Freshers Guide to crack HR Interview
with best Preparation tips
What does HR looks for
So now that
we know the importance of HR interview round, what exactly does an HR look for
during the interview ? Here are few core parameters, that most companies
will try to evaluate a fresher against, during the HR round
Communication skill
Some
candidates think, this is language skill. Sorry to disappoint,
but communication is not always about language. It’s neither about your
American accent nor Shakespearean English. Of course you need the basic
skill to talk in English, but nothing more. The three key elements of good communication are
o Listen – Actively listen to
what the interviewer is asking. DO NOT interrupt the question or answer
before question is complete.
o Absorb – Understand the
meaning and context of the question. If you do not, don’t hesitate to ask.
Remember, no question is stupid.
§ Tip: Some candidates, who
are not comfortable asking “Can you please repeat?” or “Can you please
elaborate?”, can do this an alternate way. Explain the question back to
interviewer as you understand & get confirmation. E.g. Q: “What are your
outside interests?” You: “So you asking about any of my hobbies and interests
other than in academics... right?”
o Answer clear and loud– Once you get the
question, answer in clear words, short and to the point and of course
loud. Murmuring under your breath is often frustrating for the interviewer.
Confidence
It’s pretty common for a freshers to get intimidated by
the environment and the interviewers and to feel lot of nerves. But hey
RELAX! Understand the fact that the company wants you as much as you need
them. They called you in for HR round, because they want to select you,
not reject you. So just be yourself, like you would be at your home or
college playing with your friends. Few things what shows confidence are
o Sit straight and keep
a comfortable posture. Do not lean or sit on edge of the seat, nor lean
back too much.
o Keep eye contact.
Don’t look into oblivion (read ceiling, curtains etc.), while answering.
o Keep a pleasant and
smiling expression and show an interest in the proceedings.
o Answer with simple,
clear words and loud enough for the interviewer to hear.
o It’s okay to say
“Don’t know”. That shows your comfort in accepting things you don’t know
about.
§ Note: Don’t overdo “Don’t know”
stuff. That might turn against you.
Compatibility with the company
Each company has a different working culture. When
a company evaluates a candidate, one major quality they will look for is
how compatible you are with their working culture. Although you get
information online on major corporates, preparing for this becomes
slightly tricky for lesser known companies. So getting prepared for this part
is not 100% feasible, but here are few things you can do, to avoid failing
this.
o Show flexibility – HRs see a freshers
as a fresh clay, which could be molded to suit the company environment. Show them you are
that, rather than a hard seasoned pot. Keep your options open, like working
hours, location etc. unless absolute necessary. Understand that, it is
important to kick start your career, rather than looking for comforts.
o Stay neutral – Do not overreact or
speak out extreme suggestions about any general topic, for which your
opinion is asked for. They might be trying to evaluate you against one of their
company policy.
§ Example: “What is your opinion
on gay rights?” Don’t answer with a condescended tone or be disrespectful. Just
answer neutral something like “Everyone should have the right to make choices
based on personal preferences, which should go in line with the legality of the
country”.
o Stay legal/ moral – All company
policies are based on legal code of the country and moral values.
Understand this and while answering, stick on these lines. If question is “What
will you do if you see a female colleague being harassed by your
friend?” Your answer should be “I will report it to the manager.” An
illegal conduct has zero tolerance in any corporate culture.
Learnability
The USP of a fresher to any company is the flexibility in
utilizing his/her ability within its different operations - This could be
for an expansion plan, an existing delivery process, for a product
development team. This is only effective, only if the learning ability
of a candidate is strong and steep enough - that is efficient and quick.
The learning could be of a new technology, a new culture, a new life
style.
o Your academic graphs
is one of the important indicators for this (& hence the cut
offs). But that’s just one aspects and remember, you already cleared that
hurdle.
o This is mostly
evaluated by few indirect questions – like asking about your
experience with team work, any challenges you faced, project works, other
trainings (academics / non-academics) you did outside regular schooling.
o It will be prudent to
have at least one example which will showcase you are willing
and efficient in learning new stuffs.
Salary
Of course you know this – the compensation. A fresher
doesn’t hold much bargaining power. But nevertheless, this is a common
question asked during the interview. “What is your expected
CTC?” Learn about the fresher’s package of the company & try to stay
within the limits. All that a HR is trying to look here is, are you really
interested in a company like theirs. So when a mid level company usually
offers a package of 3-4 L for a fresher, and your answer is 10L, then it
says you are looking for a top level company.
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