Tell me about an improvement you made to a company's HRIS and how that helped the company.

"The VP of HR reached out to us to see if there was a way to improve the performance management module within our HRIS. The current module that existed was complex and didn't provide opportunities for 360 feedback, which is what the VP wanted to incorporate. As we are at the intersection of HR and technology, I always worked to maintain a knowledge of HR principles from both sides. This additional knowledge I gained from courses I've taken and research I've done allowed me to develop a new module within the system which allowed managers to request 360 feedback from employees, input their own questions or choose from a set of established questions, and run reports to review the feedback. I also made sure that it could be linked to each employee's file and saved with their annual performance reviews."

In your answer, tell Ceridian about a recommendation you've made (preferably one that has been implemented). Be sure to explain why you felt this was the right decision and how you went about getting it done. They will be looking to test your knowledge and your ability to think outside the box to improve existing systems.

"There had been some major glitches in the benefits module and the team had consistently been spending time on fixing these glitches. I spoke with the Director of Benefits and she expressed her frustration with the glitches, explaining that it's caused her team quite a number of headaches and set them behind. I spoke with my manager and recommended that we build a new module which would incorporate all the same elements the benefits team loved, but also incorporate new elements and hopefully eliminate the excess glitches they were experiencing. Previously, if an employee didn't signup for their benefits within 30 days, it was moved to a paper system. We ensured that everything remained electronic and the new module was user friendly. This ultimately saved the benefits team over 5 hours per week on average as glitches were no longer an issue and also saved our team significant time in fixing the glitches, enabling us to be more effective and proactive in our approaches."

Describe an HR module you have implemented end-to-end and how you went about doing it?

"In a recent project, we implemented Workday. I partnered closely with different client groups, including Human Resources and Recruiting to implement all appropriate modules, as well as worked closely with my HRIS team to drive the success of the project. As a team member, I contributed new ideas to improve our efficiency and ensure a seamless launch and end user experience. Throughout each phase of the project, I generated unique ideas which ultimately helped HR be more efficient in their work."

In your answer, be sure to talk specifics, including the software and modules you've used and how you used them. If you have less experience in the area than others, highlight your knowledge of the technology and your passion for building it to maximize HR and business effectiveness. If you have more experience, highlight the implementation and the success of it, including how it helped, how quickly it was completed (on time/on budget if applicable), and the role you played in getting it there.

"When I joined my most recent team, they were starting the configuration process for iCIMS. I was able to work with iCIMS, partner effectively with the recruiting team to incorporate all appropriate modules, and help drive the launch process in collaboration with my team. We completed the project on time and under budget. As this was my first experience, I realized just how passionate I am about this type of work and would love to bring the same enthusiasm to Ceridian."

Where have you seen common failures or breakdowns in customer service and how would you address these issues with the clients here at Ceridian?

"In today's digital age where people are looking for results and looking for them now, time is a huge hindrance in providing excellent service to customers and I've personally witnessed timing issues and helped diagnose them for my employers. Most important is setting realistic time expectations with customers that you are able to deliver on every time. In some instances, this has been easily remedied with simple education between departments. In other instances, it has been solved through the creation and implementation of timing policies for customers."

When a consulting company like Ceridian is called, it is likely that that organization has seen some failure in the service that they have been providing to customers. In this role as a consultant, you will be asked to help diagnose the issues and help fix them for your clients. For this question, your interviewer is first seeking to see what you have seen in your career as common failures in customer service. Second, and most importantly, your interviewer is looking to hear how you would go about solving the issue with clients. Make sure to be as detailed as possible in this aspect of your answer.

"Having consulted now for five years and having worked across many industries, the most common failures in customer service stem from staff that are poorly trained and/or poorly equipped to do their job. Assessing the competency of employees is my first step when consulting a new business and based off my assessments, I can make recommendations for education and training for the staff. Often, general customer service training suffices. At times though, this training needs to be very industry or product specific and I've helped create several specific training programs for employers."

Out of all the options in the technical world, why did you choose to work in the HR tech space?

