Archive

Array

The interview for an HR position is more critical than you may think. After all, it determines if you’ll become part of the department responsible for screening and hiring. The interview is not just about your qualifications for the role. How well you understand conducting interviews, developing talent, and meeting employees’ needs are also factors. In an interview with so much to consider, what kinds of questions should you expect?

Top HR Interview Questions and Answers

Quiz yourself with the following questions to test how you might answer interview questions for a wide variety of HR careers. Once you’ve thought about or have had a chance to write down your answer, check our answers to see how you might be able to improve your responses.

1. What do you enjoy doing the most in HR?

Connect your skills to your passion. If you worked as an HR generalist and are now interviewing for a specialist role, you could express how working with employees on training programs helped you uncover something you’d like to focus on. In the new role, you can use those skills and your passion for working closely with people to help enhance an organization’s workforce.

Describe what motivates you to work or want to work in this field. Implement how your experience and education can help you add value to the company.

2. What was HR’s most significant contribution in your recent position?

Arrive at your interview with results from your last position. Can you link a reduction in voluntary turnover to a new benefits package or retention initiative? Did a new software program enhance efficiency for the department? Bring specific figures that demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships. If you don’t have stats available, discuss past initiatives and positive anecdotal feedback you may have heard.

HR is about driving business results. Demonstrate how you’ve played a role in that goal to help your interviewers understand the value you can bring to the organization.

3. What’s the biggest problem plaguing HR and organizations today?

In a way, this question is unfortunate, because there are several answers. Capitalize on it by revealing your knowledge about an issue like employee burnout. For this example, you could bring up how a recent study found that 97 percent of HR leaders were planning to increase their investment in recruiting technology within the next four years, but budget was often cited as a deterrent to programs that would help retain current workers. HR leaders are investing in new talent instead of existing employees.

Other examples include costly employee turnover statistics and the need for better training programs. Find a topic or two that relates to HR and, if possible, your prospective role. Remember that you can work in this answer for other questions, such as why you’re passionate about HR.

4. Why do you want to work here?

Any interviewee needs to do his or her homework on a company, but you should take this a step further. Get acquainted with the organization, their mission, and other basics. Then check the company’s blog, social media platforms, and perform online searches for press releases and articles to get a sense of what the organization is doing for its employees and the community.

You shouldn’t want to work there simply because you like the job title, pay, or you’ve heard good things about the organization overall. It should be about how you, professionally and personally, connect with the company. You want to be a part of what they’re doing and their growth. Spend some time researching the organization, thinking about the fit, and developing a genuine connection to what they’re doing.

5. Describe a time when an employee came to you with a complaint.

How you respond to these types of questions will showcase your interpersonal and problem-solving skills. It’s not just about what you’re saying, though; it’s also about how you express your approach to the problem, to the employee’s concerns, and about the passion you exude for helping people. All of those things will be on display as you answer this question.

Your interviewer is looking for someone who is skilled and who genuinely cares. Describe the steps you took to advocate for the employee and to resolve the problem as efficiently as possible. You should also touch on how you enjoyed being there for that employee. There is a customer service side to HR; being empathetic and compassionate about your work is critical.

6. How have you responded to unethical situations?

If the question doesn’t apply to your professional experience, then maybe you know someone who has dealt with this situation. You could also discuss a scenario in the news or something you’ve studied. At any rate, you can still speak with confidence about the event, what steps were taken, and how you would have responded.

Outline any real or hypothetical situation to demonstrate the actions you took or would have taken. Commenting on your thought process can be helpful. For instance, you could talk about what you would have done if things got worse and your overall thought process, which would help demonstrate your ability to anticipate events.

7. What questions would you ask me if you were the interviewer?

If the role you’re pursuing involves interviewing candidates, your interviewer could ask what you might do if you were in his or her shoes. Try to ask a question that would allow your hypothetical candidate to solve a need at the company. If it’s a data-driven company, for instance, the question could surround the candidate’s past experience and future plans to measure success. Or you could ask a question about how the interviewee would help improve employee engagement or another hot-button topic in HR.

8. What are you doing to improve your skills?

Your job might deal a lot with developing employee training plans and perhaps programs that pay for their education. At the very least, you could become part of a department that values enhancing employees’ skills. Those values apply to you, too. Discuss conferences you’ve attended, books and blogs you read, and anything else you’re doing. If you’re furthering your education with a master’s in human resource management, that type of credential could truly make you stand out from the competition.

