Hiring Guide
Administrative Assistant
Specific duties of an Administrative Assistant can vary from business to business — along with factors like company culture, work environment, and team dynamics — it’s vital to tailor any job description and interview content to your company’s needs and expectations.
Hiring Guide: Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant interview templates
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Why you should hire an Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistants provide clerical support for an office or executive, ensuring that the company's operations run smoothly and efficiently. They assist with day-to-day operations and can greatly improve productivity for your business.
In this hiring guide, we'll provide everything you need to hire a great Administrative Assistant.
Top 12 skills for Administrative Assistants
Administrative
Service Orientation
Technical
Solving Problems and Supporting Others
Sample Administrative Assistant job description
Administrative Assistants are responsible for clerical and administrative tasks to maintain the overall flow of organizational operations. They coordinate the distribution of information internally and externally through addressing inquiries, directing phone calls or emails, scheduling meetings and maintaining record-keeping systems. Performing this role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and collaboration within and across departments to achieve organizational goals.
Sample interview questions for Administrative Assistants
Question 1
Describe a time you improved an aspect of the office document management system to support efficiency in business operations. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to develop and maintain an organized and effective document management system
Answer tips
- Describes the context and identifies why an improvement to the system was needed
- Clearly explains the improvements they made to the system
- Elaborates on the problems their improvements solved
- Explains how they introduced/communicated the new system to their colleagues
- Discusses any best practices for effective document management
Question 2
Imagine you are asked to contact vendors for an event and research suppliers for office supplies. You also have to answer calls, reply to emails and provide support to office visitors. How do you prioritize these tasks?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to prioritize competing demands and tasks on a daily basis
Answer tips
- Distinguishes between important tasks and urgent tasks
- Considers the time and value of each task (deadlines, business impact, etc.)
- Shares examples of prioritizing from past experience
- Elaborates on an effective prioritizing system for administrative tasks