"During college, we were separated into groups and tasked with coming up with a new platform. We were able to pick our industry and we chose HR, as one of my teammate's mothers was in the field and he found it interesting. While working on the project, I learned more and more about the space and became very intrigued. After we were done, I continued doing research and side projects and realized that this is what I'm passionate about. HR, like most fields, is evolving rapidly, but I love that in this field, I can use my technical skills to contribute to the success of the company and its employees."

Your interviewer is looking to see if you're passionate about what you do. Some people fall into HR tech because it's the first job that they're offered out of college and end up getting stuck in it. Your interviewer wants to know why you're here and that you truly like the space versus it just being a job in the tech world. In your answer, tell your interviewer what you love about the industry and how you want to contribute to the ever-evolving HR tech space.

"My mentor had been telling me about different opportunities, but she has been in the HR tech space for a while and loves it. I was able to get an internship where I worked closely with her. I realized just how much I liked it, as I was having a large impact on the business and applying my technical skills at the same time. I decided that this was the path I wanted to take. After college, I found a job as an HRIS Specialist and further developed my skills. Now that I consider myself even stronger in the field, I'm looking to grow and make a large impact at Ceridian."

Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

"Probably the aspect that I love the most about my current job is being the lead for training new hires into our department. Because of my years of experience and my innate ability to effectively orientate new employees, my director asked me to take this duty about four years ago. My approach with any new hire is to customize their training based on their knowledge and experience so the training is effective for them. What works for one person may not work for another and I always need to be fluid with this. I also prioritize the need to make orientation and training a hands on experience for the new hire because classroom learning can only take a person so far in the learning process."

The role that you are interviewing for with Ceridian will likely involve providing education to clients in your area of expertise. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable and effective in providing education by having you talk about a time that you have done so. In the example that you provide, try to point out some key items to making business education successful like developing a plan/goals, respecting differing viewpoints/opinions, making it hands on and making it fun.

"As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last seven years working in the corporate tax field. While in this job, I worked very independently for a private organization, so I've been out of the training and education side for a while now. During my first job out of college as a CPA though, I was very adept at providing education to the clients that I worked with on a daily basis. What I learned in that experience was the importance of putting material out there in a manner that the person being trained understood. As well, talking to clients and understanding my client's wants and needs were very important for me to be able to best educate them. I really believe that these skills would enable me to hit the ground running with Ceridian and your clients would benefit greatly."

Being successful in consulting and working here at Ceridian requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?

"For the last six years, I have worked under your prototypical type A personality as my director. Being a self admitted type B, being under my new director was difficult at first. For me to be successful under her and for our relationship to flourish, I learned quickly that she liked me to regularly communicate timelines for projects and give updates when necessary as she was very time driven. As well, small talk and getting to know me personally wasn't a priority so our communications to this day are pretty succinct and to the point. In this role, I would feel very comfortable with working with high level type A's because of my firsthand experience."

To first understand this question, it is important that you know that Type A personalities are exemplified by being competitive, motivated, organized and goal driven, among many other traits. These traits often lead to success in high level roles within organizations and your chances of working with this personality type are high. Think of a time you worked with a typical Type A personality and explain the methods you used to ensure that you had a sound and successful working relationship. Make sure that your interview walks away knowing that you can work effectively with difficultly driven individuals with high expectations.

"If you haven't been able to tell during my interview so far, I am a type A personality myself. My personality has helped me become very successful as a Financial Analyst. Having had formal training in the different personality types, I know that I need to take a meticulous approach when working with other type A personalities. My current team is loaded with type A's and regular communication is key in ensuring that expectations are clear and timelines are being met. If hired for this position, I would know my place in working with leaders from clients and I can easily be both cognizant of my approach and have the ability to put my desire to be in the lead aside with them when needed."

With your experience as a Human Resources professional, do you have any niche areas of the field that you'd be most interested in providing consultative services in?

"As you can see from my resume, I have many years of experience as an HR Generalist and Manager where I developed a very broad spectrum of experience across payroll, hiring, performance and HR administration. In the recent four years, I have had a majority of focus in recruitment and retention for management level positions. If I were lucky enough to join the team here at Ceridian, my best areas to work with your clients on would be recruitment and retention of staff. On top of those areas, I still have a great interest in performance management and I bring a great deal of experience in that realm."