Don’t ignore the value of education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that candidates with a bachelor’s degree and professional certification should have the best job prospects for becoming HR specialists. The same applies for potential HR managers who have a master’s degree in human resource management.

Get the education you need to pursue entry-level and advanced roles in HR. Enhance your career and ability to impact organizations with Concordia, St. Paul’s online Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management and online Master of Arts in Human Resource Management. Enjoy small class sizes with a personal learning environment geared toward your success, and learn from knowledgeable faculty who have industry experience.

Array

Starting a wholesale business requires savvy negotiation skills, operational know-how and salesmanship. For the right multi-skilled entrepreneur, it can be a profitable option for a startup business. Wholesaling is the “sale and distribution of goods to specific customer types such as those most commonly referred to as resellers,” according to Investopedia. Wholesale businesses acquire large quantities of merchandise in order to repackage and resell them to distributors. Because wholesale businesses purchase products in bulk, the price is often much lower than in a retail environment.

Depending on the type of wholesale business you want to launch, you might specialize in one product or category. Conversely, you might choose to sell a wide variety of goods. Some wholesalers work in a particular industry, such as office or teaching supplies, while others might sell to a wider range of distributors. “Wholesalers are often not involved in the actual production of goods, instead focusing on tasks more associated with distribution,” Investopedia adds.

What Does It Mean to Sell Wholesale?

In general, retail businesses sell products directly to customers. Selling wholesale, on the other hand, is a business-to-business (or B2B) process in which wholesalers sell their products in large quantities to a retailer who then sells directly to consumers, according to Quickbooks. Many entrepreneurs choose to pursue a wholesale business because it can open up multiple revenue streams. In addition, selling wholesale means that you have fewer expenses up front and the sales process is much simpler than in a retail context. It’s important to note that you should have an understanding of how to mass produce products and go to market quickly in order to succeed in the wholesale industry.

Considerations

Wholesaling requires a varied skill set, making a business degree an ideal starting point. For example, you’ll need solid negotiation skills in order to purchase at a low price from manufacturers, and trend-spotting intuition to know when you’re making the right purchases to meet demand. You’ll also need sales skills to resell your products and an understanding of logistics and operations management to oversee and track your inventory. A keen understanding of the B2B marketplace is especially important.

When determining your business’s required resources, keep in mind that wholesalers who focus solely on distribution may not need a dedicated storage space. However, a warehouse storage space is typically required for a wholesale business to grow and thrive. The number of employees you need is determined by the scale of your business, as well as where you are in the launch process.

Benefits of Selling Wholesale

According to Entrepreneur Resources, wholesale businesses “are the backbone of almost every industry out there.” That’s why there are significant benefits to choosing to become a wholesaler. The following are just a few of them:

Scalability: Wholesale businesses have low barriers to entry, meaning you can get started without investing too much money. Because you need less funding, it’s easier to get your business off the ground quickly. And because wholesale goods are usually much more affordable than those sold at retail prices, your business can purchase a large amount of products without breaking the bank. “When you average out these costs, you can expect savings of up to 50 percent than if you had bought from a third party,” Entrepreneur Resources explains. That’s why wholesale businesses are so scalable, meaning you can expand your business with ease once you launch successfully on a smaller scale.

Diversification: In many cases, wholesalers choose to start with a small number of product types and broaden their ranges later, primarily for the reasons covered above. Once you have a clearer understanding of the market and the demands of your business processes, it’s easy to move into other markets and industries. For example, if your business initially focuses on food processing, you might choose to sell snack food items or condiments later without experiencing a huge spike in costs.

Potential: One of the most attractive benefits to wholesaling for entrepreneurs is the potential for profit. “If you can strike up a relationship with a new supplier who is creating high-quality goods and offering you a great price, the results can be exceptional,” Entrepreneur Resources explains. Once you have a deep understanding of your industry, success is within reach.

Starting Your Business: How to Sell Wholesale

Launching a wholesale business can be a profitable choice for the ambitious entrepreneur. Now that you understand the benefits of wholesaling, the following basic steps can help you get started.

1. Determine if you want to start your own business from scratch or purchase an existing business. There are benefits to both, but this will partly be determined by your niche and target customer.

