What do you think is the most important factor in managing an office effectively and efficiently? Explain how you have done this in the past.
What is your approach to problem-solving? Give an example of where your approach has been effective.
What experience do you have with interpreting policy and disseminating guidelines and developing procedures for others?
Give examples of when and how you have maintained files and records, both paper and electronic.
Give us an example of your experience with computer and typing proficiency.
Describe any experience you have had with clerical research and the compliment of findings into an organized formant and how you would approach this task in this position?
Describe your knowledge in the area of financial transactions such as order office equipment and supplies and monitoring the office budget.
Describe your experience with composing correspondence on your own initiative or with very little instruction.
The following sample questions were taken from the Society for Human Resource Management website: www.shrm.org, August 2004:
Interpersonal Skills
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
Describe experience supervising other employees. How do you measure your effectiveness in this area?
What would your last boss say about you?
Describe how you like to be managed, and the best relationship you’ve had with a previous boss.
What do you do when you know you are right and your boss disagrees with you? Give me an example.
If your colleagues had an opportunity to tell us your primary strength-what would that be? And, your primary weakness-what would that be?
Describe your experience working with highly confidential information. How would you handle an employee who requests “confidential” information from you?
As a component of this position, you may have to work on a team on certain projects. Describe when you’ve worked on a team before and what, in your opinion, constitutes an effective team? What do you expect from others on the team and what do you need from others on the team?
What do you do when others resist of reject your ideas or actions?
Give me an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague. How did you handle this?
Explain the phrase “work ethic” and describe yours.
What goals did you set for yourself during your last position? Did you achieve your goals?
What methods do you use to make decisions? When do you find it most difficult to make a decision?
Under what kinds of conditions do you learn best?
To you, which is more desirable: A business that is run in an efficient business-like manner OR a business that is run in a personal and friendly way?
Behavioral
Describe what you would say if asked to talk about yourself in a group of 15 people.
If someone told you that you had made an error, describe how you would react and what you would say in your defense.
If someone asked you for assistance with a matter that is outside the parameters of your job description, what would you do?
You are a committee member and disagree with a point or decision. How will you respond?
Describe what you would classify as a crisis.
You are angry about an unfair decision. How do you react?
Suppose you are in a situation where deadlines and priorities change frequently and rapidly. How would you handle it?
How do you know when you are stressed? What do you do to de-stress?
Tell me about a time when you were a part of a great team. What was your part in making the team effective?
Give me an example of a time when you had to deal with a difficult co-worker. How did you handle the situation?
How do you think your co-workers would respond if you were absent from work?
Can you tell me about a time during your previous employment when you suggested a better way to perform a process?
Tell me about a personal or career goal that you have accomplished and why that was important to you.