As an organization that provides consulting services in Human Resources across many different industries, Ceridian is looking to build a diverse pool of consultants to help clients in the many different areas of HR. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to get a sense of both where most of your experience has been in the field and also where your personal interest falls. Speak openly about both for your interviewer so they can have the best sense possible about where you fit among the needs of the company and their clients.

"Having been an HR professional for over ten years, I feel like I would bring a great amount of experience and knowledge to your clients here at Ceridian. My preferred niche to work in is total rewards, including comp and benefits. I have a multitude of experience in the administration of benefit plans, payroll systems and new compensation policy implementation. I think that this experience would pay off well for clients that are in need of a reset in these areas."

How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

"As an experience professional in project management, I pride myself on my ability to consistently monitor the progress of the project and spot where we may be falling behind on items. At those times, I work closely with the person or individuals assigned to that task to ensure that the job gets back on track. At times, this has involved me intervening and taking care of things that I can or reaching out to other resources for help. Milestones and deadlines are the key to the successful completion of a project and one missed item can create a bad domino effect that pushes a project back. For me, not letting that first fallen domino touch the next is the key to staying on track."

In the world of project management, it is rare that a project goes from the planning stages through to implementation without a hiccup or two along the way. As the manager of the project, you are ultimately responsible for keeping the project on task and your interviewer is looking to hear how you will do that for the clients at Ceridian. One important thing to consider highlighting is your ability to monitor and track progress regularly so the train doesn't get too derailed off the tracks. As well, you can talk about your ability to think on your feet, problem solve and coach others to bring tasks back up to date.

In what ways would our clients here at Ceridian benefit from your knowledge and services?

"As you can see from my resume, I have extensive experience in risk management in the healthcare industry. Having worked with some major players in the industry, your healthcare clients would benefit the most from the experience and solutions I could help provide them. Not to leave other industries out, I think my experience in the healthcare realm will also translate nicely to your clients in other areas of the private sector."

This question is your chance to talk about the unique skills and knowledge that you would bring to Ceridian and that is exactly what your interviewer is looking to hear. In your answer, keep your focus centered on how clients of the organization will benefit from the things that you bring to their table because Ceridian is client focused in all that they do. To be effective with this answer, be sure to do your research on the clients at Ceridian and think about how your experience will be beneficial for them.

"Having worked in accounting and tax law in a few different industries during my career to this point, I also have the unique experience of creating new organizational policies and procedures in my current role. In hearing more about this role, I think this experience would be very beneficial for your clients as I would be helping advise them in their practices and creating new policy would be crucial in that process."

What experience do you have in managing and maintaining different human resource information systems?

"During the ten years that I've been in the HR field, I have extensive working knowledge in the Kronos and Oracle systems. My experience with these systems was focused on the database, time management and employee interface sections of the systems. In my current role, I helped develop and customize the staff interfacing portion of the system and the roll out of that interface went over extremely well. I feel that I am very proficient in learning new systems and I would be a step ahead of my competitors for this position in that aspect. And while I don't have a lot of experience on the payroll and benefits side of the common HRIS systems, learning and becoming proficient in them would not be an issue with new clients."

If hired for this position with Ceridian, you will be working with many different organizations in an HR consulting role. As part of the duties of your job, you'll need to have an extensive working knowledge of different systems and your interviewer will be looking to gain insight to your experience here with this question. In talking about your experience with different systems, make sure that your interviewer gets the sense that you are proficient in learning new systems and that you fully understand that capabilities that HR information systems are capable of.

"Having been in the field for close to 20 years, I feel fortunate to have witnessed to progression of basic payroll systems to the sophisticated tools that modern HRIS systems have become today. Infor, SAP and Workday are the systems that I'm most familiar with. During my career, I've worked in just about every aspect of the systems and I feel very comfortable in my ability to speak to and work on any new system with your clients."

If hired for this position at Ceridian, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

"If I'm fortunate enough to come consult with Ceridian, my ideal project would be working with the leadership staff of a high profile employer on a corporate restructuring project that makes them more efficient and more profitable in a short amount of time. As you can see from my experience, I really thrive when working with high level leaders like CEO's and Presidents on what I would consider my greatest area of expertise."

