The trend where HR personnel ask ridiculously strange questions that is totally unrelated to the job and where sometimes they become so insulting to job seekers is fast becoming a common experience at most interviews in recent times. This monster HR posing as professionals are a nightmare to job seekers.

Here http://www.hrtechnique.com/2016/10/building-career-in-human-resources.html we discussed why passion is the primary requirement to becoming a HR professional without which your survival in the industry would be untimely. The contamination of this profession is basically a result of poorly trained people in the industry or people with just the wrong personalty who have found themselves on the job.
Sometimes, in fact all of the time, HR personnel should be made to go through personalty test by the body that has certified them for practice.

A situation where you are asked "What happened to your last relationship" or "If you drink alcohol" where your alcohol consumption has nothing to do with the nature of the prospective job.

In Nigeria for example, I have personally been sent out of the interview room by a supposedly experienced HR consultant who also doubles as a CEO because I refused to answer a particular personal question. I had politely told him it was personal but he barked at me to leave his office. Surprise!!!.

A situation where after going through stages of interviews you are being asked "Are you sure you want this job?" Common!!!.

To put this into perspective, I will cull from a letter someone sent to us. Its a pity that such a thing happens in this industry. Find below:

Seriously annoying, first I passed their aptitude test, then day 2 about 15 people sat to interview me.
Day 3, just 4 interviewed me. On day 4, I was told to come and meet with the HR director and the director started asking THE FOLLOWING.
He asked if I wrote the aptitude test myself and I said yes then he started asking me each question both verbal and mathematics for me to answer them verbally.
As if it wasn't enough, he asked of my background, parents, siblings, what can i say of my school?.
He asked what church I attend, do I hate Muslims... Where was my earring, why am I on natural hair.
I almost allowed my anger to betray me. He now said can I pay bribe on behalf of the company.
Can i go clubbing with staff members. If I do will i take alcohol? Am I married or engaged.
He asked where I stay, then he got angry when I said I was staying alone as a lady, that it's a stupid decision.
At the end of all the questions, I was not offered the job

The profession makes no one superior than a job seeker. It is an opportunity to do three basic things in my opinion:

1) To empower an organization through the use of the man power planning process.
2) To impact lives and leave candidates better than they came even if they are not a best fit.
3) To do 1 and 2 without bias, without being insolent and without being judgmental.

While we recognize that the responsibilities of human resources is not encapsulated in the list above, our passion for human development and capacity should be at the forefront of our activities.

Next time we are at an interview, please HR, the following should guide our activities.

a) Shortlist candidates that you would have productive time with in other to recognize real talent and skill for the needed job. One of the ways to do this is to use phone interviews to reduce the pool of candidates. Job seekers can Find Here some tips to help in their phone interviews.
b) Ask qualitative questions that are relevant to the job. Questions that probe the job seekers work history and values rather than be asking if he masturbates.
Some of the almighty questions that are basic yet efficient are;
i. "Why should we hire you?".
ii. "What values do you see yourself adding to the organization if you are employed?".
iii. "What kind of person can you not work with?". This helps to probe into the candidates team-work spirit.
Other relevant intelligent and brilliant questions that could determine speed and the ability to think on their feet.
c) Take few seconds or minute to give feedback on your perception about their resumes or application. Tell them your perspective about it and some of the things that could be corrected for future use.
d) Sometimes we are unable to share information about a recruitment ramification, but at the end of the selection, if you are opportune to meet with some of the candidates, you could share with them not so sensitive information about what went wrong and some of the things that if they had done better could have earned them a place in the organization.

The HR profession is a life saving one. Save a job seeker.

More related articles on www.HRtechnique.com

So true.

hmmmmmmmm... on point

ONE MILLION LIKES

peterpeteru:
So true.

You can also find interview questions specific to certain companies and their recruitment process and stages on www.HRtechnique.com

Any experience you want to share?

peterpeteru:

Uhmmm. Lots my brother.
Last month, I got interviewed for a teaching position, a member of the panel whom I presumed to have been consulted was just asking me software and website development related questions. Technical ones o. It got to a stage I wanted to ask how those questions relate with the position I applied for.

At another interview, before the interview commenced, we were made to wait outside in the scorching sun. Then it began to rain, thought they would ask us in, for where? We had to stand in the corridor of a building nearby. In that condition, I swore I was not gonna work there even if they offered me the job.
When the interview started, none of the panelists apologised. The so called Hr was just cutting into mine and the others conversation.

I must add this, just last week, I had another interview, oh! it was wonderful. The panellists were well mannered and respectful. All applicants were even served snacks before being served lunch.

Those are very sad experiences. Sorry about it but you see what I was talking about. Those guys should not call themselves HR professionals.
Hope you get the job for this recent one. All the best.

onismate:
hmmmmmmmm... on point

Thanks

christhavemercy:
ONE MILLION LIKES

Haha ha thanks.

A billon likes.
I quite agree with u completely.

bon!

ibegodpikin:
A billon likes.
I quite agree with u completely.

Any experience? Morning.

Good effort OP

i

That's why I wanna be my own boss, make person no come form gimme on top wetinwer no be im own

That was how one interviewer was asking me if my parents once worshiped Ogun at one time of their lives before they became christians

well I had never been invited for an interview, with countless applications I submitted, maybe the first i will attend I will secured the job.good luck to me

j

If you meet such HR 'professionals' and you are rejected, just thank God for saving you from landing the job. If you sense such unprofessionalism in just a couple of interviews, how do you think life would be like when you spend 9 hours a day, 5 days a week in their company?

Buhari and his co-horts are making life hard for us. These Nigerians too are making life uneasy. Later they wee join and be shouting Bohari Bohari.


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.

peterpeteru:
So true.

