HR interview questions

I had interviews which HR always ask me the same questions :

Have you been interviewed by xzy company in the past?

What is your long-term goal?

How do you deal with companies conflict with another person?

I think the first question is a trick. I will deny that I was interviewed by the company in the past.
How do you guys answer this question?

I only tell the interviewer my short term goal since it is impossible to estimate long term goals.

For the third question, I tell HR that I discuss the issues with the person. If I fail to resolve it, I will escalated it to management

Oh, it's so funny. They never want the truth with interview questions, just that they know you know what they want to hear.

So first question. Have I been interviewed by them...I answer this honestly. I have no problem telling them I was considered for a position with their company. Typically I've made it to the final round, so letting them know I was just barely edged out, I think, gives me some credibility.

2. Long-term goal: I tell them whatever they want to hear. Because like you, I'm not exactly sure, and my long-term business goals are only to support the kind of life I personally want to have. So for example, if the position is Director of Development, I say my long-term goal is to rise to being a Chief Development Officer or even to becoming CEO of an organization. I also say my intent is to find a company, right now, that I can have a long tenure with and really learn and grow and achieve things.

I tailor that response to whomever is interviewing me. They want to hear what they want to hear with that.

How do you deal with conflict? So this is an easy response. They want to hear that you deal directly and assertively with conflict and that you also try to be respectful and considerate. So I say "when there is a conflict, I try to be respectful and considerate and understand why the conflict has arisen. I do not place blame, rather I focus on the solution to the conflict. I try to deal with people directly rather than through third-parties, and I also try to learn from every conflict situation so I can develop good working relationships."

Seesaw

I don't think I would lie about whether or not I interviewed with them in the past. Don't a lot of companies keep records of that?

Yes. They do.

1. Interviewed in the past—if it is yes, then say yes, and you are continuing to pursue a position with the company because you learned more about the company when you interviewed before, the mission of the company really resonates with you, and you really want to work there.

2. Long term goal is to advance in your area of interest in the company. This needs to be within the department you are applying to.

My last company got soooooo many people who would say they wanted to be a <>, which had nothing to do with the job they were applying for. No, this accounting job is not your stepping stone to become a millionaire rock star, goodbye.

Also, I’ve seen one of my former employers hire someone that wanted long term to do something else outside our industry. WTH. Our manager authorized all her classes too—she went to college at the company’s expense to get an unrelated degree and leave. Idiots. They could have hired so many good people that actually wanted to work for us long term!!

They want to know if you are going to stick around. Say so!!! Tell them you love the work the company does and you want to get involved and stay there long term! Perhaps in a supervisory capacity because you would love to mentor and develop employees.

3. On conflict—I agree with Seesaw. You want to talk it out in a non-confrontational way to work out the problem. You want to understand the other person’s point of view and repeat it back to them so they know they were heard. Then find some common ground.

I had an employer do the same thing with another employee. We had a program where they would pay for you to go back to school or do continued learning...but you had to stay a certain amount of time afterwards or payback a certain percentage of the school costs if you left early. So the first person in the program was the COO's pet employee (who she created the program for) and then that employee barely stuck around after she finished, lol. I'm sure she had to pay back the percent due, but with her new job she got, and new pay, that was nothing...

I'm all for work paying for continuing education, but that was just asking to be abused.

Seesaw

What is your long-term goal?
For this question it is better to say you should stay there itself.