The HR Generalist works with upper HR Management on a broad range of

responsibilities including maintaining employee records, preparing reports,

benefits administration, recruitment, onboarding, performance management,
and more.
Candidates for this position should have human resources experience and
relevant academic degrees, such as a BSc/BA in Business Administration.
Additional HR training and certifications are desirable and demonstrate a
commitment to the field.
The following open-ended and situational questions will help you distinguish
hands-on HR experience from theoretical experience. Your most promising
candidates will have strong interpersonal skills and will be able to express
their logic clearly and concisely. They will be able to speak about HR issues,
often drawing from what theyve learned on the job. They will be familiar with
your company and will contribute insightful questions to your conversation.

How has your work experience and training prepared you for this
position?

What factors do you consider before drafting any new HR policy?

How would you implement a new HR policy?

What HR tools do you prefer? Can you recommend one system per
function for us?

Whats your approach to putting together benefits packages?

How do you define company culture? How do you contribute to nurturing

a positive company culture?

Describe a time you worked on a challenging recruitment effort. How did

you overcome it?

Describe a time you made a misstep that resulted in regulatory issues.

How did you handle it?

An employee submits a sexual harassment complaint. What steps would

you take to look into it?

How do you stay current and ensure compliance with national regulatory
laws?

Whats your opinion on 360 degree performance reviews?

What steps would you take to terminate an employee?

Have you ever encountered a conflict of interest at work? How did you
handle it?
Whats your impression of our employer brand? How would you improve

it?

I oversee the recruitment process, create requisitions, screen applicants and work with
hiring managers. I also am involved in employee relations, benefits and compensation.
Research the mission, the population served, and the work culture. Look at staff bios and
be thorough with looking at the organizations services and social media pages. Also be
sure to check LinkedIn for an inside connection and to see who works at the organization.
Ask what your interviewer likes about the organization. Ask about a challenge the
department is facing.
Among the specific skills required of them, HR generalists are expected to have strong
organizational and people skills, as well as an eye for detail.
To work in HR, you must be able to communicate with all levels of employees and management and
enforce company policies. HR associates are involved in all aspects of hiring, employee retention and
engagement, benefits administration, strategic planning, disciplinary actions and terminations. When
staffing this role, you should be asking questions that specifically test a candidates HR knowledge as
well as their interpersonal skills.

Listed below is a sample of 5 thought-promoting inter

view questions to help you determine if you are hiring the right candidate for your organization.
1. Tell me about your most recent experience working as a generalist. What was involved in
your role? Depending on the size of the organization, and the structure of the HR department,
your potential candidate may have been involved in all aspects of working as a generalist, or may
have been responsible for one main area of HR, for example, talent acquisition. Depending on the
needs of your organization, will instantly determine if this is the right candidate for the job.
2. How would you handle an employee who breaks company policy, and can you provide an
example of when you had to address this issue? With this question, you are looking to identify
how a potential candidate would handle internal conflict within the organization and have them
provide an example of their problem-solving skills. Is this candidate well-versed in employment
law and will they stay within the legal boundaries of addressing those issues?
3. How did your HR department contribute to planning, creating, maintaining, and changing
the corporate culture? What were your significant contributions to establishing the work
environment for people? How a candidate brands their organization from the interview stage,
through the selection and onboarding phase are significant in creating a cohesive organizational
culture. Does the potential hire match with the vision and mission of the organization?
4. Were you involved in any recruiting in your last job? How did you handle difficult job
requisitions and/or challenging hiring managers? One of the most important tasks of HR (whether
generalist or talent acquisition) is to help the organization in its recruitment efforts by
streamlining the process for the hiring managers. Potential candidates should be prepared to
discuss how they handle both the challenge of working with the hiring managers and how they
have identified talent matching the skill set and the corporate culture of the organization.
5. What do you think is most important to ensure employee satisfaction? The HR department
is responsible for making and/or updating company policies. How a company keeps employees
engaged is very important to the success of an organization. This question identifies what the
potential candidate views as important and how they look to reduce turnover in an organization.
This list gives just a brief overview of some very important questions to ask during an HR
Generalist interview. While it may vary according to the size of your organization and the internal
structure of the HR Department, these questions elicit thought provoking answers from the
potential candidate and will help determine if this candidate is right for your organizations
needs.

1) PMS 2) Capability Development 3) Employee Engagement 4) OD 5)

Career Planning & Succession Management 6) SPOs etc.
A performance management system, sometimes referred to as a PMS, is the process that a
company uses to appraise and recognize its personnel. A company with a properly executed
performance management system can improve employee morale, increase productivity and
retain its top workers. There are several components of an effective PMS process.

Planning
The first step in an effective performance management system is planning. The human
resources department should define critical elements -- employee responsibilities and
performance indicators -- that are in line with long-term goals of the company or
organization. These standards should then be communicated to the employees to be
appraised. The United States Department of Commerce Office of Human Resources
Management recommends that any performance appraisal plan be completed and signed by
the employee at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the appraisal period.

Monitoring and Evaluating Employee Performance

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Human Resources Management,
the appraisal period during which human resources monitors and evaluates employee
performance should be no shorter than 120 days. Monitoring and evaluating performance
means not only measuring it, but also providing regular feedback to employees. Each
employee should have, at minimum, one formal review that occurs approximately halfway
through the appraisal period. Any review should include a discussion of the employee's
progress and suggestions for improving any deficiencies in performance. The employee
should be formally evaluated at the end of the appraisal period.

Recognition
Employees who meet their performance goals should be recognized and rewarded through a
formal process. Possible incentives include cash awards and nonmonetary awards, such as
certificates of appreciation and honor awards. A system of recognition and reward provides
an incentive for employees to achieve performance goals, resulting in better workforce
performance. A recognition system also decreases turnover and increases retention of the
best employees by contributing to job satisfaction.

Employee Development
While employee development occurs outside the appraisal and recognition process, it is
considered a crucial aspect of an effective performance management system. Employee
development is the ongoing training of workers while they are employed, and may refer to
something as simple as training in new software or a multifaceted employee development
program involving mentorship and monetary assistance for pursuing a college degree.
Ongoing employee development enhances workplace skills and helps a company retain its
workforce.