Interview Questions for Clerical Positions

Prioritizing Work

What system for prioritizing your work do you think works best?
Give me an example of a time when you had to juggle several things at once. How often did this type of thing happen? How did you handle it?
Have you ever had a situation when several people gave you assignments due around the same time? How did you decide what order to do them? Was that a successful approach to take?

Business Writing/Editing

When typing, what kinds of mistakes can you catch quickly and correct for the original writer?
When typing a document, which things do you feel comfortable changing without needing to check with the one who has assigned you the work? Which do you feel necessary to ask about before changing or rewriting?
What type of letters, memos, etc., can you set-up or write “from scratch.”
How much writing have you done from incomplete instructions or notes? Give me some examples, please.
What formats or form letters have you had experience working with?

Career Goals

What are some of the positive things about working in the clerical field?
How are you keeping up with the changes in software, technology, etc.?
What are your ultimate career goals? How are you going about reaching them?
What does “service” mean to you in this field?
What keeps you challenged, as a clerical or administrative support person? Is it enough?

Handling Clerical Pressure

Give me a recent example of a situation you have faced when the “pressure was on” and tell me what happened as a result and how you handled it.
How often have you had to deal with others’ frustrations? Give me an example of how you handled an upset person.
What is the busiest recent work situation you have worked under? How did you like it compared to other work situations? When did it become too busy? How did you cope?
How tight are the deadlines you have faced? Give me an example of a tight deadline you’ve faced recently.
In past work situations, when have you felt most overwhelmed by work pressures? How did you react?
Have you ever had a situation when someone was pressuring you for his or her work to be completed? How did you handle it?

Independence and Initiative

How have you organized your typical workday?
Give me an example of a complex assignment you have accomplished on your own. How did you get it started? Why did you set it up that way?
What amount of supervision do you feel most comfortable working under? Why?
What have you done when you have had “down” time at work?
How much training and guidance did you receive in past jobs?
What sort of directions do you want from a supervisor? Do you like detailed instructions or would you rather just know the highlights? Do you want them in writing?
What is a creative idea or change you’ve successfully put to work in a recent assignment?

Internal Relations

Give me an example of the kind of thing you have had to keep confidential. When was it most difficult to keep that confidence?
Which sort of manager (tenant, co-worker) do you find hardest to work with? What did they do that bothered you?
Give me an example of a recent conflict situation with a co-worker that you were involved in. What was your part in it?

Organization

How did you change a system or procedures you worked under in your last job?
What were your responsibilities for ordering supplies? How did you keep track of that responsibility?
What have you done that has organized others?
One of our biggest problems has always been keeping track of_________. What suggestions do you have for improving this?
What is the most technical assignment you have had to organize? What part of it was easiest/most difficult for you?

Attention to Detail

Walk me through how you set up and complete an assignment. What were the most important trouble spots you anticipated?
Have you had assignments that had many tiny details? Give me an example.
Do you enjoy proofreading or correcting other’s work? Why or why not?

Assertiveness

Have you had to “speak up” recently to your boss or others who gave you work when it wasn’t comfortable to do so?
Have you had people who gave you assignments without complete instructions? How did you handle it? Please give a recent example.
Have you ever had a situation when you found mistakes on an assignment someone else gave you (to type, process, etc.)? What did you do about it?