An HR clerk handles a great deal of the work within a human resources department.
When hiring one, they go through a lot of scrutinies so that the hiring manager can determine their eligibility for the position.
At the interview for an HR clerk position, you will be asked many questions to determine your skills and experience.
These would include questions pertaining to what you know about placing ads, updating employee records, and assisting in payroll preparation.
To prepare for an HR clerk interview, make sure that you have a list of questions that you may be asked.
Also, invest your time in listing your qualifications and experiences in this role. This will help you with most of the questions that you will be asked.
In order to prepare for an HR clerk interview, take a look at the following set of questions and answers:
Recommended: HR Clerk Resume Sample
Human Resources Clerk Interview Questions and Answers
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I have worked as an HR clerk for 3 years. During this time, I have gained a lot of experience in handling the clerical and administrative ends of human resource work. This work interests me primarily because of the amount of learning that is involved.
2. What duties have you performed in this role before?
As an HR clerk, I have been performing many duties, including updating and publishing job ads, scheduling interviews, and maintaining employee records. Apart from this, my work includes preparing monthly compensation and attendance spreadsheets and screening job applications. Moreover, updating internal databases with information about newly hired personnel is also part of my job.
3. What skillset do you possess which makes you an excellent person to hire for this position?
I feel that I am an excellent individual to hire because I have a solid skill set in communicating personnel policies and compiling employee records. Moreover, I am well-versed in processing, verifying, and maintaining personnel documentation. In addition, I am competent in arranging training and induction activities for newly hired individuals.
4. In your opinion, what is the most exciting part of working in this role?
I love the constant new challenges that I face every day. These are my prime motivators.
5. What do you dislike about working as an HR clerk?
I do not dislike it per se, but I do find micromanagement a bit discouraging, as I feel that even at the clerk level, individuals need to be given some authority.
6. What is your method of dealing with adversities?
I have not come across any adversities till now. But in case I do, I am fully prepared to handle them with absolute professionalism.
7. How do you handle work-related stress?
Work-related stress is all part of the game, and I take it with a pinch of salt. When I feel stressed, I make sure that I take a break and do something else.
8. What is the most important part of human resource work in your opinion?
I feel that candidate screening is the most important part of working in the human resources department.
9. What is your greatest strength?
My greatest strength is my ability to perform multiple tasks in a back-to-back fashion – and many co-currently.
10. What is your greatest weakness?
I work too much which makes it impossible for me to have any downtime. However, I am working on setting realistic goals for myself and have been more than half successful in it.
11. Tell us of your greatest achievement.
My greatest achievement was when I singlehandedly revamped the employee database system, hence, making it 20% more efficient than before.
12. Do you like working with people, or alone?
I love working with people. However, I can work equally well when I have to work solo.
13. Tell us of a time when a coworker became angry with you?
A fellow HR clerk and I were working on an ad posting project when she uploaded 3 wrong ads. I pointed this out, and she got very upset, saying that I was checking up on her. But it got sorted out when I explained that I wasn’t putting her down, but merely helping her so that she doesn’t get chewed out by the HR manager.
14. Do you get along well with your supervisors?
I get along extremely well with my supervisors. I am an easygoing individual, who gets along with everyone.
15. How would you react to a request for information that you are not supposed to give out?
I protect the data assigned to me with my life. If I ever got such a request, I would have no choice but to refuse to fulfill it.
16. Describe your ideal work environment.
I understand that an ideal work environment does not exist. However, a near-ideal one would be where I am constantly trained and taught new things, and pushed to move up the ladder.
17. What is your biggest motivator when working in a team environment?
Working in a team environment is a big motivation in itself. Apart from this, I am highly motivated by the energy that goes into human resources work.
18. What do you like to do during your time off?
I love working on my paintings. Away from work, I am an artist, who loves to paint sceneries and portraits.
19. How good are you at organizing information?
I am an extremely organized individual, which makes it quite easy for me to unify information in a proper manner.
20. Do you easily lose your temper?
Not at all. I do not lose my temper much. I am an easygoing individual, who believes in sorting issues out and not further messing them up by losing my cool.
21. If we ask you to join us, when can you at the soonest?
I am liable to provide one month’s notice to my present place of work. After this, I can join any time you would like me to.
22. What are your 5-year plans?
Eventually, I want to work as a human resources manager.
23. Do you have any questions for me?
I am interested in knowing about your induction and training processes.