Very, very correct

What is my business? Working for myself and don't give a **** about HR personnels

We also have monster employees who can run down your organization in one week, that's why the management employed monster HR personnel for mutual repulsion.

You can quote me but I won't see it cos I only visit a post, once.

I have a problem when HR decides to pitch tent with management. Freaking annoying. I guess some don't understand their job role. Nice article.

Very funny how we all want to be employed but are not willing to answer simple questions. If I had a company and I'm willing to recruit new guys, I certainly will ask questions, regarded as "dumb" by candidates. These "dumb" questions are simply meant to test you psychological limits, how far you can stretch emotionally, and also to see if you've got anything to hide.

It is not an offence, neither is it "personal" to ask candidates if he/she takes alcohol, even though the job has nothing to do with alcohol. I wouldn't employ a dirty drinker, or someone who feels relationship questions are personal, and should not be asked in interviews. If I wanted to recruit for a certain position, I will go as far as asking silly questions, to see how the candidate would handle issues in a tight situation, especially if the situation has to do with his/her ego. I will never employ someone who gets angry at the slightest push, thereby making me lose clients and customers.

I once attended one interview and the HR guy asked what I was doing in school that I graduated with 2:2 when my mates were breezing past 2:1. Well, I blew it and asked him; "what was your own grade"? and I did lose the Job that would have gotten me 275K monthly as at 2009.

Bottom line: Be humble, be patient, answer all questions like your close pally asked you. With that, it will seem normal and they will even love you for being so natural, and the job will be yours.

I'm in d HR business and ur points are totally valid. Such uncout manner on d part of d HR can b reported to d body. It tells bad about d company culture itself. D selection process is a very sensitive one, case managers & other HR personnel understand this.

Lol

Well, it happens,

There was an interview i went for, after passing their ap'test, personality test(oboi no be joke o), and phone interview.
So the interviewer(a lady ) started by asking me why i didn't get A's in my waec(i had B'c & C's), i was like "eh", omo, i was surprised o,

The next question was why i go my school (my sch na federal University of tech tho), say why i no go nearby school, omo, i just dey look this lady o,

The next question wey vex me na, why i get 2.1, e remain small make i ask the lady say weda she manage get 2.2, she still ask some weird questions o. tws really annoying that day.

I was like, which kain interview be this.

Lol, when i remember that day, i just dey laff, she no ask any relevant questions about the job or others

P.S: i didn't flare up tho, i answer the questions how best i could, but come-on!!, after passing all those stages, lol,

And what would the body do to them? Close up the company, sue them or fine them? We all love seeing Nigeria like it's UK or USA.

Apus:
I'm in d HR business and ur points are totally valid. Such uncout manner on d part of d HR can b reported to d body. It tells bad about d company culture itself. D selection process is a very sensitive one, case managers & other HR personnel understand this.

khalebzy:
Buhari and his co-horts are making life hard for us. These Nigerians too are making life uneasy. Later they wee join and be shouting Bohari Bohari.


if you want thunder to fire them, click like
if you want trailer to kill them, hit share



.

Move you ass up and take a life. In the midst of conflicts, God glory is made manifest. I've got guys who started off with as low as 20K and they, they control millions.
Stop shouting BUHARI upandan and dust your life, move up take advantage of the current economic recession to make a brilliant living. If everyone is eating Plantain, bring up cocoyam and sell it to them. Be different and you will start praying for Buhari. He's not my brother, neither do I hate him. But re-arranging our future for us...I'm sure you not able to see that.

Adebimpe1:
Very funny how we all want to be employed but are not willing to answer simple questions. If I had a company and I'm willing to recruit new guys, I certainly will ask questions, regarded as "dumb" by candidates. These "dumb" questions are simply meant to test you psychological limits, how far you can stretch emotionally, and also to see if you've got anything to hide.

It is not an offence, neither is it "personal" to ask candidates if he/she takes alcohol, even though the job has nothing to do with alcohol. I wouldn't employ a dirty drinker, or someone who feels relationship questions are personal, and should not be asked in interviews. If I wanted to recruit for a certain position, I will go as far as asking silly questions, to see how the candidate would handle issues in a tight situation, especially if the situation has to do with his/her ego. I will never employ someone who gets angry at the slightest push, thereby making me lose clients and customers.

I once attended one interview and the HR guy asked what I was doing in school that I graduated with 2:2 when my mates were breezing past 2:1. Well, I blew it and asked him; "what was your own grade"? and I did lose the Job that would have gotten me 275K monthly as at 2009.

Bottom line: Be humble, be patient, answer all questions like your close pally asked you. With that, it will seem normal and they will even love you for being so natural, and the job will be yours.

Surely you will only get "dullards" as employees and will lose the best employees because of bad mouth. In the end your organisation wouldn't be able to thrive well because ur criteria for selection is silly. No one should be asked stupi.d questions because u want to offer them a job. You need training on personnel management

Adebimpe1:


I once attended one interview and the HR guy asked what I was doing in school that I graduated with 2:2 when my mates were breezing past 2:1. Well, I blew it and asked him; "what was your own grade"? and I did lose the Job that would have gotten me 275K monthly as at 2009.

Bottom line: Be humble, be patient, answer all questions like your close pally asked you. With that, it will seem normal and they will even love you for being so natural, and the job will be yours.

If you are a the best, It is better to hold your ground, and keep your head up.

Some of these so called HRs are living in fear too. I once worked for a company where I requested for double the HR salary and he wanted to review the request. I told him its a no go area, and refused to contact them.

Bad companies employ bad HRs some of them are just a mirror of the managerial horror they exist in. I fought for confirmation letter, leave and everything. Thank God they sacked me at my first anniversary. I got a job that paid double within 6 weeks. The company has now left the industry, but the yeye HR is still there

Mediocrity will only keep you begging