The interview process is always stressful, especially when you get to the step of interviewing with a company’s human resources department. These interviews are typically the most challenging for the main reason that HR interviewers have a set of behavioral questions that can determine the type of person you are and how your ethical decision making skills are.
Here are some tips for acing an interview and impressing the human resources department.
Don’t badmouth
There’s nothing worse than a potential hire coming in and talking negatively about a former employer, coworkers or anything else. HR managers can pick up on whether a candidate has a tendency to whine or make trouble. It’s important to set all negative thoughts about past employers aside and focus on the positives of every situation. There’s good in everything, you might just have to dig for it in certain circumstances.
Dress to impress
This should be a no-brainer, but when you’re preparing for an interview, the way you look is extremely important. Even if the work environment is laid back and you don’t have to dress up every day, dressing like a professional will show the HR manager that you’re serious and you are mature enough for this position. Check yourself in the mirror before going in for an interview to make sure your hair is in place, you don’t have toilet paper attached to your shoe or anything else.
No smoking
There’s nothing worse than a heavy smell of cigarette on someone, especially when you’re coming in for an interview. Being a smoker won’t make or break your chances of getting hired, but smelling like cigarette smoke when you come into an interview can impact the way an HR manager sees you. Smokers are more expensive to insure and have a reputation for being lazy and while it’s okay to be a smoker, it’s better off that your future employer doesn’t know before they have the chance to send you an offer letter.
Keep personal details to yourself
HR managers are not therapists, therefore they don’t need to know what your family members do and what your relationship status is. While it’s important to give a brief overview of who you are to an HR manager, it’s even more important to keep personal information to yourself.
Be prepared to discuss your strengths and weaknesses
The most important questions you can prepare for an interview are the popular strengths and weaknesses questions. These questions can really help an HR manager determine the type of person and worker you are, with just a few simple answers. This is why it’s critical to be prepared for this question instead of saying you don’t have any weaknesses and you have so many strengths you can’t name them all. Practice this question so you know exactly what to say if it’s asked.
Highlight all important resume moments
When an HR manager asks a candidate to walk them through their resume, they’re expecting an in-depth description of what’s already listed on your resume. HR managers like to see candidates that aren’t afraid to discuss a previous position that didn’t work out and explain why. This shows courage and dignity, which is why a lot of candidates have trouble with this one. If you’re honest (for the most part) and highlight everything you’ve done in a positive light, the HR manage will have more respect for you and chances are, you’ll get another interview.
In the end, you want the HR manager who’s interviewing you to have just one question left after you finish up your interview with them: When can you start? Although many candidates show fear when it comes to interviewing with HR for a potential job, it’s not as scary as you may think. By following these interview tips, you’ll realize how easy it really is to impress an HR manager.
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