To fully understand the reasoning behind this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense for what type of work you prefer to do, what your strong points are and where to best position you with clients if hired for the position. Prior to your interview, be sure that you research the clients of Ceridian and the typical projects that are led with them. Make sure your desires align in some aspect of the business and speak openly and honestly about your most desirable project.

"Being passionate about manufacturing and technology, my ideal project would put me face to face working with a team of engineers and production staff to help implement the creation of a life changing product in the medical field. This area of manufacturing involves high cost materials and the need to produce items accurately and efficiently. My project management skills would thrive in this atmosphere."

For our clients here at Ceridian that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?

"Having walked many organizations through some major change processes, one of my top priorities is always communication and transparency to staff. And you really hit the nail on the head with this question that both of these things lead to accountability for the organization. To help facilitate this process, my conversations with leadership would entail details on how to effectively communicate with staff and I'm a firm believer that this should happen from both the highest levels of leadership as well as from direct supervisors and managers of employees. I have experience developing communication strategies and actual presentations for leadership in this realm."

As a consultant to organizations in the midst of a change management process, accountability should be a priority for the leadership team and one of your tasks as the consultant is to help foster this with the entire staff. With accountability comes transparency, so be sure to focus on this aspect in your answer. Talk about why you feel that accountability and transparency are important and how you would make sure that the leaders you work with keep these things at the top of mind during their process.

"In my experience, accountability for an organization during a change process is a tricky line to walk. First, employees want to know what is happening and the reasoning behind it. Second, customers, stakeholder and the general public may desire information as well. Then, you have to factor in what information can be shared for legal and/or competitive reasons and walk the organization through best communicating the changes to everybody. I have a great deal of experience in walking through this process of holding an organization accountable and would love to help the clients of Ceridian do just this."

What do you believe to be the number one quality that most influences the overall customer experience?

"As I've worked in customer service my entire career in retail sales and in dining, I truly believe that the best customer experience is provided by happy and engaged employees. If employees are satisfied with their work and believe in the product that they are selling, they are able to speak to customers intelligently and wisely about the product and they do it with a big smile on their face. This factor is what helps keep customers coming back time and time again."

As a consultant in the customer service arena, you will be considered to be an expert on customer experience and customer satisfaction to the clients that you work with. While this question is certainly open ended, your interviewer is looking to hear that you have passion and belief in your answer because there is indeed no right or wrong answer to this question. Be sure to prepare for your interview ahead of time and be able to speak openly and passionately about what you believe is the most important factor for a satisfied customer.

"I'm a firm believer that a positive customer experience, no matter the business or industry, comes from the basic human need of trust. Any customer of any business is inherently putting their trust in the company, the product and the associate that they are working with that the will receive a quality product and quality service. In projecting this out to those that provide customer service, there are many factors to building trust with customers. Being knowledgeable, being friendly and considering the needs of the customer are of utmost importance to gain trust. These factors are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to building that trust."

If you are hired for this position here at Ceridian, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

"As you can see from my resume, most of my career experience is in the food industry. If fortunate enough to be hired for this position, the biggest area for learning for me would be the finance side of other industries like technology, telecommunications and healthcare. From day one, I would begin by thoroughly research the clients here at Ceridian and speaking with as many industry experts that I know through business networking. While learning the ins and outs of other industries is the biggest learning curve for me, I see it as a great opportunity for me to become more proficient and effective in the work that I'd be doing for you."

For this question, you can showcase your research that you've done on both Ceridian and the role you are interviewing for by being upfront and honest about what you feel would be the biggest learning curve for you if hired for the position and giving your plan for how you would approach this hurdle. In your answer, make sure that you highlight your skills and abilities in making a molehill out of a mountain on your way to success in this role.

"While this may sound funny to you at first, I think the biggest challenge for me from the start will be adapting to the great corporate lifestyle and culture here at Ceridian. When I saw this position being open for applicants and I did my research, I was extremely excited to hear about the flexibility and openness to the ideas of your staff members. I've been working for six years in an environment that is very opposite of an open culture for new ideas and for me personally, it will feel foreign for me to bring new ideas to the team here and have them be accepted."

