Why you need to take your HR interview seriously

Many candidates picture their prospective interviewer as a line manager armed with tough questions about the job – but you may also have to face an HR manager, whose perspective is different but should be taken just as seriously.

Professional interviewers can be broadly divided into two categories: line managers and HR managers.

Line managers are experts in the role you’re interviewing for and will ask questions of a technical or operational nature. HR managers, on the other hand, are more interested in the company’s values and culture, and will be looking at things like team chemistry and transferrable skills.

Because candidates don’t see the HR interview as test of their expertise conducted by someone with intricate knowledge of the role, they can be tempted to dismiss it as a formality or a box-ticking exercise. However, there are good reasons to take the HR stage of selection just as seriously, and you should make sure you are prepared for both types of questioning. 

Why your HR interviewer is important

In some companies, the HR interview takes place before the line manager’s interview. This means that HR can act as a powerful influence on the next round, especially when the interviewer is a senior member of staff of long standing.

Line managers may look to their HR colleague to help them decide between candidates of similar experience and expertise. In such situations, other aspects of what you offer – such as your potential to integrate into a team, or how well you match with the company’s culture and values – could suddenly become very significant. 

Keep in mind, of course, that any formal conversation with a representative of an organisation that you’d like to work for should be treated with care and respect, as you simply don’t know how that conversation will be reported or used internally.

Another point to bear in mind is that many line managers are now trained to ask HR-style questions, so even in the absence of a dedicated HR professional, their perspective may still be represented.

In some institutions where the HR person is embedded in the business and takes a hands-on approach, they can actually wield veto power over a candidate who is otherwise technically competent, citing chemistry grounds. This is one area where your recruitment consultant can really add value. A good consultant will know the companies they’re working with, and understand the different approach and potential influence of the HR function in each.

Two different styles of questioning to prepare for

HR interviews tend to be driven by company values, while interviews with line managers are more operationally and skills focused. You need to tailor your answers accordingly.

Think of the line manager as someone who used to do your job, and now manages his or her successors. They know the ins and outs of the actual role, and they will be focused on the job’s details and processes. The HR manager, on the other hand, is looking at your potential appointment in the wider context of the company as a whole: Will you fit into the culture? Will you support and nurture company values? Do you have the potential to develop yourself and others around you? Will you be happy with the sort of package being offered?

While the line manager wants to drill straight down into the details of the job, the HR manager wants to know more about you. You can expect more of a focus on soft and transferrable skills, so be prepared for questions in the line of: “Why are you interested in our firm?”, “How much do you know about us?” and “What skills can you bring?” 

Candidates in HR interviews are also likely to be asked competency-based questions to be answered using the STAR technique, such as: “Tell us about a time when you experienced conflict at work and how you dealt with it.” STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a method for structuring your answers. It follows:

• SITUATION: Explain the context, your role and the potential challenge you and the organisation were facing.
• TASK: What specific task were you given responsibility for to help your company meet the challenge?
• ACTION: What steps did you decide to take, and why? How were your actions received by stakeholders and co-workers?
• RESULT: What was the outcome of your actions? What difference did you make? What did you learn?

These kinds of prompts can be difficult to answer even with the formula, but you can gain an advantage by spending some time to anticipate likely scenarios.

Finally, it’s advisable not to try and use the HR interview to negotiate your package. If you have any questions about compensation, bonuses, job title, career progression, promotion and so on, you should always run them past your recruiter first. That way, you’re both on the same page and the recruiter knows how to serve your interests in the best way possible.

All things considered, the HR interview is an opportunity to ask about culture and show your readiness to invest yourself in your future employer – do take it seriously.