2. Define your niche and customer. This is one of the most important steps in launching any business — and wholesaling is no different.

3. Locate suppliers. Identify the right vendors for your industry and begin building strong working relationships.

4. Determine basic operating costs, such as administrative needs, warehouse/storage facilities and shipping services. Be sure to take employee salaries and benefits into account.

5. Determine hardware and software needs for inventory and shipping management. Having the right tools available can streamline your launch experience.

6. Based on your niche and customer base, determine your level of required inventory. You may want to start small, because you can always scale up.

7. Estimate total financial needs for start up based on your basic operating costs and starting inventory required. This is only an estimate; it will take a several months to determine how much it actually costs to run your business.

8. Determine product markup. This will help you plan for profitability: The standard markup is 400 percent from manufacturer price to retail.

9. Acquire financing and launch. Be sure to stay within your business plan, especially during the early stages of your business’s opening.

If you are interested in topics like these that are relevant to business professionals and entrepreneurs, consider Concordia University, St. Paul’s online Bachelor in Business Administration degrees. It provides students with a strong foundation of business skills. For professionals who are ready for advanced business education, Concordia offers a fully online MBA. Through mentorship and advanced coursework in core business topics, this program provides students with the skills to advance their careers while becoming experts in their chosen industries. And many of Concordia’s programs are available both online and on campus.

Array

The meaning of the term “DBA,” or “Doing Business As,” refers to a company’s operating name rather than its legal name. In many states, businesses are required to submit DBA filings in order to protect consumers. However, there are many other reasons to considering using a DBA. If you are launching a sole proprietorship or partnership, you have the option of choosing a DBA for your business.

What Is the Meaning of DBA?

“If you want to operate your business under a name other than your own (for instance, Carol Axelrod doing business as ‘Darling Donut Shoppe’), you may be required by the county, city or state to register your fictitious name,” according to Entrepreneur. It’s important to note that your DBA can’t include words like “corporation,” “Inc.,” or “Corp.” unless it is registered as a corporation with the Secretary of State, Entrepreneur explains.

In general, using a DBA lets you do business as a specific name at minimal cost, without having to form a completely new company. Doing so also allows you to accept payments from customers, open a business checking account, advertise and carry out all of the other functions of a business.

When and Why to Use a DBA

Though most types of businesses can file a DBA, not all businesses need to do so. The practice is most common for small companies like sole proprietors, because a DBA allows individuals to separate their businesses from their personal identities and legal names. However, sole proprietors aren’t the only business owners who file DBAs, according to Fundera.

“Corporations (both S corporations and C corporations), general partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs) technically don’t need to file for a DBA name — they’ve already registered a business name. But any business formed under one of these entities might also register a DBA name, allowing them to do business under a different name than what’s found on their original incorporation documents,” the same article continues. This is especially useful when a business wants to open a new product line or launch an internal business unit without forming a whole new company.

Here are some other reasons a business might want to utilize a DBA:

• The bank requires a DBA to open business bank accounts. This is usually the case for sole proprietors or partners.
• A company is expanding into a new area or sector. A more descriptive, specific name could be beneficial here.
• A company operates another business or website. A DBA allows you to create collateral tailored to a more specific audience.

How to File a DBA

The procedure for filing a DBA varies from state to state, so it’s a good idea to check out a resource like the U.S. Small Business Administration’s reference guide for specific steps. In general, you’ll need to visit state or local government offices and pay a registration fee to the clerk. The cost of filing a DBA can range from $10 to $100. According to Entrepreneur, local banks may require proof of your DBA certification before you can open a business account. Ensure that you fulfill any and all “public notice” requirements as well, which officially announce your new name to the community.

Here are some other tips to consider:

• Ensure your business name is available and won’t violate any established trademarks.
• Pay all applicable fees up front.
• Familiarize yourself with state and local regulations to ensure there are no violations (for example, some states require businesses to publish their intended DBA in a newspaper ahead of time).
  

If you are interested in topics like these that are relevant to entrepreneurs and other business leaders, consider Concordia University, St. Paul’s MBA program. Through mentorship and advanced coursework in core business topics, this program provides students with the skills to advance their careers while becoming experts in their chosen industries. This program is available both online and on campus.

Array

A positive reputation is critical for any business to succeed. While traditional public relations firms can provide helpful services to aid with general image management, oftentimes a brand or company needs to focus on managing its reputation in modern media.

