1. Tell us how do you check for errors in your work?
Attending to and completing all the details results in accuracy. Give examples of when you have addressed mistakes in your or other people's work. Focus on following the correct procedures to complete a task and check your work.
2. Please tell me what are your communication skills like?
Say that they are very good and that you can communicate well face-to-face, on the telephone and via the Internet on email. Tell us about a time in your professional career when you went out of your way to complete a task for someone else
Hopefully, you have some real experiences - but you may have forgotten them by now. Think back and try to recall a time that you may have helped somebody when they were under pressure or off sick.
3. Explain me do you enjoy meeting new people and interacting with customers?
Meeting people and speaking to customers is often a vital part of being an administrator. Say that you enjoy talking to people and that interaction with other people is often what makes the work most interesting.
4. Explain me about time management in relation to the job of an office assistant?
Time management is crucial for any office assistant, who successfully coordinates and carries out many tasks simultaneously. Office assistants are often actively involved in managing the time of other office staff and managers. To be able to do that one must be able to manage his/her own time.
5. Can you explain me why do you want to be an administrative assistant?
Chances are you will be asked this question, especially if you are switching careers and haven't had a job like this before. Think about the benefits of the actual position. You can go into why you want to work for the specific company in other questions.
“I am one of those people who really enjoys being super organized and finding ways to balance my time, which is why I started looking into become an administrative assistant. Actually, you can find me in my free time reorganizing my house and trying to discover the most efficient ways to maximize my time. Also,I truly enjoy making others happy and helping them succeed and I feel like this type of role would fit in with my personality.”
6. Tell us how would you react if you felt you were being pushed too far at work?
If pushed too far you would consider speaking to your manager about workloads and expectations and try to resolve the situation.
7. Explain me how you handled correspondence at your previous work experience?
I used to receive fax, mail and couriers with signing the receipts and maintaining an organized record of each respectively. I used to sort and distribute all incoming or outgoing mail to the relevant departments and executives. It also included maintaining printers and fax machines for retrievals as well as routing incoming fax and also guiding others on how to use the specialized machines for sending fax.
8. Tell me what do you consider your administrative strengths?
When describing your past experience focus on the aspects that directly apply to the job you are interviewing for. Consider the needs of the organization and relate your skills and abilities to these. Carefully study the job description or posting to determine what the employer is looking for and outline how your previous work experience has equipped you for this job.
9. Can you tell me how do you deal with authority?
Say that you deal with authority as you deal with customers - with integrity, professionalism and politeness.
10. What are your future your goals as Office Administrator?
I gradually want to reach at a managerial level where I would be able to utilize my experiences and talents for the growth of company.
11. Can you explain me what office-related software are you proficient with?
An office assistant is able to use various standard communication software, such as – emailing tools, Messenger, and Skype. Moreover, he/she is able to type and be proficient in Word, Office, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.
12. Please tell us how do you feel about multitasking at work?
Multitasking is a necessary part of an administration job, so say that you enjoy multitasking and the challenge of ensuring that multiple functions and jobs are completed accurately and on time is part of what motivates you in your work.
13. Can you tell me what do you think your previous boss would say about you?
Your relationship with your boss will be very important as an administrative assistant. Think of any specific times you went above and beyond to help your previous employer.
“In addition to being told that I'm super organized, I'm confident that my former boss would tell you that I am one of the hardest workers they have had as an administrative assistant. You could always find me staying late to make sure everything has been completed and I would sometimes come in on the weekends if necessary. Also, I was often praised for my ability to handle multiple presentations at once and was recognized by the corporate office for my reporting skills.”
14. Explain a typical day and the range of responsibilities in your previous job?
An office manager helps to keep the office running. This could include managing schedules, making phone calls, ordering supplies, getting coffee, assisting with meetings, etc. Office managers generally embody a variety of roles in your organization-so use this question to see how the candidate juggles all these responsibilities.
15. Please explain how do you manage deadlines?
I have a track record of meeting deadlines. If I find that I cannot manage a deadline in advance, I work extra unpaid hours to work towards it. In fact, I have not missed a single deadline yet!
