How To Answer HR Interview Questions on Presentation Skills

Here few tips and pointers on how to answer HR Interview questions on presentation skills during your job interview.

Presentation skills are defined as a set of abilities through which an individual can interact with the audiences and also transmit the messages with clarity. They are able to engage the audience in the presentation. With the right presentation skills, an individual can interpret and understand the mindset of the listeners.

Through these skills, it is possible to refine the way they put forth their messages and enhance persuasive powers. Presentation skills is the ability to be effective in a variety of formal presentation settings: one-on-one, small and large groups, with peers, direct reports and bosses. Through these set of skills, one can be effective both in-side and outside the organization, on both cool data, and hot and controversial topics. These are skills that command attention, and defines the ability of the individual to manage group processes during the presentation. It also includes the ability to change tactics midstream, when something isn’t working.

Describe a situation that demonstrates your ability to give interesting and well-received formal and informal presentations.

The interviewer wants to know if you have the ability to give interesting and well-received formal and informal presentations. While this may be a part of your everyday work practice, it is likely that they are looking for some exceptional skills alongside too. When answering this question, provide an insight of the different skills or technologies you use for providing the presentation. Do you use any new software or system? You can also mention that you research the audience prior to presenting. Doing so helps you get a better grasp of their trait and what they would like — it also ensures that your content is crisp, to the point and hits the nail on the head.

For instance, if you are addressing an analytical audience, having more facts and figures in your presentation will help. Similarly, when addressing a layman, simplified audio-visual guides might work better.

Then, also state that you try to structure your presentation effectively. Do you have a format — which is the introduction and a gist to what you are going to present? Then, elaborate the idea and finally wrap up by repeating the main points. Also, lay emphasis on the fact that you did a lot of practice for the same because rehearsals reduce your anxiety. Doing so also enables you to look confident on the presentation day.

While answering this HR Interview question on presentation skills, you can say that though some aspects are memorized, you try to keep the presentation more spontaneous so that it does not look mechanical — minimizing the degree of audience engagement.

Tell me about a time that demonstrates your skill at comfortably presenting to a broad and diverse population by adapting your content and style to your audience.

By asking this HR interview question on presentation skills, the interviewer would like to know whether or not you have the skills and the ability to comfortably present to a broad and diverse population by adapting your content and style to your audience. You can mention about the strategies that you have implemented for the same. For instance, what size is your audience because speaking to a larger groups means less interaction during.

It would also mean there could be a Q&A session at the end of your presentation. Even in a diverse audience, you should know who the people you are addressing are — do they come from various cultural, educational, and professional back-grounds? Also be wary of political sentiments, as well as general beliefs and convictions to know what to stress upon and what to avoid in your delivery.

Do remember that the audience’s prior knowledge about your topic is important. So if you have already addressed them before, make sure that you are adding more value to the topic. This helps to confirm your position as a trustworthy expert.

While answering this HR Interview question on presentation skills, do mention that your nature of presentations was intentionally kept in a way that it doesn’t sound like a one-sided proposition. Say that you interacted with the audience/colleagues and invited questions or other means of welcoming audience participation. This helped you to boost engagement and make attendees think that the presentation was more of a conversation.