Business Careers
“I like working with people” is not an answer for an HR interview
HR is a popular choice among business students and one of the most misunderstood. Interviewers hear the same reason repeatedly and look for something more: an understanding of what HR does all day, calm judgement in a people situation, and some awareness of the rules and the numbers. This session practises that, with people who work in HR and hire for it.
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HR is a function with a lot of process behind the people.
HR work includes recruiting, onboarding, payroll, compliance, employee queries, performance cycles and, sometimes, difficult conversations. At entry level much of it is process and documentation, handled carefully, and an interviewer wants to know that a candidate has understood this.
The routes into HR vary. Some employers hire HR freshers directly; others expect a first job in recruitment or operations, and some prefer an MBA with an HR specialisation. The session is honest about this, because students deserve to know it before they commit.
What the session covers
32 topics across 7 areas. Seven areas an HR interviewer may ask about.
Why HR, and Which HRThe most common question, answered specifically.4
- Talent acquisition, HR operations, payroll, learning and development, and employee relations
- A real reason drawn from the student's own experience
- What the student has done that involved people and process
- Realistic expectations about the first year
A Recruiter's DayThe most common entry route into HR.5
Interviewers sometimes ask a candidate to screen a short, made-up resume against a made-up role.
- Taking a requirement from a hiring manager
- Sourcing, screening and scheduling
- Writing a job description in plain words
- Handling dropouts and delayed decisions
- Candidate experience: replying to people, even with a no
HR Operations and Compliance AwarenessKnowing the rules exist, and where to check.5
- Offer letters, joining formalities and employee records
- Provident fund, ESI and gratuity, and payroll deductions in outline
- The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the Internal Committee it requires
- India's four labour codes, which the government brought into effect on 21 November 2025, with some provisions phased in
- Saying “I would check the current rule” rather than guessing
A fresher is not expected to be a lawyer. They are expected to know when to check.
People ScenariosFairness, confidentiality and judgement.5
- Two employees in conflict
- A manager who wants to hire a friend
- An employee who says they are being treated unfairly
- A request to share confidential information
- Saying what you would do first, and who you would involve
Metrics and DataHR is less intuitive than students expect.4
- Attrition, time to hire and offer acceptance, in plain words
- Reading a simple HR dashboard
- Basic Excel for employee data
- Why data about people needs special care
Skills Interviewers NoticeSaid and unsaid.5
- Listening and a calm, courteous manner
- Discretion with sensitive details
- Clear writing, since HR sends many emails and letters
- Being firm without being harsh
- Admitting what you do not yet know
Your Questions, and the CloseWhat to ask an HR employer.4
- How freshers are trained in HR processes
- Which parts of the function a fresher actually works on
- How performance is reviewed in the first year
- How the team supports new members on difficult cases
Exercises in the session
- A “why HR” answer, written and then spoken
- Screening three made-up resumes against a made-up role
- A role-played people scenario
- Reading a simple HR dashboard
- A mock interview round with feedback
What students leave with
- A specific answer to “why HR”
- A short note on the laws and processes to read up on, with official sources
- A structure for handling a people scenario
- Questions to ask an HR employer
How the session runs
HR professionals from recruitment, operations and business partnering describe their work and how they interview, followed by practice in pairs and small groups on the scenarios and questions above. The legal and compliance content is general awareness only, not legal advice, and speakers are asked to point students to official sources. Speakers do not recruit for their employers during the session.
What your students leave with
- A specific, honest answer to “why HR?”
- An outline of what recruiters, HR operations and HR business partners do
- A way to talk through a people scenario calmly and fairly
- An awareness of the main laws and processes an HR executive meets
- Familiarity with a few HR metrics
- Questions to ask an HR employer about the role
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Process first, people always.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.