Consulting – Administrative Assistant

Position Name: Administrative Assistant

Interviewer

Candidate Name

Interview Date

Introductory Questions

– Interviewer(s) share name, role, tenure, and hand business cards for thank you messages
– Share a brief overview of the company
– Give Candidate the Job Description, highlight Job Purpose, Schedule/Travel, Major Challenges & Key Decisions, and Physical Requirements

Walk us through your professional background.

What type of environment do you thrive in? What type of management style do you enjoy most?

What are your short and long-term professional goals?

Transitional & Verification Questions

– Clarify any unclear information from resume or application
– Verify availability for work hours and schedule, start date, and other important details

Are you able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation?

Will you now or at any point in the future require via sponsorship to work for us?

Technical Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups

How would you describe your proficiency level in [Excel as an example]?

List your top 3 technical skills.

What has given you the greatest sense of achievement at work and why?

Behavioral / Situational Questions

– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups. Follow up questions may include:
- Tell us more about the action you took and the outcome.
- What did you say at that point?
- How did you react to that situation?
- Explain your role in more detail.
- Tell me in detail what steps you took.
- And what was the result?
- Describe the obstacles you faced in getting it done.
- What other options did you consider?
- Why do you think you reacted as you did?
- How do you think others felt about your actions at the time?
- Were you satisfied with the outcome of your actions?
- If the same or a similar situation presented itself, what would you do differently?

Analytical/Detail Orientation

There are times when we inadvertently let details “slip through the cracks.” Tell me about a time when this happened to you. What was the cause? What were the results?

Situation:

Action:

Result:

Collaboration

Give me an example of when you were able to successfully communicate with another person in your department even though that individual may not have personally liked you (or vice versa).

Situation:

Action:

Result:

Emotional Intelligence

How do you determine what information and when it is time to update upper management?

Situation:

Action:

Result:

Planning & Organization

Describe what your desk looks like. What is on it? Where are the current items to be addressed?

Situation:

Action:

Result:

Candidate’s Questions

– Be sure to leave time for their questions, generally 1-3
– Paint a positive but honest view of the pros and cons of the work and culture

Notes

Closing Questions

– Describe where you are in the process, next steps, and when they can expect to hear back
– Ask if they have any final remarks

What is one thing I should know about you that I haven’t asked?

What do you hope to find in our organization that you don’t have now?

Interviewer Assesment

Enter your overall assessment about the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for this position.

Would you recommend this candidate advance in the process?