How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

"I really pride myself on my ability to multitask and my ability to stay organized in key in multitasking. For me personally, organization starts with using technology to my advantage and I do this through the use of my Outlook calendar and tasks functions. I take time each day to update my tasks and project work and use my ability to prioritize tasks to ensure that the right things are being worked on. In looking to bring these skills to long-term project work with your clients, staying organized and on task will be extremely important for the success of both Ceridian and your clients."

Working for Ceridian in the role you are interviewing for will require an innate ability to manage projects from conception to final implementation. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have the ability to maintain organization to meet deadlines and customer expectations. Talk about your personal methods for organizing project work and give any examples that you have of your methods being successful. In the consulting and advisory industry, customer satisfaction and word of mouth are integral to success and growth of a business and effective project management is key in satisfaction.

"In my work, the ability to stay organized and on track comes down to having a plan of attack for each project and keeping track of the plan as milestones are hit. If you are familiar with the program Trello, it really helps me organize all of the components of the projects that I work on and give me the ability to track who is doing what, what deadlines are coming and what milestones have been hit. But even with a great program like this, I always have the ability to re-prioritize due dates and new tasks as needed with any project."

At Ceridian, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?

"In my current role, I work directly under our Chief Financial Officer and sit on a couple of different committees that our Chief Executive Officer is on. Under the direction of my CFO, we have a great working relationship. I am comfortable approaching him at any moment with questions or to bring forward new ideas. He is aware of my strengths and respects my opinions on matters in my wheelhouse, so he never hesitates to come to me with important things. I think the keys to our strong relationship are the respect we show for each other and our open lines of communication."

As a business advisory and consulting firm, Ceridian works with Managers, Directors, CEO's, CFO's, CAO's and leaders with other titles on all of our projects. Your role will likely involve working closely with these leaders. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are comfortable in working with the leadership team of the organization's clients by having you talk about your experience. Make sure that the examples you provide include some details on how you worked effectively to get the job done with the leaders you worked with.

"Throughout my career, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with employees at all levels of the organizations that I've worked with. To me, working effectively with anyone requires a personal touch and a respectful approach. Whether I work with front line sales staff or members of the C-Suite, I take the time to get to know the person, their job and how I can best be of help to them in my role. This approach really helped me build a relationship with a Sales Executive that a few of my colleagues had struck out with in recent interactions."

How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?

"Front line employees are the catalysts for change with just about any organization and I make a point to seek their feedback during the implementation of change processes. Last year, I was working with a large regional retailer that was rolling out new branding and customer service processes. In the weeks following the rollout of the changes, I spend a few days on the road visiting stores and talking to customer service associates. I ensured that the conversations were confidential and frank, making sure that employees knew that any feedback was good feedback. With some of the things I learned, we were able to put forth a couple of important post-implementation change activities. If hired for this position, this would be an important follow-up step with any client that I work with."

Reinforcement is an important factor during the change management process that is often overlooked. Communication is key and while you as the champion of change need to communicate in an effective manner, your collection and analysis of feedback from others is also very important. Explain to your interview why obtaining feedback from others is important and discuss ways that you have done this in the past. Express that this would always be an important process as you work with the clients of Ceridian.

"In my work consulting through change management processes, it is important to solicit feedback from employees both prior to starting a project and during implementation of a project. I have found that soliciting feedback through conversation and/or surveys helps lead to get employees to believe in and feel a part of change management processes. Front-line employees know the processes and how change will impact their processes."

A key component to success here at Ceridian is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

"I am a firm believer that success in any role I've played in my career was due in part to the relationships that I've built in those roles. Whenever I have the chance to work with a new colleague or a new customer, my approach is to create an initial connection with them to build trust. After that point, my interpersonal skills take over through active listening. I use my listening skills to learn about the motivating factors and needs of the person that I will be working with and this helps mold that respect and trust between us even more. I think this approach would be very critical in working with new clients on a regular basis here at Ceridian and I'd love the opportunity to bring these skills to the table for you."

The fast paced world of business consulting requires the ability to build relationship after relationship with all of the clients that you will potentially be working with. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to gain insight into how you build relationships with new people from the first time you interact with them. In your answer, talk about how you gain and build trust with new people and explain how the little things in your initial interactions go a long way toward building long lasting working relationships.

Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

"If hired for this position, one of the first things that you'll learn about me is that I am very driven to succeed in all that I do on the job. For me, personal drive definitely centers around goals and my desire to achieve them. I have the focus to set goals myself and to work towards goals that are set by my organization, my leaders or my customers and I would bring this ability with each client that I work with here at Ceridian."

Success in business consulting is most often measured in the achievement of goals for clients and for this question, your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear that you are driven by goals and that you have the ability to set them as well. In your answer, give your interviewer the sense that you are goal oriented by giving an example or two of a time where you set and worked towards a goal as part of a team effort. Explain your part in the achievement of the goals and your ability to stay focused on the end result.

"I would definitely say that I am goal oriented in the work that I do on a daily basis. In project management, I work off of both time related goals and production related goals and these really drive my daily tasks and my delegation of responsibilities to other team members. If given the opportunity to come work for Ceridian, my clients would greatly benefit from my ability to both set and achieve goals with them."

A career move to a consultant with Ceridian may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?

"Looking back at the 12 years of project management experience that I have, the most challenging project I led was about five years ago. The challenge started from the beginning when I was tasked with improving waste efficiency at one of my organizations warehouses. At the time, I was not very well versed in warehouse operations, so I took the time to research and talk to experts within my organization to start the brainstorming process. The high level leader that tasked me with the project didn't really do a great job of defining any end goals for me and those are really important in planning for a project. So I scheduled several follow up meetings with him to define more specific goals for the project. In the end, I assembled a great team of experts that ended up reducing costly waste by almost 80% in our operation."

No matter what challenge you choose to discuss during your answer to this question, keep in mind that your interviewer is mostly looking to hear how you handled yourself during a time when you were pushed to your limits. In your answer, discuss the importance of being resourceful and team oriented and talk about how these things helped lead to success in the project. Also, be sure that your interviewer walks away from the interview knowing that you are willing and able to tackle any challenge in front of you.

"I'd have to say that the most challenging project I have faced during my career was a project that assembled team members from different departments within a manufacturing plant operation. During the planning and kickoff process where we all met together, I got the sense that things would run smoothly and cohesively and was I ever wrong. As I monitored progress, I quickly noticed that we were getting off schedule on initial deadlines. In communicating out to team members, it became evident that internal communication at this plant was a struggle. As some team members told me in person that there was a lot of internal strife between some of the departments, I decided to call a project meeting to discuss my expectations for communications while also holding a team building exercise. I made it a priority to clear the air right away that bickering and childish behavior would not be tolerated and that we were all working toward a common goal that benefited everyone. Following that, the team building activity really helped make some eyes open up to who people were really working with. By taking the bull by the horns and putting people in an uncomfortable situation, a difficult situation turned into a team that accomplished a major task with ease and teamwork."

Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?

"As you can see from my resume, I've been in corporate training and education for over ten years. In my current role, I have to use similar techniques working with different departments to try and tailor programs that meet their specific needs. I feel that my current approach of hosting an intake meeting with leaders would be effective in a consulting role with external customers. The current intake meetings that I lead are an opportunity for me to ask questions and learn as much as I can about my customers. In turn, it is an opportunity for me to lay the groundwork for the project and set expectations. Do you see this as an effective approach for this role?"

Ceridian contracts with businesses in different industries for their services and it is likely that your job would require you to learn the fine details of each business that you would work with. Demonstrate your ability to be flexible by giving examples of times you've had to do this during your career. As well, describe the approach that you would take to get the know the businesses you would be working with so you can apply your knowledge and expertise toward helping them.

"Having worked in quality roles for most of my career in both the private and public sectors, I think my career experiences have shaped me well for this role. Transitioning to a consultative role would definitely be a transition for me and the biggest transition will be this need to work in many different industries. For me, researching clients, their business and their industry will be the first step to my approach in learning about them. I want to make a great first impression when I am face to face with a new client and that first impression starts with my knowledge. Then, my openness and ability to communicate would take over when I am working directly with clients. I know the right questions to ask for laying out quality initiative projects and I know the right things to educate clients on."

