Prepare for your People Operations Business Partner interview. Understand the required skills and qualifications, anticipate the questions you may be asked, and study well-prepared answers using our sample responses.
This question can help the interviewer determine your level of experience with the company’s software. If you have previous experience using the same or similar software, share what you liked about it and how it helped you in your role.
Answer Example: “I am familiar with the payroll software you use, as I have worked with it in my previous position as a People Operations Business Partner. I found it to be easy to navigate and understand, which allowed me to quickly complete my tasks. In addition, I appreciated its integrated human resources features, such as employee benefits management and time tracking. These features enabled me to manage all aspects of employee management in one place.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills and abilities necessary for success in their company. Use your answer to highlight some of your most important qualities, such as communication skills, problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
Answer Example: “I believe the most important quality for someone in a people operations role is empathy. I think it’s important to be able to understand and relate to others’ feelings in order to provide the best possible customer service. Another quality I have is attention to detail. I always make sure to thoroughly research any issue before making any decisions or taking action.”
This question can help the interviewer determine how you would use your people operations skills to solve a common workplace issue. In your answer, try to show that you are willing to hold employees accountable for their actions while also providing them with support and encouragement to improve.
Answer Example: “I would first speak with the employee about their lateness and ask them why it’s happening. I would want to understand their reasons behind being late so I can help them find a solution. If they have a legitimate reason for being late, such as an illness or family emergency, I would work with them to find a solution that works for both of us. For example, maybe they could start coming in earlier than usual on days when they know they will be late.”
Hiring and onboarding new employees are two important parts of people operations. The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your experience with these processes and how you can help them improve their company’s hiring and onboarding practices. In your answer, explain what steps you take when hiring someone new and explain why those steps are important.
Answer Example: “I have extensive experience with hiring and onboarding new employees. I have worked on both sides of the process, as an employee and as a hiring manager. I understand the importance of having a well-defined hiring process that is both efficient and effective.”
Employers ask this question to learn more about your people management skills. They want to know that you can implement policies that improve employee happiness while also helping the company achieve its goals. In your answer, explain how you helped implement the policy and what results it had on employees.
Answer Example: “In my last role as a people operations business partner, I noticed that our employees were feeling stressed out because of our vacation policy. We only allowed employees to take one week of vacation at a time, which meant they had to wait six months before they could take another week off. I met with our HR manager to discuss possible solutions. We decided to change the policy so employees could take two weeks of vacation at once. This allowed them to take more time off while also allowing us to save money on payroll.”
This question allows you to show the interviewer what your immediate priorities would be if hired. It’s important to list a few tasks that are relevant to the role and highlight your ability to work independently.
Answer Example: “My top priorities during my first few weeks on the job would be to learn more about the company culture, establish relationships with employees and understand their needs and goals. I would also like to get familiar with the People Operations system and processes in place at this organization. Finally, I would want to start developing a plan for how I can best support the team and help them achieve their goals.”
This question can help interviewers understand how you would apply your knowledge of employee wellbeing and wellness to the role. Use examples from past experiences where you helped employees balance their work and personal lives, or explain how you would go about implementing a policy that encourages employees to take time off.
Answer Example: “If I noticed employees were working long hours without taking time off, I would first try to understand why they were doing so. Maybe they were under pressure from managers to meet deadlines or they were excited about a project and wanted to work extra hours. If I felt like there were legitimate reasons for them working extra hours, I would talk with my manager about finding ways to support these employees without putting too much pressure on them. For example, we could create more flexible working hours or offer more training opportunities so they have the skills needed to complete tasks quickly.”
People operations professionals often need to give feedback to their colleagues. Employers ask this question to see if you can handle criticism well. In your answer, show that you can take constructive criticism and use it to improve your work.
Answer Example: “I understand that giving and receiving feedback is an important part of my job as a people operations business partner. I am confident in my ability to handle criticism because I have done so in the past. When someone gives me feedback, I take time to think about what they’re saying and consider how I can improve. I also make sure to thank the person for giving me their input. This helps me stay positive while also acknowledging their contribution.”
Employee engagement is a key component of people operations. Employers ask this question to make sure you have experience leading initiatives that improve employee happiness and satisfaction in the workplace. In your answer, explain how you led an employee engagement initiative in your previous role. Explain what steps you took to implement the program and what results you saw.
Answer Example: “In my last role as a people operations business partner, I led an employee engagement initiative that focused on improving employee satisfaction across all departments. We started by conducting surveys to find out what areas needed improvement. Then, we implemented new policies and procedures based on the results of the survey. For example, we started offering free lunch Fridays to encourage collaboration between departments. After implementing these changes, we conducted another survey to see if our satisfaction rating had improved.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have experience working with people from all levels of an organization. This can be important because people operations business partners often need to collaborate with employees from different departments, such as human resources, IT and marketing. Your answer should show that you are comfortable working with people from different backgrounds and levels of authority.
Answer Example: “Yes, I am comfortable working with people from all levels of an organization. In my previous role, I worked with managers, executives and employees to create employee training programs that met the needs of our company. I also worked closely with HR teams to ensure that our training programs were compliant with federal regulations. My ability to work with people from all levels of an organization helped me create effective training programs for our company.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills and abilities they’re looking for in a people operations business partner. Use your answer to highlight some of your most important qualities, such as communication skills, problem-solving abilities and teamwork.
