HR Business Partner

Go with, "I am extremely proud of the time we worked on a project with XXX company. The selection was a gruelling process, but we managed to land the deal. The company needed services that were of the highest standards and I am proud to say that we surpassed their expectations. In fact, we succeeded in converting them into our regular clients. As project leader, I was extremely proud of this achievement."

More and more leaders are expecting HR to come up with initiatives to drive business results. This question allows you to better understand the value the candidate could bring to your company.

HR plays a crucial part in safeguarding ethical practices. This question allows you to know if the candidate has what it takes to be a component HR manager. If you have time, prepare a scenario in case the candidate doesn’t have a relevant, first-hand experience to share, which is possible.

My greatest satisfaction comes when I’m able to deliver a solution to a complex problem. Even better, I’m thrilled when I observe, through my advice and counsel, that a leader comes to a decision on his or her own by simply talking through a complicated situation.

I would say that my forte is business transformation. I am not a policy or procedural HR Business Partner, but instead, I like to roll up my sleeves and provide tangible value to a specific issue. I don’t believe in doing something just for the sake of doing it, though. Any action I take must provide positive results and be relevant to the business leaders I support.

This question serves two purposes. First, you get to see if the candidate will be a good fit with your company’s culture. Second, the candidate’s answer may bring some insights on how to shape the company to be a better workplace.

"While working for one of my previous employers, there was something I required from another department. Instead of speaking to the department head, I told a member of the team who was my friend. I expected him to go and tell his boss about it, but he didn’t. As a result, the goods weren't delivered and we missed our target date. There was a great deal of confusion over the episode but thankfully it was all sorted out. From that day on, in all professional matters, I make it a point to communicate directly with the department head," is a good response.

"Amongst the feedback I received, I was told that I wasn’t assertive enough. Though I was performing well at my job and meeting targets, my boss once told me that I would do even better if I was more assertive at the workplace," is a good way to position a weakness in a constructive manner.

While you may think this is just another common interview question, this one is especially important for the role in HR as it illustrates how well the candidate handles conflicts, which is one of the most important parts of the job.

If you are interviewing for the post of an accountant, it is okay to say that your language skills are not very good. Though they do not hamper the discharge of your duties in any significant manner, add that you are working to address this weakness because you realize that good language skills are necessary at work.

Interviewers ask this question to find out what sets you apart from the other qualified applicants. Don't quote from what is already written on your resume; find something to tell the interviewer that she/he doesn’t already know about you. Don't fret about proving how you are 'unique'; instead, focus on establishing value.

For e.g. you could say, ‘As my resume states, I have over XX years of experience working in XX field. What isn’t stated there is that I am a goal-setter; once I set myself a target at work, I don't stop until I have achieved it. If you hire me, I anticipate helping your company set and achieve goals that will surpass all of your previous records.’

It would be a big understatement to say that I am not a fan of organizational restructuring where reductions in people are required. When leaders have to let people go, we often help them to make those difficult decisions. Worse, we are often the witness during the outplacement meeting with the employee.

Maintaining the status quo – rigidly following often outdated policies and procedures – is also not my favourite job. I prefer to deal with loads of change and ambiguity, while delivering fresh approaches and ideas.

In case you left because of a conflict with your boss, say differences did not allow you to work well together. Don’t forget to add what you realized in hindsight to show how the incident has helped you grow. Never badmouth your boss; act mature and accept the fact that both of you were responsible for the situation spinning out of control.

While rules and policies are extremely important in any company, there are times that management needs to be flexible. This question sheds lights on their values, judgement and agility, but of course, it needs to be supported with sound reasons.

Given that Wipro serves clients in 175+ cities across 6 continents, it's very likely you will be asked whether you have a location preference or are willing to work anywhere in India.

You have two options - you can either say you are definitely willing to relocate, which shows that you'll do whatever is necessary to be a part of the company and team. Or, given that relocating is a major life change, you can go with a carefully worded 'maybe'. For e.g., you could say, 'I would love to continue my career in this city, but this position is a great opportunity for me. If relocation is required, I would definitely consider it.’

An experienced HR practitioner should be ready to talk about the low-down on the industry. The candidate’s answer will give you an idea how well they know about these trends, and whether they have been keeping up with the latest development by citing information from HR newsletters, trade magazines or conferences.