Professional HR Generalist Interview Questions & Answers:

1. Can you tell me do you know anyone who works for us?

Offer some one's name if they really know you well and can offer a positive feedback about you.

2. Explain me what motivates you at work?

To answer this question, you can mention things like – new challenges, good environment which all employers think that they offer.

3. Tell me is there any particular kind of person you can not work with?

For the reason given in the above questions, the answer to this question should be a “No”. This is basically a different way of putting up the last question.

4. Explain me how do you keep up with employment legislation?

It's vital that your business complies with the law and you will absolutely need to rely on your HR manager to ensure that it does.

So you want someone who is knowledgeable about HR law. That doesn't mean you want a lawyer, but you do want someone who knows their stuff. You want someone who: reads industry magazines and reports; is qualified and perhaps is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD); subscribes to HR newsletters; reads HR websites; and listens to HR podcasts.

5. Tell us in which areas of HR do you have experience?

There is so much that goes into the role of an HR manager. Some managers are more generalist than others. In smaller companies, the HR manager needs to have a good grasp of all aspects of HR.

6. Tell us what Is 360 Degree Performance Appraisal?

This system, which solicits feedback from seniors (including the boss), peers and subordinates, has been increasingly embraced as the best of all available methods for collecting performance feedback. Gone are the days of working hard to impress only one person, now the opinions of all matter, especially if you are in a leadership role(at any level). Every person in the team is responsible for giving relevant, positive and constructive feedback. Such systems also help in identifying leaders for higher level positions in the organization. Senior managers could use this feed back for self development.

7. Tell us what qualities would you look for in your senior?

You can mention some generic qualities like intelligence, good sense of humour, dedicated to his team etc., which all the managers think that they have in abundance.

8. Explain me how do you keep employees satisfied in their positions?

A few years ago, I noticed that one of the bright managers in my company was starting to lose interest in her position, and her performance suffered considerably. As the HR generalist, I reached out to her to discover what might be causing the lapse in performance. I encouraged her boss to offer more one-on-one training and support, and we also increased company-wide seasonal incentives. After focusing on helping meet this manager's personal career goals by giving her more freedom to direct her responsibilities, we saw her revive as a manager and go on to encourage the employees under her to be their best. I feel that my HR interventions are directly responsible for her continued success.

9. Can you tell us what position would you prefer while working on a project?

This question is for you to answer based on the skills and qualities you have. If you have the capability to handle different positions, discuss that also in the interview.

10. Do you know what are labor laws?

Generally speaking, the labor laws are the regulations and mandates that protect employee safety and health and manage the policies that affect benefits, leave, and wages. The Fair Labor Standards Act deals with the standards for wages and overtime pay. Occupational Safety and Health Administration programs give guidelines for workplace safety and health. Worker's Compensation laws affect the compensation for disability or death caused by work-related injuries or illnesses. These are some of the labor laws I am responsible to see that the company is in compliance with as HR generalist.