What according to you are the qualities that an HR Executive/Manager must have?
Knowledge, Intuition, Versatility, Flexibility, Focus and above all a human touch in everything you do.
Why did you choose HR as your career?
While answering this question, don’t simply say that I love to work with people and that is the reason I am into HR. This is the most common answer and moreover something which makes the interviewer burst into laughter. This answer easily makes them understand that you are saying this just to get the job.
A better way would be to identify some work areas that an HR manager has to perform in his daily routine and relate them to your interest. A possible answer could be, I liked to be a part of the recruitment team which can identify right people and put them in right places. An employment into recruitment slowly developed into a full-fledged HR profession.
What do you think are the roles and responsibilities of an HR Manager?
The purpose of this question is to understand your knowledge of the role.
The responsibilities of an HR manager include:
Recruitment, Training, Organizational Development, Communication, Performance development and management, Salary and benefits, Team Building, Building Employee relationship, Developing Leadership, Motivational exercises, Developing companies policies and procedures, Managing the health care program for employees etc.
Depending on the size of the organization, the HR manager has a team performing each of these roles.
Why did you decide to get into HR after your graduation in computers/commerce/physics?
There are many people who actually get into HR after graduating in a totally different stream. To some people, it just happens while for others it is a deliberate move.
If it just happened to you, you can say that I was on a look out for a job when I got the first opportunity in HR. I took it up and slowly realized that I have started liking it. I brushed up my skills by keeping myself updated about the new developments in the field and acquiring a professional degree (If you have got one.)
If it was a deliberate move, you can discuss your reasons for moving into this role.