Are you preparing for a HR business partner interview? Here, we have a list of 20 mostly asked HR business partner interview questions. We have also included a sample answer for each question.
1. What Are The Roles Of A HR Business Partner?
The hiring team wants to know whether you are aware of your duties should you get the job. In your response, highlight the roles of an HR business partner as you align them with the job at hand.
Sample Answer
“The duties of the HR business partner include recruiting the right talent, aligning staff to business objectives, supporting employee development, enhancing staff performance, enhancing recruitment efforts, managing HR consultants, planning strategic HR initiatives, communicating roles expectations, running onboarding and orientation processes, communicating role expectations, maintaining staff relations, designing succession plans, updating policies and practices, managing internships, and overseeing health and wellness initiatives.”
2. Which is Your Perfect Work Environment?
This is a common question asked by the recruiting manager to determine whether or not you can fit in their working environment. The best way to answer this question is to demonstrate that you adapt very fast to a new environment.
Sample Answer
“I like working in an environment where people work towards a single goal. I believe that a perfect work environment is one where other colleagues do not pull down each other’s effort but instead work towards team building. I believe that I will get such an environment here at this company so that I can thrive in my roles should I get hired.”
3. What Are The Qualities That A HR Business Partner Need To Be Successful?
The interviewer asks this question to gauge whether you are familiar with the qualities that you should have as an HR business partner in order to be successful in your roles. The best approach to this question is to explain few qualities of an HR professionals in relation to the job posting.
Sample Answer
“In my opinion, listening, problem-solving, relationship building, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills are what drive value in this role. Additionally, an HR business partner must be ethical, impartial, objective, and positive-minded. It is also important to have expertise and knowledge of labor practices and laws.”
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
By asking this question, the interviewer seeks to understand whether you have the abilities to handle challenges. While responding to this question, demonstrate your problem-solving techniques.
Sample Answer
“When I was new in this career, I experienced a high employer turnover rate. I knew something was wrong and I had to do something. And it was negatively impacting the growth of the business. After doing well- planned research, I realized that was a high competition of talented employee in the region. I designed a structured onboarding process and this has really helped us to retain so many employees.”
5. Describe Your Daily Routine as an HR Business Partner?
Here the employer is seeking to find out whether you are organized and the tasks that you give priority. In your answer, showcase your organizational and time-management skills.
Sample Answer
“Most of the time, my daily routines revolve around:
- Developing the HR agendas, policies, practices, and strategies
- Monitoring and improving employee productivity
- Managing staff health and wellness initiatives
- Structuring benefit and compensation packages
- Evaluating staffing needs
- Improving relations between employees and employers
- Managing and allocating funds
- Overseeing recruitment efforts.”
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
This is a common question asked by employers to determine whether your past experience matches the needs of the company. The best way to approach this question is by summarizing your work history.
Sample Answer
“Previously, I have been a HR business partner for three years. Over these years, I have gained a lot of experience in recruiting the right talent, aligning staff to business objectives, supporting employee development, enhancing staff performance, enhancing recruitment efforts, managing HR consultants, planning strategic HR initiatives, communicating roles expectations, running onboarding and orientation processes, communicating role expectations, maintaining staff relations, designing succession plans, updating policies and practices, managing internships, and overseeing health and wellness initiatives. Given a chance, I will utilize the skills and the experience that I have gained to ensure success in this role.”
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
This is a common question in most interviews asked to assess your mindset and strategies you will employ in this role. Demonstrate that you are positive-minded along with some of the strategies you will adopt while working as an HR business partner.
Sample Answer
“HR business partner should have a desire to learn all aspects of the business including understanding its goals. The HR business partner should measure his performance through the level by which he has attained these goals. The best strategy to use to be effective is to show that you are caring for the company workforce and be a proactive force behind workforce strategy.”
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job
The employer asks this question to find out whether you are familiar with the latest changes in the industry. In your answer, demonstrate that you are at par with trends in that industry and share a few challenges along with their solution.
Sample Answer
“Technology is advancing. The challenge for the company will be getting employees who embrace innovation as well as learning new technology. However, I believe that employees react depending on how they receive the communication. I have the ability to set clear goals for the adoption of initiatives as well as offering employees with the training they require to get comfortable with it”.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
Your answer to this question portrays your values and interests as far as this position is concerned. In your response, demonstrate the values that help you to remain motivated.
Sample Answer
“As an HR business partner, my focus has been aiding my company in adding value to the overall business objectives, resolving personnel grievances, providing HR solutions, retaining a talented workforce, as well as ensuring compliance with regulations. This is what drives my motivation.”
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learnt?
The interviewer wants to evaluate whether you can admit your mistakes. As you answer this question, own your mistakes to your actions and pick a few lessons you learned from the situation.
Sample Answer
“As an HR business partner, I had overlooked the cultural differences in our organization. I thought it had been addressed by the HRBP who was in charge before I took over. I got shocked when one of the employees reported to me about harassment issues due to cultural differences. I introduced a diverse training program within the organization. I also implemented standards of behaviors in the workplace including the actions to be taken against those who violated them. This caused tremendous respect and teamwork. I now believe that creating a culture of respect and teamwork will keep the company productive.”
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
This is a common question during an interview and it is asked to examine the skills of the candidate. The best way to approach this question is by highlighting your best skills, education, experience, relevant accomplishments, and personality.
