Top 21 HR Business Partner Interview Questions In 2024 [With Answers]

Have you ever heard of the famous phrase, Individually we are a drop but together we are an ocean. No business could survive and thrive on the challenges without the help and support of skillful, talented, and hardworking employees. It is for this reason that business organizations prefer to hire employees, and establish a human resource department within their organization or outsource the hiring process to any third party, which specializes in human resources.

As an HR business partner, you will certainly hold a superior business position, and will always be engaged in the smooth running of the HR department of your company. It is a senior business designation and you will certainly be offered various incentives and allowances. The interview process of an HR business partner is quite tricky and it’s always recommended that you read several previously asked interview questions.

21 Best Interview Questions To Study

1. What Is Employee Appraisal and How Do You Perform It?

Employee appraisal refers to the act of measuring the performance of the employees. Just share a few ways using which you can monitor the performance of the employees.

Sample Answer

Sir, “appraisal” means constantly monitoring and measuring the performance the employees using several different ways and procedures. In my opinion, comparing the present performance with the established benchmarks is the best way to measure it. Further, the number of targets achieved also can be used for this purpose.

2. How Do You Achieve The Benefits Of Employee Motivation?

The motivation of employees plays a huge role in the overall organizational success. An HR manager is always interested in keeping its employees motivated so as to achieve the benefits of productivity, better quality in operations, and time-bound completions.

Sample Answer

Sir, Money, and Recognition are the two most important factors that always prompt an employee to push the limits and work hard at the workplace. I always believe that realistic targets can be achieved when an organization places some additional rewards or gives incentives to its employees. In addition to this, efforts must be laid upon organizing regular business parties wherein dedicated employees must be rewarded and honored.

3. Hiring Of Employees Is A Cumbersome and Hectic Process. How Do You Manage Your Stress Levels?

Stress management is a common expectation of business organizations. Through this question, you are requested to share your own strategy or technique using which you can manage your stress levels.

Sample Answer

Sir, I partially agree with this statement. When you simply love your profession and you have gained considerable experience in it, things seem to be pretty easy and you do not feel any stress. However, still there are times when HR managers might feel stressed out. In such situations, I always prefer to deep breathe and engage in a positive pep talk. Further, I am a regular practitioner of meditation and practice it daily to keep myself stress-free.

4. A. T. S (Applicant Tracking System) Can Eliminate Talented Individuals. Comment and Resolve The Problem.

Nowadays business organizations take the help of A. T. S to eliminate and shortlist candidates from a large pool of applications. This software primarily works upon pre-determined keywords, and there are chances that the software might eliminate suitable candidates as well. This is a problem and an interviewer wants to know how will you resolve it.

Sample Answer

Sir, technology is the need of the hour and it not only saves precious human time but also makes the processes simpler and easier. However, there are drawbacks with technologies and this is undoubtedly a shortcoming of the ATS. In order to overcome this, I always prefer to cross-check all the rejected applications that are invited for high-level and strategically important positions. I have always believed in giving a fair chance to all the interested applicants.

5. What Should be The Proper Employee Mix In Terms Of Work Experience and Why?

Freshers are not that skilled and employees with good experience are costly. A business organization must strive to maintain a proper ratio of such employees. This ratio is being enquired from you.

Sample Answer

Sir, in my opinion, the right employee, at the right time and right place will not only give you ample productivity but also help you to achieve your organizational goals and objectives in a time-bound manner. Talented individuals must always be hired. I believe, maintaining a ratio of Freshers: Experienced as 70:30, would balance the employee costs and keep in check the employee turnover ratio.

6. How Do You Identify The Business Openings/Vacancies?

This question checks your knowledge in regards to the practical working procedures.

Sample Answer

Sir, the business openings or vacancies that are generated are always based upon the needs of a business organization. In cases of diversification, business expansion, and other foreign investments, there is a direct need for human resources and I always hire the right talent after identifying the business processes.

7. Employees From Diverse Background Leads To Chaos. Comment On This Statement.

It is common for business organizations to hire employees that pertain to different classes, castes, creeds, and religions. This might lead to a situation of chaos within an organization until it is managed with proper techniques.

Sample Answer

Sir, in my opinion, if the management lacks proper techniques to handle, supervise and monitor its employees then there will be chaos even if all the employees follow a single religion or maybe belong to a uniform class. Diversity promotes culturalism and employee satisfaction at the workplace. A diverse workforce always helps the organization in achieving its creativity goals and offers several perspectives and solutions to a business problem. With proper anti-harassment policies in place, diverse employees will never create any chaos.

8. Share At Least Three Best HR Software That Are Currently Used In The Industry.

This question requires you to share the names of the best HR software prevailing in the market.

