“I am going to describe a situation, and you will tell me how you would handle it.” This sentence comes up in many HR interviews, from HR officer to HRBP roles. The case study may be given orally, in a few minutes, or handed out in writing with preparation time. There is almost never a single answer: the panel observes your method, your knowledge of the legal framework and the way you treat people. This article explains why HR interviews include a case, offers a method for structuring your answer, then works through three classic cases: a conflict between an employee and their manager, an urgent recruitment and a request for mutual termination.
Why HR interviews include a case
Seeing reasoning in action
A CV and questions about your background show what you have done. A case shows how you think when facing a situation you are discovering. For an HR role, where much of the work consists of handling unexpected situations, it is a very telling test.
Checking knowledge of the framework
Many cases contain a legal trap: a procedure to follow, a deadline, a particular protection. The panel checks that you spot it, without expecting you to recite the Labour Code.
Observing your stance
The panel also listens to how you talk about people: the employee, the manager, employee representatives. A candidate who proposes a sanction before hearing both sides, or who carries out the manager’s request without questioning it, sends a negative signal. If you are preparing for a business partner role, our article on HRBP interview questions develops this point.
It is not a consulting case
Consulting firms also use cases, but of a very different kind: market sizing, profitability diagnosis, strategic recommendation, as shown by the profitability case in consulting interviews 🔗. An HR case is about people, a legal framework and an organisation; it is prepared differently.
The method for structuring your answer
Step 1: rephrase and ask questions
Start by rephrasing the situation in one sentence, then ask two or three questions that would change your answer: the employee’s length of service, the presence of employee representatives, existing written records, company size, real urgency. The panel appreciates candidates who do not rush in. If they do not answer, state your own assumptions.
Step 2: identify what is at stake
Name what is at stake: the person (health, rights, dignity), the team (climate, organisation), the company (legal risk, image, business continuity). This simple breakdown shows that you see the situation as a whole.
Step 3: propose an action plan
Describe what you would do, in order: whom you meet, what information you check, which options you propose, which framework you respect. Distinguish the immediate (this week) from what follows.
Step 4: conclude with a recommendation
End with a reasoned choice, even a provisional one. A panel prefers a clear recommendation with conditions (“if the facts are confirmed, then…”) to a list of options with no decision.
Step 5: say how you would follow up
One sentence on follow-up (a check-in after a month, an indicator, feedback to the manager) shows that you do not consider the file closed after the first decision.
Case 1: conflict between an employee and their manager
The brief
An employee in an administrative department comes to see you: she says her manager speaks to her rudely in front of colleagues and is gradually taking her files away. She is considering sick leave. The manager, for her part, has already told you that this employee “is no longer doing her job”.
What the panel observes
Your ability to listen to both parties without taking sides, to spot a possible risk of harassment or distress at work, and to propose a method.
A structured answer
- Listen to the employee in a confidential setting, noting precise facts (dates, words, witnesses) rather than impressions. Tell her about the available resources: occupational health, employee representatives.
- Qualify the situation: is it a disagreement about work, clumsy management or facts that could amount to moral harassment? In the latter case, the employer has a duty of prevention and must launch an internal investigation following the planned procedure.
- Meet the manager separately, to hear her version and the facts behind her judgement of the employee’s work.
- Propose an appropriate next step: mediation, resetting objectives and the distribution of files, support for the manager, or an investigation if the facts warrant it.
- Follow up: a check-in with each of them a few weeks later, attention to the employee’s health.
The mistake to avoid
Calling the two people in together on the first day, or concluding too quickly that one of them is right. The panel expects a step-by-step approach.
Case 2: an urgent recruitment
The brief
The director of a warehouse calls you: his night team leader is resigning, the notice period ends in three weeks, and he “wants someone for Monday”. He asks you to go straight to an agency.
What the panel observes
Your ability to scope a need under pressure, propose several solutions and protect the quality of the hire.
A structured answer
- Take a short but precise brief: the real duties of the role, essential skills, working hours, pay, reasons for the departure. Our article on writing a job description details these questions.
- Separate the emergency from the long-term hire: to ensure continuity, consider an interim team leader, temporary cover by a colleague or a negotiated extension of the notice period.
- Explore internal solutions: an experienced operator ready to step up, a team leader from another site. Internal mobility is often faster and better accepted.
- Launch external recruitment in parallel: a targeted ad, direct approach, and an agency only if the profile is rare or the budget allows.
- Set a realistic timetable with the director and stick to it: structured interviews with him, a quick decision.
The mistake to avoid
Agreeing to recruit “anyone for Monday”. The panel expects you to secure the business without sacrificing the quality of the permanent hire. To go deeper into the stages of a recruitment, read our article on recruiter interview questions.
Case 3: a request for mutual termination
The brief
A salesperson with six years’ service and good reviews asks for a mutual termination (rupture conventionnelle) to join a competitor. He is an elected member of the CSE works council. His manager agrees, “to avoid a confrontational resignation”.
What the panel observes
Your knowledge of the procedure, your ability to spot the protected status and your thinking about the company’s interests.
A structured answer
- Recall the principle: a mutual termination is an agreement, and neither party is obliged to accept it. The company may refuse.
- Spot the key point: the employee is an elected CSE member, and therefore protected. The agreement will not be approved through the usual procedure but submitted for authorisation by the labour inspector, after consulting the CSE, and TéléRC cannot be used.
- Analyse the company’s interest: departure to a competitor, a possible non-compete clause, the cost of the payment, the alternative of a resignation with notice. A mutual termination is not always the best option for the employer.
- If the agreement goes ahead, secure the procedure: meetings, assistance, calculation of the payment, withdrawal period, authorisation request, an end date compatible with the inspector’s decision.
- Anticipate what follows: handover of client files, replacement, communication to the team.
The mistake to avoid
Treating the file as an ordinary mutual termination and forgetting the mandate. Our article on mutual termination as seen by HR details the procedure and its special cases.
Preparing your CV alongside your cases
Every case you have experienced in a job or internship is a potential line on your CV. The HR officer CV example shows how to describe these situations, and our article on the choice between HR generalist and specialist helps you position your profile. When your lines are ready, create your CV for free: the editor takes care of the layout, and the file stays readable by ATS, which ensures you make it to the interview where these cases will be put to you.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a case study last in an HR interview?
Orally, often ten to twenty minutes, with a few minutes to think. In writing, the case may come with an hour of preparation or be sent a few days before the interview.
Should you quote Labour Code articles?
Not necessarily. It is better to show that you know the rule and its practical consequences. A precise reference can be a plus, provided it is correct.
What if you do not know the applicable rule?
Say so, and explain how you would check it: legal department, collective agreement, labour inspectorate, lawyer. The panel appreciates a candidate who can recognise the limits of their knowledge.
Is the case study the same for a recruiter role?
Cases for recruitment roles tend to focus on a brief, a candidate selection, a negotiation or a process to improve. The method for answering remains the same.