, interest in the company, and ability to demonstrate positive interaction during the interview process. 

Do you have any expectations regarding the work environment, job, benefits, or your manager? 

This HR interview question focuses on assessing the candidate’s ability to adapt and fit into the work environment. Through this, the recruiter can understand their expectations about the work environment, the manager’s personality, as well as other factors related to their suitability for the position and the company.

Besides developing a set of interview questions, businesses should also use recruitment support software to enhance efficiency. Among them, the 1Office HRM software is a top choice trusted by many HR professionals. This is a module of the 1Office all-in-one business management software. The tool helps HR easily perform many activities such as:  

• A repository/library of sample interview questions.
• Saving detailed interview result history.
• Evaluating candidates effectively based on standard recruitment processes and criteria. 

8. Questions for Remote / Flexible Work Interviews

In the context of increasingly popular remote and hybrid work, recruiters need to add specific questions to test a candidate’s time management skills, autonomy, and collaborative spirit.

Some suggested questions:

• “Do you have experience working remotely? If so, please share how you maintain engagement with your team.”
• “When there is no direct supervisor, how do you ensure the quality and progress of your work?”
• “What tools do you typically use to manage tasks and communicate when working remotely?”
• “Tell me about a time you faced a challenge while working remotely and how you resolved it.”
• “How do you maintain a boundary between your work and personal life when working from home?”

These questions help HR assess a candidate’s self-management ability, discipline, and proficiency with online tools – all vital factors in a remote environment.

9. Effective Interview Process & Post-Interview Checks

A successful interview is not just about asking questions, but also about thorough preparation beforehand and how you handle things after it ends. Businesses need a unified process to ensure fairness, professionalism, and recruitment efficiency.

9.1. Pre-Interview Preparation

• Develop a clear job description (JD), specifically listing the necessary tasks, skills, and experience.
• Establish a set of evaluation criteria (e.g., professional competence, soft skills, attitude, cultural fit).
• Prepare neutral questions that do not discriminate based on gender, religion, status, or personal life to avoid legal risks and create a positive experience for the candidate.

9.2. During the Interview

• The interviewer should briefly introduce the company, position, and process to make the candidate feel comfortable.
• Take detailed notes or record the interview (with consent) to ensure no information is missed.
• Encourage the candidate to ask questions in return to assess their interest and level of preparation.
• Maintain an open, professional atmosphere, and avoid creating unnecessary pressure that could cause the candidate to lose confidence.

9.3. Post-Interview

• Feedback for candidates: send positive feedback, even if they are not selected, to maintain a professional image.
• Internal evaluation: discuss among recruiters or managers who participated in the interview to get a multi-dimensional perspective.
• Store profiles & evaluation results on the system for reference in future recruitment drives.
• Gather internal feedback from interviewers about the process to improve interview quality.

With a closed-loop process covering pre-interview, during-interview, and post-interview stages, businesses not only select suitable candidates but also enhance the candidate experience, which is crucial for building an employer brand.

Above is a set of 20+ HR interview questions that HR cannot miss. HR professionals should save this article and apply it to their company’s recruitment activities! We wish you success!

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