20 best administrative assistant interview questions + sample answers

General administrative assistant interview questions and answers

General admin assistant interview questions are key to kicking off the interview. They help you understand a candidate's background, expectations, and motivations before getting into the nitty-gritty of specific skills and traits. 

Here are some questions to consider. 

1. What appeals to you about this administrative assistant position? 

Suitable candidates will explain which specific duties appealed to them, demonstrating they've read the administrative assistant job description correctly. They might also discuss how the job ties into their broader career goals or indicate a passion for your industry. 

Avoid progressing candidates who provide vague or generic answers – or are only interested in your hybrid or remote policy or how close they live to the office. While candidates can mention these, they shouldn't be their only motivation. 

2. Why do you want to work for our company?

Look for a well-thought-out response that indicates candidates are familiar with your company's business areas, goals, accomplishments, culture, and values. For instance, the interviewee might touch on your philanthropic efforts or point to your emphasis on innovation. 

Don't progress someone with little knowledge about what the company does or values or gives only generic answers, like "because it's an esteemed and reputed organization." 

3. Can you tell me a little bit about your previous job? 

An ideal answer will detail the breadth of candidates' duties in their previous role, which industry they worked in, and who they supported – such as an entire team or particular exec.

Watch out for vague descriptions and candidates, and be cautious about progressing candidates who speak negatively about past employers. 

4. Why did you leave your last administrative assistant position? 

Great candidates will focus on positive, forward-looking reasons for change, such as looking for growth opportunities or seeking a better fit for their skills –  helping you understand what they value. Think twice about those who are overly negative, finger-point, or show undue resentment. 

5. What skills do you see as the most important for an administrative assistant and why?

Look for a clear recognition of the skills that spell success in this role – for instance, multitasking, organizational abilities, good communication, and the ability to work under pressure. Don't shortlist interviewees who list irrelevant skills, as they likely don't understand the nature of the job. 

6. What do you enjoy most about administrative work?

When candidates are passionate about their work, their enthusiasm will shine through. Look for specifics, such as a passion for organizational tasks, interacting with diverse team members, or wanting to help others. Poor-fitting interviewees will struggle to show a true passion for administrative work. 

7. What has been your biggest impact on a team as an administrative assistant?

Good candidates will provide statistics or evidence of measurable outcomes– for instance, improving a particular process that saved their team X amount of time. 

Avoid progressing those who are too vague and can't credibly prove their impact. 

Pro tip: Many of these questions are intended for candidates with direct experience as admin assistants, but candidates without direct experience can still have skills and behaviors that make them great for the role. Consider customizing such questions for your entry-level candidates. Take the question above: You might instead ask what the candidate’s biggest impact in another job or area of life has been. 

8. What professional achievement are you most proud of? 

Look for candidates who mention accomplishments or milestones that highlight their personal drive and notable career contributions. Watch out for those who seem to be overstating their achievements or struggle to recall examples. 

Technical interview questions and answers for administrative assistants 

Hard skills are the nuts and bolts of an administrative assistant’s role. It’s critical to ask questions that help you pinpoint candidates who can handle the technical demands of the role and are familiar with the relevant tools and technologies required. Consider asking your admin assistant candidates these technical interview questions. 

9. Tell me about a complex administrative project you completed. How did you approach it?

Applicants who respond by mentioning tools or skills that helped them complete the complex project, such as project-management tools or communication tools like Slack or Zoom, are worth progressing to the next stage. Bonus points for those who break complex projects into digestible parts and use critical thinking to solve problems. 

Use caution with interviewees who discuss only simple projects and don't seem experienced with tasks or project management.  

10. How proficient are you with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, and what functions have you mastered in these tools?

The best candidates will go above and beyond discussing basic Excel skills and mention advanced functions like VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and conditional formatting – all commonly used Excel competencies in administrative assistant roles. 

Listen for at least basic PowerPoint skills, such as creating and formatting presentations, which assistants often support team members with. Be cautious of candidates with limited knowledge of these platforms. 

