Hiring a VP of Human Resources means you’ll need to ask the right questions in the interview process. Here’s a comprehensive list of the top six VP of HR interview questions you should mull over before your next hiring spree (or prep with, if you’re a VP of HR candidate).
6 Outstanding VP of HR Interview Questions
A VP of HR should be an employee advocate, a champion of change in the workplace, and also be able to create and implement effective strategies. These six VP of HR interview questions will help guide you in the hiring process.
Describe how you gauged the success of HR as well as employee relations in your previous role. What did you measure, and how did you determine priorities for the HR department?
Ask how the candidate measured his or her success in the role. How did the candidate manage employee relations, settle disputes and address even the smallest of concerns? This is one of the most important VP of HR interview questions to ask, as it sheds light on what success means for the candidate.
Why did you pursue HR as your career?
You can use this question to determine the candidate’s excitement about this role and previous ones—both through body language and his or her stories. A candidate who smiles and enthusiastically talks about the path to this moment, in this career, can offer a lot to your company.
What do you know about our company?
If a candidate knows zilch about your business, it’s probably a bad sign. Every candidate for the VP of HR role should have researched you and your company. Period. The VP of HR will deal with the ins and outs of many areas within the business, so he or she needs to show at least basic knowledge regarding the company in an initial interview.
Why do you feel you qualify for this VP of HR role? What qualities must a VP of HR have?
Every VP of HR candidate should at least express intuition, versatility, flexibility, focus and an authentic human touch in all his or her work.
Discuss an instance when an employee approached HR with a complaint about his or her manager. How did you dig deeper into the complaint and help the employee resolve the issue? How did the situation end?
VP of HR candidates must be equipped to handle uncomfortable situations between employees and managers. This is particularly true when everyone is in such close quarters in the office.
What kinds of problems do you help solve on a daily basis? Did you enact any changes at your last company you felt especially proud of?
Above all, a VP of HR must know how to make positive changes for a company. Furthermore, the sometimes minor daily problems around an office need to be handled with professionalism and quick action before they escalate.
What VP of HR interview questions have you asked or been asked in the interview process? Let us know, and don’t hesitate to contact TruPath for your VP of HR hiring needs.
As a trusted recruitment source for more than a decade, TruPath has the industry knowledge and a proven model to help our partners feel comfortable in their search for a candidate.
Through our TruProcess, we are able to consistently deliver exceptional candidates that help organizations continue down successful paths. Contact TruPath today to tell us about your staffing needs.