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Administrative Officer Interview Questions

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  1. What administrative software are you familiar with using? See answer
  2. What management style do you prefer? See answer
  3. How do you prioritise work when you are given multiple tasks at once?  See answer
  4. What steps do you take to stay organised? See answer
  5. Can you explain how you would help a company executive book an international business trip?  See answer
  6. How do you ensure meeting rooms are set up and equipped in time?  See answer
  7. Can you describe a time that you were asked to keep information confidential and how you handled it?  See answer
  8. How do you manage a large workload while under pressure?  See answer
  9. What is your approach to taking minutes in a meeting? See answer
  10. How do you ensure expense reports are accurate?  See answer
  11. What steps do you take to ensure files and physical records are organised?  See answer
  12. What motivates you to stay productive when performing repetitive work?  See answer
  13. If your manager asked you to do something you disagreed with, how would you handle it? 
  14. What characteristics do you have that make you a good administrative officer? 
  15. What would you do if you didn’t get along with a company executive you are responsible for helping? 
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15 Administrative Officer Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

What administrative software are you familiar with using?

A:

This question will assess what administrative software the candidate has experience working with and will highlight any gaps in knowledge of software your company uses. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Knowledge of software
  • Quick learner
  • Basic computer skills

Example:

"I use Microsoft Outlook every day, and I'm very familiar with that programme. I'm also well versed in Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel. In my current job, I also help out with some sales administration so I have a bit of experience working with SalesForce. I am a quick learner though. If you have a programme I haven't used before I will be able to learn it quickly."

Q:

If your manager asked you to do something you disagreed with, how would you handle it?

A:

This question will assess how the candidate handles conflict and tough conversations. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Conflict-resolution skills
  • Ability to have tough conversations
  • Communication skills

Example:

"Unfortunately, this has happened in the past. If it's a task that is reasonably expected within the parameters of my job then I assess whether it is worth the tough conversation. If it's not, I will pull my manager aside and explain to them that the task they are asking me to do is beyond my job description but I would be happy to point them in the right direction for help."

Q:

What management style do you prefer?

A:

This question will assess if the candidate has the right personality and if they will get along with the manager they will work with. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Interpersonal skills
  • An example of the management style they prefer
  • Communication skills

Example:

"I like to work for people who do not micromanage. I like to meet with my manager once a day to figure out what the most important tasks are for the day. Once I have created my to-do list, I like to get on with the work and reach out to my manager if I have any questions."

Q:

How do you prioritise work when you are given multiple tasks at once? 

A:

Being able to multi-task and prioritise work are important responsibilities for an administrative officer, so this question will assess if the candidate has the right skills for the role. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Ability to multi-task
  • Ability to prioritise tasks
  • Example of having to prioritise tasks in the past

Example:

"I'm great at multi-tasking, but before I get started, I sit down to figure out which are the highest priority tasks. I either prioritise based on timeline and when they are due or by who is asking for them to complete. If a company executive is asking me to do something and another colleague is asking for help, I prioritise the company executive's request."

Q:

What steps do you take to stay organised?

A:

This question will assess if the candidate has strong organisational skills and the ability to stay on top of tasks to meet deadlines. What to look for in an answer: 

  • organisational skills
  • A great filing system
  • An example of how the job candidate organises their time and desk

Example:

"Staying organised is the best way to stay on top of tasks. Some ways that I stay organised in the workplace is creating to-do lists, having a well-thought out filing system and marking down important dates into my calendar. Checking something off of my list is the best way to know I've completed a task and can move on to something else."

Q:

Can you explain how you would help a company executive book an international business trip? 

A:

Booking international trips is often part of the role for an administrative officer so this question will assess if the candidate has prior experience. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Prior experience booking international trips
  • Ability to stay organised
  • Excellent research skills

Example:

"Booking trips for company executives are actually one of my favourite tasks of the job. I love performing the research and putting together an itinerary that makes their lives easier. I often work with a travel agent to help me find the best deals but I have done it on my own in the past as well."

Q:

How do you ensure meeting rooms are set up and equipped in time? 

A:

This question will assess if the candidate has the right organisational and event management skills to perform the duties of the job. What to look for in an answer: 

  • organisational skills
  • Event management skills
  • Ability to prepare a meeting room

Example:

"Before I set up any meeting room, I ask the meeting organiser what their needs are for the meeting to ensure I am gathering all the materials. If the meeting is to take place over lunch, I email all the attendees before the meeting to get their orders. I also stock the room with water, paper and pens."

