5 Tricky Job Interview HR Questions and Answers

5 Tricky Job Interview HR Questions and Answers

From answering technical interview questions to responding appropriately to seemingly silly ones, interviews aren’t exactly easy to nail. Often, what you think is a straightforward question could actually be that ‘make or break’ question. Mess that up and your recruiter may want to rethink his decision. So how do you prepare for some of those obvious yet tricky interview questions?

Here are five tricky interview questions to expect and how to answer them too.

1) Aren’t you overqualified?

You typically hear this one when you are being interviewed for a position that’s similar to the one you are currently in. The recruiter is afraid that you may be the type to leave the job soon because of boredom.

How to answer: Tell the recruiter that you are aware of what the position demands and that your experience and expertise will give the required value addition to the job and also the company. Don’t forget to mention that you think that this post will let you grow on the job too. After all, he needs to be convinced that you won’t just up and leave.

2) Why do you want to change your job?

Since most of us do not leave our current jobs without a back-up in hand, we have to be ready to answer this. Your interviewer wants to understand whether you can stick to a job for long or not.

How to answer: It’s good to be honest but a little diplomacy never hurt. For instance, if you want to leave your current job because you realised that the salary structure robbed you of a chunk of your salary, avoid mentioning that to the new company. Instead a simple ‘better growth opportunities’ would suffice.

3) What did you think of your previous organization?

What the interviewer really wants to know when he asks you this interview question is whether you quit on a bad note or if you still have good relations with them.

How to answer: You should not badmouth your previous workplace. More importantly don’t display any bitterness towards your boss or colleagues. This will give him a wrong impression of you.

4) Tell me about yourself

Remember, all your interviewer really wants to know is whether or not he should hire you. So though you think this is the easiest interview question ever, it can get difficult since it is so vague.

How to answer: Make sure you have a list of qualifications and achievements you can talk about. Wind up by saying why you want the job and what qualifies you for it. Above all, keep it short.

5) Why do you want to work here?

This is not your cue to start patronising your interviewer or flattering the company. This is the interviewer’s way of finding out what you know of the company and what you are looking for.

How to answer: Avoid flattery and stick to the facts. You have to research the company and its work to make him believe that you are worthy of the post. Mentioning certain milestones, acquisitions, projects etc of the company would be good at this point.

Once you are prepared for the tricky interview questions, there is no doubt you’ll make a good impression. Always remember to practise your answers to the most obvious queries before you get to the interview.