One of the most commonly asked hr interview questions that can take you by surprise is a conversational one – “What are your hobbies?” – Hobbies are seen as markers of a balanced person who is adept at juggling personal and professional well-being. Hiring managers will ask you this question to know if you have avenues to de-stress outside of work and channelize extra energy! In this blog, we have compiled some best-fit situation-wise answers to help you prepare confidently for this ice-breaking interview question.

Pick from these ready-to-use answers to the HR interview question ‘What are your hobbies?’. Speak about your hobbies and things that make you happy! Your enthusiasm will surely infect the interviewer.

Sample Answer #1

I have only one hobby. Yet, it consumes all my free time. I enjoy reading and have always been a voracious reader. Although I prefer reading fiction, I make a deliberate effort to read at least one non-fiction book in a couple of months. My first book was “Famous Five Go to Kirrin Island” at the age of ten. What I truly treasure about my hobby is its power to transport me to different locations whilst I’m still on my couch. It is a low budget travel option that I often take!  Recently, I started attending book club meetings. It’s a group of 15 individuals and we meet on the third Sunday, every month to discuss books that we have read in that month. It’s wonderful how a few lines can have so many varied interpretations, and can give rise to a multitude of emotions and opinions. My hobby has made me develop analytical thinking and open-mindedness. Reading has also broadened my imagination across horizons. I wouldn’t possibly trade it for anything else, ever!

Sample Answer #2

I absolutely love cooking. I can merrily state that my kitchen is my playground in every sense! My mother has always been a wonderful cook, and I feel she is my inspiration. I have seen her prepare scrumptious meals for hundreds of guests in a few hours! Honestly, I find cooking very therapeutic and look forward to planning my meals every day. Besides, my family and friends have always been very patient and supportive, and happily turn into guinea pigs for my experimental recipes! It’s only due to their encouragement and constructive criticism that I’ve gotten better at my hobby. Other than cooking, I like watching lifestyle channels and food shows. I also maintain a journal in which I keep jotting down my recipes from time to time and I might publish it someday!

Sample Answer #3

My hobbies are playing board games and solving all kinds of puzzles. Of the two, I spend most of my free time bent over a puzzle, like a jigsaw, general trivia, logic, cryptic, or even a Sudoku or crossword puzzle. On my 9th birthday, I remember receiving a Rubik’s cube and a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. That’s when this hobby got triggered. Over the years, I have realized that a tough puzzle can easily take anything between a few hours to a month to solve! There is always a table in my house adorned with an unfinished puzzle. In retrospect, this hobby has been a great teacher. I have acquired patience, consistent effort, planning, perseverance and observation due to my hobby. At the end of the day my motto in life is inspired by my love for puzzles – ‘have faith, all shall fall in place!’ Interestingly, even the Queen of England lists puzzles as one of her hobbies. That makes my hobby a royal one!