Q:

Can you describe a time that you were asked to keep information confidential and how you handled it? 

A:

Administrative officers are often asked to keep company information confidential so this question will assess if the candidate can be discrete. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Ability to be discrete 
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Example of a time they were asked to keep information confidential

Example:

"The company I work for currently was undergoing a major brand change. At the time I was working for the company president and only a certain number of employees could know of the change. They asked me to sign a non-disclosure agreement because I was going to be dealing with sensitive information. I did so and the brand change went over without any problems."

Q:

How do you manage a large workload while under pressure? 

A:

Administrative officers can sometimes work with tight deadlines and under pressure so this question will assess if the candidate has the right experience for the role. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Ability to meet tight deadlines
  • organisational skills
  • Ability to stay calm in stressful situations

Example:

"I find the best way to take on a large workload and working with tight deadlines is to stay organised. I take meticulous notes and keep my calendar up to date. This way I know exactly when everything is due and how much time I need in order to complete the task. If the project is particularly large then I will create a work back schedule and approach the tasks individually."

Q:

What characteristics do you have that make you a good administrative officer?

A:

This question will give the candidate the opportunity to go into detail about the soft skills they possess that may not have been listed on their resume. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Communication skills
  • Basic computer skills
  • Excellent research skills

Example:

"I have been working as an administrative officer for the past 10 years and I have been able to perfect a lot of my soft skills along the way. I definitely have basic computer skills and have improved my typing skills. I am great at researching whether it's to book a trip or what kind of food is required for a particular meeting. I also have great oral and written communication skills."

Q:

What is your approach to taking minutes in a meeting?

A:

Administrative officers are often asked to take minutes in meetings, so this question will assess if the job candidate has the right experience for the role. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Typing skills
  • Ability to create meeting notes that are easy to read and follow
  • organisational skills

Example:

"I really enjoy taking meeting notes. Whenever I finish a meeting that I've taken notes in I make sure to sit down and review them. I fill in the gaps that I might have missed typing too fast and restructure the document so that it is easy to read. Once I've done that I send the document to all of the meeting attendees and file it away in the appropriate folder."

Q:

What would you do if you didn't get along with a company executive you help? 

A:

Administrative officers may be asked to work with multiple company executives so this question will assess how the job candidate builds relationships. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Ability to build relationships
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication skills

Example:

"I haven't actually had this problem in the past because I get along with a wide variety of distinct personalities. I think if there was a situation where I didn't get along with an executive I would work with them. You don't have to get along with everyone you work with but you need to work well together. I would do what I could to ensure the relationship stays amicable."

Q:

How do you ensure expense reports are accurate? 

A:

Having excellent attention to detail is important for administrative officers to have so this question will assess if the job candidate has the right skills for the role. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Attention-to-detail
  • Ability to review work for errors
  • Experience creating expense reports

Example:

"The most important thing to do when creating expense reports is to ensure accuracy. I always make sure to triple check my work so that it's free from errors. I gather all the information about the expenses first and then create the report with the expense reporting software. If there are inaccuracies, I contact the right departments to have them confirm the expenses they are submitting."

Q:

What steps do you take to ensure files and physical records are organised? 

A:

This question will assess if the job candidate is able to organise and create a filing system that is easy to follow. What to look for in an answer: 

  • organisational skills
  • Example of how they file records
  • Attention-to-detail

Example:

"I like to file records by quarter, then month and then topic. If there is only a paper record of something, I photocopy it so that I can keep a digital record as well. I find digital filing systems are much easier to manage than physical ones so I try to digitise everything. I always back up the files to the cloud so that should something go wrong there is always a file."

Q:

What motivates you to stay productive when performing repetitive work? 

A:

Sometimes the work of an administrative officer can be repetitive, so it's important the right job candidate can stay motivated when performing these tasks. What to look for in an answer: 

  • Ability to perform repetitive tasks
  • Self-motivated
  • Passion for the job

Example:

"Whenever I am performing a repetitive task I like to put on some background music to get started. I actually don't mind performing repetitive tasks, sometimes it's a welcome break from the stressful tasks that are expected on the job. I also find it satisfying completing repetitive tasks and really feel accomplished being able to check it off of my to-do list."

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