HR is a continually changing field in every industry. If hired here at Ceridian, how would you ensure that you stay up on new trends in the field to best help our clients that span across multiple industries?

"As you can see from my resume, my career in HR has been centered around the customer service and retails industries and I fully realize that this opportunity will have me working with clients in a wide plethora of industries. As an active member of SHRM and a regular attendee of local and national HR conferences, I have built a great network of colleagues across many industries that I could use as a resource to get me up to speed on a new industry like manufacturing. I also subscribe and also have been a contributor to HR Magazine and I know that will be a great resource as well as I look to learn and grow in new industries in this role."

Human Resources job duties and functions can have different nuances based on the industry that HR professionals work in. As you look to transition into a role on the consulting side of the business, you will need to be adaptive and up to speed on trends for each particular industry. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are able to use different resources to ensure that you can just as effective in your consulting to the healthcare field as you can be to the manufacturing industry. As well, your interviewer will be paying close attention to your openness to learning the HR side of industries that you haven't worked with in the past.

"With my experience in the healthcare and mining industries on the east coast, I feel like I would come to Ceridian with a very well-rounded knowledge and experience base to succeed in this role from the start. Knowing I would have to be a continual learner in this role, I would jump at any opportunity for continuing education to help me stay on top of new happenings in the HR field. Up to this point in my career, continuing ed credits have been vital to helping me gain more knowledge that I've used on the job."

For our clients here at Ceridian, we are brought in as consultant project managers that are working with unfamiliar teams of people. What leadership style would you bring to our clients that would be effective and efficient with our clients?

"My leadership style in a team setting is a good mix between a democratic and a coaching style. I'm a believer that gaining consensus on team decisions helps boost morale and vision within a team and I love facilitating team meetings in that style. I want to make sure that all have their voices heard and have a chance to weigh in on important decisions. Then, when necessary, I use my experience and knowledge to help develop and coach members of the team."

Successful project managers are able to bring a leadership style to their teams that both inspires and motivates them to work cohesively and efficiently. In a consultant role with Ceridian, the need to have an effective leadership style is compounded by the fact that you will be working with clients across many different businesses and industries. This elevates the need to have an effective leadership style. No matter how you answer this question, try to highlight your ability to inspire teams to work in a cohesive and efficient manner.

"As you can see from my resume, I've had extensive leadership training. Through my years of experience as a project manager, I have developed the ability to cater my leadership style to the individuals and teams that I work with. I can be the pacesetter on a team that needs motivation and I can easily switch to the harmonizing leader when needed to build a team based atmosphere. My ability to be flexible with those that I work with has certainly contributed to my successes as a project manager and I'd love to bring this ability to the clients of Ceridian"

What HRIS systems have you worked with and which do you prefer? Why?

"In my most recent position, we used Workday and I'm very impressed with its capabilities and how it's support the success of the HR team since its implementation. Prior to Workday, they used PeopleSoft and it was incredibly dated and inefficient from a technology standpoint. The change was made to move to Workday and once I had the chance to learn about it, its capabilities, and how it would support our internal client groups, I was incredibly excited. As someone who is very passionate about their work, making Workday a success was critical. Change can be tough for some, but because it was such a welcome change, there was very little resistance and we achieved a smooth rollout."

To prepare for this question, do some research about the company prior to your interview. You should be able to figure out which HRIS the company uses and how you've used it in the past. In your answer, be sure to provide an example of why you prefer the system you do and how it's helped a company or team you've worked for to be more efficient and effective. If you haven't used it, do some research about the system and tell the interviewer what you like about it. If you truly aren't a fan of what they're using, tell them about what you like most and why as they may be open to change, but in this situation, explain that your job would be to make the current system more efficient.

"I've only worked with PeopleSoft as I'm still relatively new to the field, but I've found inefficiencies in the system, including in the reporting functions. I've also found it's not as user friendly as some systems my colleagues have spoken about and some that I've researched. If I had to pick a favorite based on research, I'd say ADP would be it. ADP has been in the field for such a long time and understand how it has transformed. It seems that their systems have transformed with it and they've created user dashboards that are appealing, user friendly, and cover everything my internal clients would need. Myself and others have recommended it to the higher-ups in the company, but they aren't willing to make the investment at this time. Regardless, we're working with what we have to make it better and allow our internal clients to have the functionalities they need to better perform their jobs."