Transparency matters to today’s consumers, which means brands commonly encounter public customer reviews and feedback. This means it’s vital to address any negative content quickly, and that’s where a reputation manager comes in. As social media and search results have become a vital part of business success, more and more companies are turning to reputation management experts to maintain a strong online presence.

What Is Reputation Management?

Reputation managers blend public relations expertise with strong tech skills to monitor businesses’ brand activity and provide a quick response to negative reviews and other feedback. As one expert told Entrepreneur, “an Online Reputation Manager works to safeguard a brand’s reputation across the internet by controlling information that people can view, whether good or bad. It starts with responding to comments from dissatisfied users, ensuring that their problems are addressed at the earliest and trying to take down any information that is adversely biased towards a brand or a person.”

To do this, reputation managers complete extensive SEO and keyword research to identify areas for improvement. They then create strategies to target specific channels and “suppress the influence of negative content on the brand’s reputation,” another expert told Entrepreneur. Once a strategy is in place, the reputation manager creates positive content and optimizes for the best results.

Reputation Management: How to Get Results

With a qualified reputation manager on board, your business can maintain an active and effective online presence. Here are just some of the ways a reputation manager can have a positive impact:

• Identifying negative reviews, ratings or search results and addressing them
• Understanding patterns and formulating plans to counteract the most prominent or influential negative activity
• Publishing positive content to mitigate any negative connotations discovered during research
• Closely monitoring a wide variety of elements that influence business reputation, including social media, review sites, search results, press releases, advertisements and more
• Maintaining a healthy reputation through vigilant monitoring and planning positive content for both traditional and online outlets
• Creating a culture of transparency for your business

Hiring a Reputation Manager

If your organization could benefit from the expertise of a reputation manager, the hiring process should contain a few key steps. First, you’ll need to decide if you want to hire someone to work in house for your online and print reputation management needs. Depending on the size of your business, as well as factors such as industry and online presence, it may be beneficial to work with a company that specializes in reputation management rather than hire a full-time employee.

Reputation Management Vendors

This strategy is more cost effective because you build a vendor/client relationship rather than paying someone a full-time salary plus benefits. Also, you can be sure the people you are working with have years of relevant experience and the know-how to accomplish your goals. In addition, reputation management companies have access to specialized tools and resources to monitor your brand’s online presence, and acquiring those tools in house can be expensive. But you should keep in mind that you may not receive the personalized support you’re looking for if you choose to work with an outside vendor, as you’ll be one of many clients, OnlineReputation explains.

Reputation Management Consultants

Another option is to hire someone on a consulting basis to work with your existing staff. With this approach, your organization benefits from the expertise of a trained professional while using fewer resources and developing the skills of internal employees. A consultant can teach your staff to utilize best practices in reputation management, as well as customer service and basic marketing principles as needed. This strategy is ideal if you aren’t sure what your needs are when it comes to reputation management, as a consultant can identify your brand’s strengths and weaknesses and recommend a course of action.

In-House Reputation Management Specialists

If you do decide to hire a full-time reputation manager, there are certain skill sets to look for, as well as past work experience. As reputation management is a relatively new field, some candidates may not have specialized experience in this area — but that doesn’t mean they should be discounted. For a good starting point, OnlineReputation recommends looking for work history in community management, social media, brand management, digital marketing and public relations.

When interviewing job candidates, you’ll need to determine whether their experience aligns with your business’s reputation management needs. Find out if they have created customer-facing content and brand messaging and whether they have business-to-consumer experience in social media. Many ideal candidates also have expertise in analytics and SEO. A data-focused work history is also ideal, as reputation managers must comb through a large amount of information before developing a strategy. Perhaps most important is the ability to understand a brand’s voice and implement a content plan that reflects your brand identity and your business goals. If an in-house specialist is part of your reputation management plan, PayScale reports that you can expect to provide a salary of around $63,000.

If you are interested in topics like these that are relevant to business professionals, consider Concordia University, St. Paul’s online business and marketing programs. The online Bachelor of Science in Marketing program combines the building blocks of marketing with practical tools that students need in the business world.

For professionals who are ready for advanced business education, Concordia offers a fully online MBA. Through mentorship and advanced coursework in core business topics, this program provides students with the skills to advance their careers while becoming experts in their chosen industry. Many of Concordia’s programs are available both online and on campus.