Sample Answer
“I’m a highly organized and motivated professional with great attention to detail and ability to multitask. I can work individually and as a team with minimal supervision. I have been working in this field for 3 years now. Additionally, I hold a degree in human resources and I am well familiar with the laws and regulations governing this industry.”
12. Share With Us Your Greatest Achievement.
The employer asks this question to examine what you regard as success. This question allows you to brag about yourself and share what you’re truly proud of professionally.
Sample Answer
When I joined my current employer, I discovered that the company had a high turnover of employees which was negatively affecting the growth of the business. I designed an onboarding process and this reduced the turnover rate by 33%.
13. Integrity Is One Of Our Core Values. Have You Ever Compromised Your Integrity To Earn A Favor?
The answer you provide for this question will demonstrate that you can handle a difficult situation without compromising the values you believe in. The best strategy for responding to this question is to share about a situation that forced you to choose between making an easy decision and the right decision.
Sample Answer
“After college, I struggled to secure a job in my field. There was a high temptation to add false experience or qualifications to my resume. However, I decided to make the right decision and remain true to myself instead of compromising my values. I then continued to make job applications and eventually got a position with a great company.”
14. What Are Your Strategies To Increase Employee Productivity And Retention?
This is a technical question that the employer asks to determine your knowledge in this field. The best strategy to respond to this question is by focusing on some strategic decisions including the policies and changes you will implement across the board.
Sample Answer
I believe that the retention of employees is one aspect of ensuring high productivity at the workplace. To ensure that I have a high retention rate, I ensure that I hold regular one-on-one meetings between key players and managers in each team. This helps in exposing any problem that may be present in the workforce. When an issue is spotted, I ensure that it is addressed promptly before it grows into something bigger. Additionally, I ensure to set clear and tangible goals for every single role in an organization. This enhances better monitoring of productivity.”
15. What HR Software Have You Used Before?
This is a question asked by most of the employer to test your knowledge in HR software tools. In your answer, highlight some of the HR software tools you have used and demonstrate that you are a quick learner.
Sample Answer
“In my previous role, I have been usingBambooHR and Namely. I also have knowledge of Performance-focused software and Recruiting-focused software. Additionally, I am a quick learner and I can familiarize myself with any other software in a short period.”
16. What Experience Do You Have With Cost Reduction Efforts?
The interviewer asks this question to see how experienced you are in reducing costs. The best strategy you can use while responding to the question is to portray how you can reduce cost and increase output and efficiency.
Sample Answer
“I have a lot of experience in cost reduction. In my previous role, I conducted extensive market research to get a training software program for the staff at a price that was way lower than the one we were using at that particular time. That training software program did not save the company thousands of dollars but also increases the productivity of our employee by 39 percent.”
17. As A HR Business Partner, What Is Your Recruiting Approach?
The employer may ask you this question to evaluate the way you handle important HR duties such as recruiting process. Having the job posting in mind, prove how your approach fits in the company’s practice.
Sample Answer
“I always make sure that I have hired a qualified workforce with the required education, skills, and experience for the job. I also take into consideration what the company is able to offer a new employee who is coming on board. I look for candidates who demonstrate confidence and creativity during the interview process. To find gifted job candidates, the first step I take is to check the company’s job applicant database when it is time to fill a position. I also go online to look for the right candidates by perusing job candidates’ resumes on job sites.”
18. Corporate Jobs Have Their Stress and Anxiety. How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure?
Here, the employer seeks to understand whether you have the ability to handle job-related pressures. In your answer, demonstrate that you can work calmly and professionally even when handling stressful situations at work.
Sample Answer
“Stress and pressures are inevitable at work. However, I believe that having an organized schedule can help greatly. I have the ability to prioritize my work to help me remain ahead of my timeline in the process of delivering my projects in time. Whenever I feel stressed up, I love listening to cool music. This helps to calm down and I am able to go on with my work. I love keeping calm because I believe that when I am calm, it is very easy to handle any stressful situation.”
19. How Would You Be An Asset To Our Company?
The hiring manager asks this question to gauge whether you a reliable source for the company. The best way to respond to this question is to point out your good qualities such as team spirit, dedication, honesty, punctuality, among others.
Sample Answer
“I possess essential qualities that align with your company’s job profile. This is why I am passionate about becoming one of you. I am a result and goal-oriented professional and I am determined to excel in any role that will be assigned to me. If I get this job, it will give me an opportunity to grow and develop in this profession. In return, I will repay this with fierce dedication and loyalty and become an asset to your company.”
20. What Do You Consider To Be Your Strongest And Weakest Points?
This is one of the trickiest questions asked in an interview to help your interviewer know more about your characteristics. While answering about your strength, highlight it as you make it more cohesive to connect it with the job role. While answering about the weakness, provide one that doesn’t relate to the job role and indicates that you are working on improving it.
Sample Answer
“My greatest strength is that I’m a master negotiator, self-motivated, fast learner, and a team player. In addition, I have solid people skills. Whatever task I put myself into, I commit myself to it and I diligently complete it. On the other side, one of my greatest weaknesses is that I trust people quite easily. I also tend to overwork myself. However, I am learning to delegate tasks and soon I will become better and these weaknesses will be a thing of the past. I am working hard to make this happen!”
Conclusion
As you practice and study these questions, be sure to mention your specific education background and companies you have worked for them to fit your specific situation. During the interview, it is important to ensure that you answer every question confidently to win the approval of the interviewer. Also, dress decently and arrive early.