Interview Questions for a Human Resource Director

The position of human resource director is an important one within a company. The interviewing process for this position must be used to find the best possible candidate for the job. In addition to standard job interviewing questions, a few more should be asked to help determine how candidates will react to different human resource issues within a company and how they will handle employee relations.

Diversity and Sensitivity Questions

By far, one of the most important facets of a human resource director's job is the ability to encourage and handle diversity in the workplace. The candidate should show sensitivity to cultural issues and be well informed on current laws and available training resources for staff. Ask the candidate direct and open-ended questions, such as "How would you handle an issue over an employee's sexual orientation and possible harassment?" The ideal candidate should be able to provide an answer that sticks to the letter of the law and shows sensitivity toward the parties affected.

Situational Questions

What-if questions are very helpful when it comes to interviewing a human resource director. Ideally, there should be two to five situational questions the candidate must be able to answer. Questions such as "What would you do if one employee was hindering the rest of the team's performance?" and "Describe the appropriate process for firing an individual who is disruptive and insensitive" will help illustrate a candidate's ability to function in this position.

Behavioral Questions

These questions help determine a candidate's behavior in specific situations and how she has handled these situations in the past. A human resource director is someone who will need to remain a calm constant in the workplace. Employees need to feel that they can relate to this individual so if they do have concerns, they know they will be heard and action will be taken. What-if and opened-ended questions can help determine a candidate's behavior, such as "You are in the middle of an important phone call and an employee comes to you very distraught. How do you react?"

Management Style Questions

Questions on how a director of human resources will handle his management position are also essential. Everyone has a different style of management, and the candidate you select should have a vision that meshes as closely as possible to your company's vision. In addition, his style should be one that motivates and encourages employees to grow and better themselves within the company. A candidate should have experience with team-building exercises and the ability to pinpoint employee strengths and weaknesses within the organization