Sample Answer

Sure, sir, These are:

• FreshTeam
• Sapling
• Sage People

9. What In Your Opinion Is The Most Important Aspect Of A Job Description?

Job descriptions are issued by an employer that covers all the relevant details pertaining to a job opening. This question checks your level of acquaintance with the same.

Sample Answer

Sir, it is necessary to create job descriptions with precision so as to hire the best employees and talents for a business organization. In my humble opinion, every job description must necessarily cover the primary tasks and duties that have to be performed by the employee. In addition to this, the skills or attributes required must also be mentioned.

10. Share You Major Strengths and Weaknesses.

This is a common interview question that marks its appearance in almost all the interview sessions held across the world. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know about your strengths and weaknesses. To give a perfect reply, go through the official job description comprehensively. Post this, just share the strengths that are relevant to the primary attributes mentioned in it, and share weaknesses that are not at odds with these attributes.

11. We Hire Special Talents. What Can You Offer Us That Someone Else Cannot?

Undoubtedly, a business organization receives multiple applications from several different employees. All the employees are talented and possess a unique proposition. An interviewer is always interested in understanding the elements or qualities that separate you from the rest of the crowd. As an ideal response, just analyze your personality and give a reply that is original and not at all generic.

12. “Quality” In Operations Is The Key To Success. How Do You Interpret The Term “Quality”?

This is a word-based interview question and has several different interpretations. An interviewer is always interested in understanding your own version of interpretation so as to evaluate your personality. Most commonly, quality in operations is achieved when an employee’s performance matches the established benchmarks and it leads to client satisfaction.

13. We Prefer To Work In A Team Setup. What Is Your Ethical team Culture?

Almost all business organizations operating for a profit prefer to divide and segregate their employees into different teams on the basis of the nature of tasks involved, their educational qualifications, and their skills/attributes/qualities. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know what are the various qualities or ethics that you prefer your team members to possess. These qualities can be, dedicated, committed, hardworking, detail-oriented, supportive, etc.

14. This Position Pertains To Top Level, Where Making Mistakes Is Extremely Costly. How Do You Manage Your Failure?

You carry a torch and search the universe. You will never find any person who never failed in his operations and always remained undefeated. Success is not permanent, and there will certainly be times when you will be facing failures in life. This failure leaves a devastating impact on human minds and severely crushes their confidence level. Thus, an interviewer is always interested in understanding the various strategies and techniques that you adopt to manage your failures in life.

15. Can You Describe Yourself In A Single Word?

This is a tricky interview question as you are required to summarize yourself into a single word. The best way to answer this question is by reading and going through the job description completely and then sharing a single word that defines your personality as well as aligns with the job description. Further, you are requested to choose some corporate-friendly words, such as committed, dedicated, honest, friendly, leader, etc.

16. As An HR Business Partner You Will Be Working On Several Business Tasks. How Do You Prioritize?

All the established business organizations prefer to assign several business tasks to their employees so as to maintain the flow of operations and continuity of processes. It is necessary on the part of the employees to establish and adopt a perfect prioritization technique so as to manage the tasks and complete them in a time-bound manner. Some employees prefer to arrange the tasks on the basis of time consumption and some simply order them on the basis fo difficulty levels. Whatever suits you, just share with your interviewer.

17. Why You Chose Us?

This question checks your level of commitment and dedication towards the business organization you prefer to work with. The best way to answer this question is by browsing the official website of the business organization and noting all the relevant points, facts, and details that belong to the company. Post this, just add your own personal interests for joining the company in your notes.

18. What Motivates You To Work?

We all are motivated by a few factors that prompt us to work hard and achieve our goals and objectives well before the deadline. This is a common interview question that requires you to share your motivational factors. These factors are influenced by the personal conditions, financial situations, and circumstances of an individual. Thus, it is necessary that you share an answer that is original and not at all generic in nature.

19. What Are Your Salary Expectations?

It is a common habit of the interviewers to enquire about your salary expectations during an interview session itself. There is nothing technical in this interview question and only your salary expectations are being asked for. But, still, this question might ruin your selection chances in case you share a salary bracket that is either too high or too low from the median salary. Hence, you are always requested to share a salary bracket that is based on some diligent market research.

20. When Can You Start Working With Us?

This question requires you to share an expected date of your start. It is true that immediate starters are always preferred but you are always requested to share a true date of start so as to avoid all the consequences. Further, this question in no way guarantees your selection and hence you are requested to maintain your focus at all times.

21. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

It is common for the interviewers to end an interview session using this question. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know all your apprehensions in regards to the business organization, its working culture, ethics, or maybe anti-harassment policies. Ask a few relevant counter-questions from your interviewer on the lines of the model questions mentioned below:

Model Questions

• What are the various shifts in which the business organization operates?
• Please share a list of all the incentives and allowances that the company offers to its regular employees.
• How in your opinion is the work culture of the company?

Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (for HR Business Partner interviews):

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/joms.12620
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296321002174