16. Explain me something about your previous experience as an administrative assistant?
There were several tasks which I performed including taking phone calls, directing visitors to the right departments, taking minutes of meetings, assisting in procurement of supplies and equipment and, managing correspondence and mail.
17. Explain me about a time when you had to adapt quickly to a new procedure or policy?
An administrative assistant has to provide support to a number of different people under a number of different circumstances. Your ability to adjust successfully to different individuals and task requirements is very important. Provide specific examples of when you had to adjust your approach and behavior in different situations.
18. Explain me are you able to use any relevant software packages?
If you have experience, mention the packages you have used. If not, get some training in the most important packages before your interview. Ask your recruitment consultant what are the best packages to learn.
19. Tell us who Do You Admire Most and Why?
“The why is typically much more important than the whom,” Sarikas says. “So identify someone who has qualities you admire or has done something you aspire to do, and clearly articulate the specific reasons you admire that person. Avoid someone who could be controversial, if at all possible.”
With more businesses focusing on culture and fit, this question allows interviewers to see if your values mesh with the company's.
20. Explain me a situation where you were able to help out a colleague or team member?
Administrative assistants have to work effectively as part of a team or group. Your answers should highlight your ability to build relationships with other group members and show how you contribute to team success.
21. Tell us how do you handle a particularly busy day and still manage to run a smooth office?
At times work can be quite demanding and 8 working hours seems too little. However, I have learned that if you prioritize your work, you can manage even the busiest day with a lot of ease.
It depends on the duration of the call. If it is a 5 minute call each, 9 to 11. If it is a route/transfer call, 30 to 40. A mixture goes well, repetition of the same kind of telephone calls for example applicants interview scheduling calls can become notorious at times
23. Please explain do you have any skills such as shorthand/touch typing?
Ideally, you will be able to touch type well, so say yes to this. Shorthand is a dying art and fewer people are learning how to do this well. If you have the opportunity to learn it, then do so, because some managers like their administrators to be able to take down shorthand.
24. Explain what experience do you have in administrator roles?
Here is your chance to run through all of your experience. Be concise and if you have done multiple roles, mention something specific for each one. Show that you have a lot of experience and are flexible.
Aside from prior experience in the field, an office manager should also research your company and come into the interview with an idea of how things work there. As one of the top office manager interview questions, this should paint a picture of how the candidate operated in a previous role.
I enjoy travelling. It will be my pleasure to travel for official work.
27. Tell us what do you think your duties will be in this insurance office manager position?
I spent six months as an insurance office manager with my last company, so I have an idea of what my duties will be from that and from the job description. From what I understand, I will be tasked with managing client records, maintaining the work facilities and giving administrative assistance to the management team as needed. I may also have to answer phones and help clients set up new policies or change existing policies. Thankfully, I have the organizational, computer and communication skills needed to succeed at these duties.
I would definitely welcome such a great opportunity.
I am fairly computer capable. I have had to use computers throughout all of my past positions, so I was able to gain some familiarity with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Access and Publisher. I can also use various management, scheduling and rating systems. I am not sure exactly what programs I will be expected to use in this insurance office manager position, but I am a quick learner and feel confident I will be able to master the programs in a short time.
Again, how smoothly does this candidate deal with transitions in the workplace? Ask the candidate to provide an example of where he or she successfully implemented a new procedure in a past role with a company.
31. Top 10 Office Administrator Job Interview Questions:
1. Do you consider yourself a patient person?
2. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are you more outgoing or a private person?
3. How do you describe your personality? Bubbly? Upbeat? Reserved?
4. Do you speak any other languages?
5. Are you able to multitask? Provide me with an example of what you might be juggling on an average day.
6. What office equipment are you able to use?
7. With your current employer, what has been your attendance record?
8. How are you with understanding accents and working with individuals who are foreign nationals?
9. How do you handle stressful situations?
10. How many phone lines are you comfortable handling?
32. Sample Office Administrator Job Interview Questions:
☛ What computer programs are you most familiar with?
