HR Assistant roles are popular with recent graduates, career switchers, and people looking for a way into HR. It’s an entry-level job, but it sets the foundation for bigger roles in recruitment, employee relations, or HR management later on.

An interview for this role is less about having years of HR experience and more about showing you’re organised, professional, and motivated to work with people.

This guide covers what HR Assistants do, the questions you’ll likely get, and how to prepare.

What does an HR Assistant do?

The exact responsibilities depend on the company, but the role is almost always about keeping the HR team running smoothly behind the scenes. HR Assistants take care of the administrative and organisational work that allows managers and recruiters to focus on strategy and decision-making.

Some of the most common responsibilities include:

• Keeping employee records up to date. Updating addresses, contracts, or reviews in the HR system. Accuracy matters to avoid payroll or compliance issues.

• Helping with recruitment. Posting job ads, scheduling interviews, and communicating with candidates. Requires clear communication and organisation.

• Supporting onboarding for new hires. Preparing welcome packs, login details, and induction schedules to help new employees settle in.

• Answering employee queries or directing them. Handling questions on holidays, benefits, or policies, and making sure employees get the right support.

• Assisting with payroll or benefits administration. Checking timesheets, updating salary info, and processing benefit changes correctly.

• General HR team support. Organising training, preparing reports, and helping with company-wide HR initiatives.

It is detail-heavy work, and it often involves switching between tasks quickly. Employers will be looking for candidates who are reliable, organised, good at communicating, and able to handle sensitive information with care. Being approachable and professional is also key because you will often be the first point of contact for employees reaching out to HR.

What interviewers want to see

Interviewers are not expecting you to be an expert in employment law or HR strategy at this stage. What they really want to know is whether you have the core qualities that make a strong HR Assistant. These are the skills that will allow you to support the team effectively and grow in the role.

• Organisation: Can you manage multiple admin tasks, keep track of deadlines, and stay on top of paperwork without dropping the ball?

• Attention to detail: Mistakes with employee records or payroll can create serious issues, so accuracy is essential.

• Professionalism: You will deal with sensitive and confidential information, which means employers need to trust you to handle it correctly.

• Communication skills: Can you explain things clearly, respond politely, and adapt your tone depending on who you are speaking with?

• Motivation: Do you genuinely want to work in HR, or are you just applying everywhere? Employers want someone who is serious about building a career in this field.

If you can show these qualities with real examples from your past work, studies, or volunteering, you will make a strong impression even without direct HR experience.

Common HR Assistant interview questions

Here are some of the questions you are most likely to hear in an HR Assistant interview, along with tips on how to approach them. These questions are not designed to trip you up, but to see how you think, how you organise your answers, and whether you understand what the role involves.

Even if you have never worked in HR before, you can still give strong answers by drawing on experiences from school, previous jobs, internships, or volunteering.

“Why do you want to work in HR?”

They want to know you’ve thought beyond “I need a job.”

Bad answers:

• “I like working with people.”

• “It seemed like a stable career.”

Better answers:

• “I’m interested in how companies support and develop their employees.”

• “I want a role that mixes admin responsibilities with people-focused work.”

• “HR feels like a place where I can learn how businesses run from the inside.”

“What do you know about our company?”

This checks preparation. At minimum, you should know:

• The industry the company is in

• Their size (small startup vs large corporate)

• Any recent news (growth, awards, partnerships)

Show that you understand what makes the company different, not just what’s on the homepage.

“Tell me about a time you had to stay organised”

This is testing for structure and prioritization. Even if your past jobs weren’t in HR, use examples from admin work, retail, volunteering, or university projects.

Example:

“In my last role, I had to manage a shared inbox and respond to customer queries within 24 hours. I created a system to track what was urgent and what could wait, which helped me stay on top of everything.”

“How would you handle confidential information?”

Confidentiality is critical in HR. Show that you understand this.

Example:

“I would only share information with the relevant person or team, and I’d make sure any documents or records are stored securely. If I wasn’t sure, I’d check with my manager before taking action.”

“What tools or systems have you used before?”

Some HR Assistants use HR software, but you may not have experience yet. That’s okay. Focus on what you do know – Excel, Google Workspace, scheduling tools – and show you’re open to learning new systems quickly.

Tips to stand out

Standing out in an HR Assistant interview is less about having years of experience and more about showing that you understand the role and bring the right mindset. These tips will help you highlight your strengths and make a lasting impression.

1. Show interest in HR as a career

If you see HR as a stepping stone, say so. Employers prefer someone who wants to grow in the field, not just someone who stumbled into it.

2. Be clear and concise

When asked about your background, keep it short. Connect your past experience to skills needed in HR: organisation, admin, communication.

3. Use examples

Anyone can say “I’m organised.” Back it up with proof:

• “I managed a busy calendar for three team members.”

• “I handled student records for 200 people.”

4. Ask smart questions

Good options include:

• “What HR systems do you use here?”

• “What does success look like in this role after six months?”

• “How does the HR team support employee development?”

Avoid questions you could answer with a quick Google search.

Red flags to avoid

Just as there are things you can do to impress interviewers, there are also mistakes that can weaken your chances. These are common red flags that employers notice quickly.

• No clear interest in HR

• Saying you “love working with people” but giving no examples

• Not knowing what the company does

• Rambling answers without structure

• Overlooking confidentiality

Avoiding these pitfalls will help you come across as prepared, professional, and genuinely motivated for the role.

Practice admin-style questions

Some HR Assistant interviews include a short practical task to test how you handle basic admin work. This could be something like drafting a professional email to a candidate, organising a small set of data in Excel, or scheduling a series of interviews without conflicts.

If you are nervous about this, practice beforehand. Write a few professional emails, making sure your tone is polite and clear. Take a mock dataset and practise sorting it by dates, names, or departments in Excel or Google Sheets.

Use rejection as learning

Not every interview will lead to an offer, and that is completely normal. Many people need several attempts before they land their first HR role. What matters is how you use those experiences to improve. If you don’t get the job, ask for feedback. Were your answers clear? Did you come across as motivated? Did you connect your skills to the responsibilities of the role? Sometimes the reason will simply be fit, which is out of your control, but feedback can help you spot areas to strengthen.

Treat each interview as practice. The more interviews you do, the more confident and polished your answers will become. You will start to notice patterns in the questions you are asked, and you will have stronger examples ready each time. Even rejections move you closer to success because they prepare you for the interview where everything clicks.

Where Via fits in

If you’ve been applying to lots of HR Assistant jobs and not hearing back, the problem might not be you – it might be fit.

Via helps match you with roles that are relevant to your skills and background. That means less wasted time and more interviews for jobs you can actually land.

It’s free to use, and it’s designed to make the search feel less overwhelming.

Final thoughts

HR Assistant interviews test your organisation, professionalism, and motivation more than your technical HR knowledge.

Prepare your story, review common questions, and be ready to give real examples from your past experience.

And if you’re feeling stuck, platforms like Via can help you focus on roles that actually fit, so you spend less time sending out applications and more time preparing for interviews that matter.