Many candidates stumble when trying to answer HR job interview questions on approachability, it is tricky, but not impossible, if you prepare in advance for the HR job interview.
A key attribute to building relationships is being approachable. The trait approachability applies to candidates who are easy to approach and talk to. They are the kind of people that their colleagues and juniors can connect with because they spend the extra effort to put others at ease. Approachable people tend to be warm, pleasant, and gracious. They have the ability to handle things with tact and still get the same work done — which many others do with tenacity or assertiveness.
Approachability traits include being sensitive and patient with the interpersonal anxieties of others. Such individuals can build rapport well and are good listeners. This, also gives them an added advantage of being an early knower, getting free and incomplete information in time to do something about it.
Explain how you try to put others at ease when they appear to be nervous around you.
The interviewer is likely to ask you how you take the effort to put others at ease. In particular, this can be especially helpful for the new employees or those going through a rough patch. You can say that considering your seniority at the workplace; you try to make the first move, especially for the newbies. You try and smile at your colleagues and employers. Doing so makes you the go-to individual. You also try to greet them every morning — an initiative that can really help break the ice.
While answering this HR job interview questions on approachability, mention instances when people have been nervous or worried about some failures or errors they might have made. So you can add that you take the initiative and start conversations with your co-workers.
Once your co-workers and colleagues see you as approachable, they will find it easier to approach you and talk to you. However, rather than shutting yourself off, it is much easier to let people come up to you first. You should not try to give off an air of arrogance. Instead, you should help to put their nervousness at easy.
Any conversation is a two-way street. So, when you are trying to communicate with someone, you shouldn’t just talk — you should also listen. This helps your colleagues to see you as someone who knows when to shut up, and not someone who just keeps giving and sharing advice.
Explain how you handle difficult interpersonal differences between yourself and others.
There is a chance that interpersonal differences might occur at the workplace. However, the recruiter is interested in knowing if you are an ‘agony aunt’ who just sulks and keeps holding to grudges or try to sort things out. This is important because they are looking for future leaders who have the ability to set apart these differences and take the initiative to build relationships. You should prepare this answer a couple of times because follow-up questions like citing a real-life incident may happen.
While answering this HR job interview questions on approachability, tell the interviewer that often, you do not want to talk about failures for fear of looking bad in your team’s eyes. However, considering that interpersonal differences are a hindrance to organizational growth, you like to put them aside. Then you can explain that you would probably handle the situation by discussing your setbacks with that particular colleague. You would also thank them for what you have learned.
Explain why this is an excellent way for your team to learn from you! It clearly reflects that you are a human and not afraid to share. Hence, interpersonal grudges are sorted, and you also come across as an individual who can mentor and lead by example — while being approachable. Finally, add that interpersonal sorting differences helps you to share experiences and grow and develop.
Tell of a time you had to use good listening skills in order to assist another employee in resolving a problem. How did you make certain you truly understood what they were trying to communicate?
Any recruiter seeks an approachable candidate with strong listening skills. Without being a good listener, you cannot be approachable and strike the right chords with your colleagues. They want to know if you have the traits and skills to make certain you truly understood what your colleagues were trying to communicate. It is true that speaking skills are important in the workplace. However, the importance of being a good listener is equally important. One should be mindful of their body language when you are listening to someone. Remember when colleagues are interacting with you, be it formally or informally you have to pay attention.
It should not seem that you are distracted with something or are busy looking out of your window when someone is talking to you. Doing so would make you seem unapproachable. Explain to the interviewer what tricks you have up your sleeve. It could be that you try to maintain eye contact with the person. When required, nod and smile if you agree with what they are saying. Don’t interrupt them but do try to empathize when possible making small vocalizations — this assures them that you are keeping up with their chain of thought.
While answering this HR job interview questions on approachability, you can also mention that you try to take an interest in your team beyond just the work they do. Knowing them helps build trusting relationships. The idea is to connect with people positively and to build relationships informally. Doing so helped boost your approachability, and they will be more likely to communicate openly when it really matters — thus helping in resolving issues.
This blog post has been Digiproved © 2019 HumanResourcesBlog.in © 2019 Jappreet Sethi