☛ What is your average typing speed per minute?
☛ How do you keep yourself organized?
☛ How comfortable are you handling multiple phone calls on multiple phone lines at once?
☛ How are your math skills?
☛ How are your written communication skills?
☛ You are asked to organize a meeting. What steps do you take to ensure everyone attends?
☛ What do you consider to be the most important skill for an office manager?
☛ Are there any tasks you are not comfortable performing?
☛ Tell me about a time you gave outstanding customer service.
☛ Tell me about a time you made a mistake with your customer service.
☛ How do you keep track of [items, documents, stock, etc.]?
☛ Are you comfortable taking orders from multiple supervisors and associates?
☛ How comfortable are you dealing with confidential information?
☛ There may be times that you are asked to provide help for projects outside of your job description. Are you comfortable providing assistance where needed, even if you have not ben trained?
33. Professional Office Administrator Job Interview Questions:
☛ Tell me about your previous work experience as an administrative support person.
☛ What were your primary responsibilities?
☛ Tell me about a complex project you were tasked with completing under deadline.
☛ Talk about a project that you were particularly proud of managing.
☛ What sort of reporting structure did you work within in your previous admin jobs?
☛ What type of interactions did you have with other departments?
☛ What has been your experience in working with clients and vendors?
☛ Have you had to interact with the general public?
☛ Tell me about your computer skills.
☛ What technologies are you an expert with using?
☛ What other technologies have you utilized in your admin work?
☛ What type of documents and formats have you generated in the past?
☛ What have you done at your present/last company to increase revenues, reduce costs, or save time?
☛ What makes you a great fit for this position?
☛ What do you know about our company and products?
☛ What type of schedule are you looking to work?
☛ Would you be available to work extra hours if needed?
34. Operational and Situational Office Administrator Job Interview Questions:
☛ Which departments did you support at your current/previous job? How did you support them?
☛ If you report to multiple people, how do you prioritize your projects?
☛ What were the most common administrative tasks you executed at your previous job?
☛ Recall a time you had to consult your supervisor for advice or support.
☛ What software programs do you use on a daily basis?
☛ What tools do you use to stay organized?
☛ Provide examples of spreadsheets you've had to create in Excel.
☛ How would you rate your skills on preparing presentations?
☛ How did your current/previous team handle expense reports?
☛ Describe your experience with calendar management.
☛ Recall a time you worked with a team to complete a project under a tight deadline.
☛ Recall a time you had to communicate with a client or senior manager on behalf of your boss.
☛ In what ways have you contributed to improving efficiency at work?
☛ Who would you consider your most challenging customer? (Internal or external)
☛ Recall a time you had to resolve a problem with a difficult colleague. How do you handle it?
☛ How important is it to “manage up”?
35. Basic Office Administrator Job Interview Questions:
☛ Can you describe a typical day(week) in this department?
☛ What are the responsibilities of this position?
☛ What are the strengths in this department? What are the weaknesses?
☛ What would your past assistants say was the best part of working for you? What would they say was the worst?
☛ What direction do you see the company going in the next five years? Do you feel that there are any threats to its success?
☛ Why did your last assistant leave the position? What were his/her strengths? What were his/her weaknesses? What is he/she doing now?
☛ What characteristics did your best assistant have? What about your worst assistant?
☛ How often are performance reviews performed? Who conducts them?
☛ What skills are most important to you in an administrative assistant?
☛ How do you reward and encourage the people who work in your department?
☛ Are there any ongoing production issues in this department?
☛ How have you dealt with personnel problems in the past?
☛ What are some of the biggest challenges for a person in this position?
☛ What is the most rewarding aspect of this position, in your opinion?
☛ Do you (Does the company/department) support memberships in professional associations, and continuing professional development?
☛ What would you describe as the role of the administrative staff in this office?
☛ Are overtime or weekend hours expected?
☛ What do you like most about working for this company? Are there changes you would make?
☛ What do you like least about working here?
☛ Do you encourage the department to work as a team, or concentrate more on individual contributions?