Ceridian Corporation Interview Questions

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1. Tell me about an improvement you made to a company's HRIS and how that helped the company.
2. Describe an HR module you have implemented end-to-end and how you went about doing it?
3. Where have you seen common failures or breakdowns in customer service and how would you address these issues with the clients here at Ceridian?
4. Out of all the options in the technical world, why did you choose to work in the HR tech space?
5. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?
6. Being successful in consulting and working here at Ceridian requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?
7. With your experience as a Human Resources professional, do you have any niche areas of the field that you'd be most interested in providing consultative services in?
8. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline
9. In what ways would our clients here at Ceridian benefit from your knowledge and services?
10. What experience do you have in managing and maintaining different human resource information systems?
11. If hired for this position at Ceridian, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?
12. For our clients here at Ceridian that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?
13. What do you believe to be the number one quality that most influences the overall customer experience?
14. If you are hired for this position here at Ceridian, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?
15. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?
16. At Ceridian, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?
17. How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?
18. A key component to success here at Ceridian is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?
19. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?
20. A career move to a consultant with Ceridian may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?
21. Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?
22. HR is a continually changing field in every industry. If hired here at Ceridian, how would you ensure that you stay up on new trends in the field to best help our clients that span across multiple industries?
23. For our clients here at Ceridian, we are brought in as consultant project managers that are working with unfamiliar teams of people. What leadership style would you bring to our clients that would be effective and efficient with our clients?
24. What HRIS systems have you worked with and which do you prefer? Why?

Ceridian Corporation Interview Questions

1. Tell me about an improvement you made to a company's HRIS and how that helped the company.

2. Describe an HR module you have implemented end-to-end and how you went about doing it?

3. Where have you seen common failures or breakdowns in customer service and how would you address these issues with the clients here at Ceridian?

4. Out of all the options in the technical world, why did you choose to work in the HR tech space?

5. Talk about a time that you successfully educated another individual or group in your area of expertise. What made your educational experience effective?

6. Being successful in consulting and working here at Ceridian requires the ability to work effectively with Type A personalities. What are your experiences in working with this personality and how did you make the relationships a success?

7. With your experience as a Human Resources professional, do you have any niche areas of the field that you'd be most interested in providing consultative services in?

8. How do you get back on track when a schedule falls behind so you don't miss important milestone deadline

9. In what ways would our clients here at Ceridian benefit from your knowledge and services?

10. What experience do you have in managing and maintaining different human resource information systems?

11. If hired for this position at Ceridian, what would be the ideal project for you to lead?

12. For our clients here at Ceridian that are working through a change management project, accountability is of utmost importance for the entire organization. How would you help ensure accountability from the leadership team?

13. What do you believe to be the number one quality that most influences the overall customer experience?

14. If you are hired for this position here at Ceridian, what do you think the biggest hurdle for you would be from the start?

15. How do you stay organized and on track when working on a long-term project?

16. At Ceridian, you will have the opportunity to work with high level executives and leaders from the companies we contract with. What experience do you have in working with people at these levels?

17. How would you solicit feedback from people during the change management process and why is obtaining feedback important?

18. A key component to success here at Ceridian is building solid relationships with new clients. How do you effectively get to know new people and lay the groundwork for a long lasting relationship?

19. Would you say that you are a goal oriented person on the job? Why would you say that?

20. A career move to a consultant with Ceridian may find you working on new challenges that you haven't faced during your career. What's been the most challenging project you've led up to this point in your career?

21. Being successful in the consulting industry requires adaptability and the ability to learn a business fast. What would be your approach to help you learn the ins and outs of a new client?

22. HR is a continually changing field in every industry. If hired here at Ceridian, how would you ensure that you stay up on new trends in the field to best help our clients that span across multiple industries?

23. For our clients here at Ceridian, we are brought in as consultant project managers that are working with unfamiliar teams of people. What leadership style would you bring to our clients that would be effective and efficient with our clients?

24. What HRIS systems have you worked with and which do you prefer? Why?