Preliminary Screening

• Verifying the work history and professional experience for human resource manager applicants is a priority. Unless your organization is looking for an entry-level HR manager, candidates should be comfortable giving the recruiter a brief chronology of their work history and professional experience. Of importance is whether the prospective human resource manager has experience with the same or comparable size employee base. The employee base means the total number of employees at the work site. It can also refer to the number of employees at each business location, as part of the total employee count. In addition, recruiters who conduct preliminary screenings for human resource managers should ask questions about the size of the candidate's current HR department and previous HR departments she managed.
  
  

Human Resources Panel Interview

• Virtually all candidates for human resource manager positions anticipate a panel interview during the recruitment and selection process. Panel interviewers can be human resources staff members or department managers who would become the HR manager's peers and colleagues. Regardless of department or position, panel interviewers should ask a combination of behavioral and situational interview questions. Answers to behavioral interview systems provide insight on the candidate's ability to resolve workplace issues using his leadership capabilities, interpersonal relationship and communication skills. The candidate's answers to situational interview questions demonstrate his proficiency with human resources functions and ability to perform tactical HR processes.
  
  

Company Philosophy

• Human resource managers are generalists. Therefore, they should have experience in every HR discipline--compensation and benefits, employee relations, training and development, recruitment and selection, and workplace safety. In addition to broad expertise, knowledge and experience in functional HR areas, a human resource manager must also have the capability to align HR management with the company's philosophy and values. The best way to determine if human resource manager candidates fulfill your need for someone who can align strategy, management and tactical expertise is to insist on a one-on-one discussion with a member of executive leadership. The desired outcome for this meeting is a clear understanding--for both the executive and the potential manager--of what it takes for the human resources department to be a welcome player in the strategic development of the overall organization.
  
  

Selection

• The final steps in the selection process for a human resource manager aren't unlike those for any other position; however, there are a few details about reference-checking that may be a slight departure from the standard policy on checking references for prospective employees. Conversations with past employers and professional references about a future human resource manager should include questions about the candidate's ability to maintain confidentiality, whether she's capable of interacting effectively with people of all levels and if employees' perception of human resources improved during her tenure with her previous employers. Depending on the position you're hiring for, typical reference checks may not include these questions.