Answer Example: “I believe that the most important quality for a people operations business partner is communication. I think it’s essential for this role to be able to effectively communicate with all stakeholders, including employees, managers and executives. Another important quality is problem-solving ability because I would be responsible for solving any issues that arise within the department. Finally, I think it’s important to have a team-oriented mindset because I would be working closely with other business partners.”
This question is an opportunity to show your knowledge of the role and how it helps a company. You can answer this question by describing what a people operations business partner does, including some specific tasks or responsibilities.
Answer Example: “A people operations business partner is responsible for ensuring that the people operations team is operating effectively. This includes creating and implementing people operations strategies that support the company’s goals and objectives. I would work with other business partners to ensure we were all working together to achieve the same goals. For example, if the sales team needs more hires, I would work with the recruiting team to ensure we had enough candidates to fill those roles.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your experience with HR software and how you might fit into their company’s system. If you have previous experience using the same system that their company uses, share what you like about it and how it has helped you in your role.
Answer Example: “I’ve used several different HR software systems throughout my career, but my favorite by far is XYZ. I find it to be easy to use and navigate, which makes it much more efficient for me to complete my tasks. It also has many features that help me manage my people operations responsibilities, such as automated time tracking and benefits enrollment. These features save me a lot of time and make sure that all employees are properly documented.”
This question can help the interviewer understand how you handle conflict and challenges in the workplace. Use examples from your experience that show you can solve problems, communicate with others and manage a budget.
Answer Example: “In my last role as a people operations business partner, I noticed that our team was getting overwhelmed with projects. We had hired several new employees within the past year, but they weren’t all trained on all of the necessary tasks yet. I met with my manager to discuss our options. We decided to let some employees go and reassign others to different projects. It was a difficult decision, but we felt it was best for the company.”
Compensation is an important part of people operations. The interviewer may ask this question to see if you have experience with different types of compensation plans and how they can benefit a company. Use examples from past experiences where you helped implement a new plan or changed an existing one.
Answer Example: “I’ve worked with many different types of compensation plans in my career. I’m most familiar with merit-based, performance-based and bonus-based plans. I’ve also worked on commission-based plans, but I find that they can be difficult to manage because employees need to meet certain goals in order to receive their commission. In my last role, I helped implement a new performance-based plan that rewarded employees based on their individual contributions to the company.”
This question can help the interviewer understand your thought process and how you create a handbook that’s beneficial for employees. Your answer should include some of the most important factors you consider when creating a handbook, such as employee confidentiality, benefits and compensation information and more.
Answer Example: “I think it’s important to create a handbook that’s easy to understand for all employees. I like to include diagrams and charts to help employees navigate through the information easily. I also make sure to include all of the most important information, such as employee benefits, vacation time and sick days. Another important factor is making sure that all of the information in the handbook is up-to-date.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you are comfortable working in a environment where you need to keep information confidential. High-confidence answers show that you understand the importance of keeping information private, while also demonstrating that you have experience doing so.
Answer Example: “Absolutely. I have worked with highly confidential information in the past, and I understand the importance of keeping it safe and secure. I always make sure to protect any information that is given to me, and I only share it when necessary. I also make sure to keep all of my computer programs and devices up-to-date with the latest security patches to ensure that the information remains protected.”
This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills necessary to succeed in this role. Use your answer to highlight two or three of the most important skills for people operations business partners and explain why they are important.
Answer Example: “I believe the most important skills for a people operations business partner are communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution. Successful people operations rely on strong communication between all departments, which requires me to be able to effectively communicate ideas and solutions to problems. Problem-solving is also important because it allows me to find solutions to issues quickly and effectively. Finally, conflict resolution skills allow me to resolve conflicts between employees in a way that is fair and equitable.”
The FLSA is a federal law that governs how employees are paid and how many hours they work. Employers ask this question to make sure you have knowledge of labor laws and how they apply to the workplace. Before your interview, research the FLSA and make sure you understand the basics of how it works.
Answer Example: “I am familiar with the FLSA and have used it as a resource when creating employee handbooks and policies at previous jobs. I understand that employers must pay employees at least $7.25 per hour, provide overtime after 40 hours worked in a week and keep records of hours worked. I also know that there are exceptions to these rules, such as for salaried employees or those working in agriculture.”
This question allows you to highlight your skills and abilities as a people manager. It also gives the interviewer an idea of what kind of person you are and how you might fit in with their company. When answering this question, it can be helpful to think about what you enjoy most about being a people manager. Are you good at managing budgets? Are you organized? Are you good at communicating with employees? Try to focus on one or two strengths while also showing that you have other skills.
Answer Example: “My greatest strengths as a people manager are my communication skills and my ability to create an inclusive work environment. I’m always looking for ways to improve communication within my team, whether that means holding weekly meetings or creating new ways for employees to communicate with each other. In my last role, we implemented an employee feedback system where employees could anonymously submit questions or concerns. This helped us identify issues before they became bigger problems.”
