Experience

Experience is the knowledge that a person gains, or a skill that is acquired after participating, getting involved or exposure to a particular field or event. So if you have worked with or as a Manager, then you have experience as a manager - or you have acquired management skills. With a sufficient amount of experience in a field, it becomes their area of expertise.

Though experience is important, as it helps HR managers understand if you are a suitable candidate for the job, it is not the only criteria that should be considered. Just because a candidate has impressive experience doesn't necessarily make them suitable for the job. There are other factors to consider, and HR managers are aware of this.

Conceptual Power

Conceptual power is an important attribute that HR managers look for when they interview a candidate. Conceptual power is the knack that a person has to learn from the past and use it in the future. So how does an HR Manager judge a person's conceptual power? They usually ask the candidate some behavioral questions. Questions like how to deal with an insubordinate employee? How to handle customer service when the customer is wrong? How to deal with underperforming employees? These are a few questions that will help HR managers to draw a conclusion about the conceptual power of a candidate and their ability to use it in the organization.

Character

Character, or the personality of the candidate, is important while selecting an employee for a particular job. It makes no sense to employ a person with no marketing skills for a sales job. The personality of the candidate has to match the nature of the job. If someone has an eye for detail, that person should be selected for an accounting job - similarly, if a person is creative, they may be well suited for the advertising department.

HR managers have to conduct interviews and gauge the personality of candidates by asking some questions that will give insight into their personality. Another option is to conduct a personality test and determine from there whether or not the person is suitable for the job.

Skills

The best and most effective way to test the skills of a job applicant is to give them a skills-related test. It could be a practical test, or it could be a written test. A practical test makes more sense, as it will give the HR manager a better idea as to how skilled the person is for the particular job that they have applied for. If the person has applied for the job of computer software engineer, then the HR manager could ask them to work with the computer and run a program. If the person is applying for the job of an accountant, then they may be asked to prepare an accounting statement or work with the balance sheet of a particular period. You, as a candidate should be well prepared to answer whatever questions may arise regarding your skills. Make sure that your skills are up-to-date.

Education

You need to have relevant educational qualifications for the job that you are applying for. Presenting your educational qualifications is extremely important, especially in your resume. Whatever your educational qualification may be, make sure they are relevant and prominent in your job application.

Preparing for an interview can be stressful; but knowing what HR managers look for in a candidate is half the battle in getting the job.