11. What administrative systems are you familiar with, and how have they helped you in past roles?

Look for candidates who can talk about using a range of different tools, from scheduling and inventory management to project planning and document management software. Probe candidates further if they mention only basic office software like Microsoft Office or Google Productivity Suite or have limited knowledge of new tools and technologies relevant to their role. 

12. Tell me about the most high-stakes event you’ve planned and describe your approach to organizing it.  

Prioritize candidates who have a methodical event planning approach. Also, look for answers that demonstrate how efficiently candidates use resources and solve last-minute problems. Those who struggle with handling logistics or staying proactive probably won’t succeed in the job. 

13. How do you manage confidential information?

Good interviewees will be strongly aware of the importance of data privacy and security and how to protect sensitive information – for instance, by using passwords, encrypting files, or opting for secure cloud storage. 

A casual attitude towards confidentiality is one of the red flags to watch for when hiring an administrative assistant. 

Soft and cognitive skills interview questions for administrative assistants

Soft skills and cognitive abilities are central to admin assistant jobs, as they’re transferable across companies, countries, and even industries. Use the questions below to evaluate candidates’ organizational skills, time management, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail. 

14. How do you organize your workday?

Admin assistants are constantly faced with varied tasks. The best candidates will have a methodical approach to managing their workload efficiently and might mention using digital task managers or blocking time for certain duties to stay on top of things. Consider avoiding shortlisting candidates who have no clear strategy for managing their tasks. 

15. How do you prioritize tasks when everything seems urgent? 

Look for candidates whose thought processes are in sync with what you expect from your admin assistant. How and what do they prioritize – by clients, deadlines, or something else? Think twice about interviewees who struggle to differentiate between urgent and non-urgent tasks or those who can’t stay flexible depending on the need of the hour.  

16. Describe an unexpected problem that arose in a previous role and how you handled it.

Good answers will have specific examples of the problem at hand and show candidates’ abilities to think on their feet, come up with effective solutions, and handle situations with composure. Watch out for those who aren’t experienced problem-solvers or demonstrated indecision and panic in their responses. 

17. What steps do you take to ensure that your documents and communications are accurate and free from mistakes?

Listen for answers that tell you which steps candidates take to ensure accuracy and reduce errors when handling multiple people’s schedules, summarizing meeting minutes, etc. This could include using formula checks, spelling and grammar tools, double-checking work, etc. Avoid candidates who don’t have a clear method for error-checking. 

Culture and values interview questions for administrative assistants

Before you select an administrative assistant, consider asking candidates these questions to ensure they’ll integrate well into your team, contribute positively to your culture, and align with your company’s values and ethics.   

18. In which type of office environment do you excel most?

There’s no right or wrong answer here. Look for candidates whose preferred work environment and dynamics are in line with what you can offer. For instance, if your company operates in a fast-paced and agile environment, prioritize candidates who could thrive in this culture over those who prefer a slow and careful approach.  

19. Which management style would encourage you to perform best?

Shortlist candidates whose answers indicate they’ll work well with the direct manager for this role and the team or executives they’ll support. For instance, if they prefer independent work, they won’t work well with a more hands-on manager. Progressing interviewees with clashing style preferences could lead to mis-hiring.  

20. Describe how you’d handle a disagreement with a coworker.

The best candidates will showcase traits like empathy, active listening, and negotiation skills that help them arrive at mutually beneficial solutions. Avoid candidates who point fingers or have a tendency to escalate rather than resolve conflicts. 

Top 3 tips for using administrative assistant interview questions

For a smooth and effective interview process, consider these top three tips for using administrative assistant interview questions.

1. Use skills tests before conducting administrative assistant interviews

Interviewing candidates is a time-consuming process for both candidates and hiring teams. Online talent assessments like TestGorilla's Administrative Assistant test, Problem-Solving test, and Microsoft Excel (General) test are great ways to shortlist applicants who've demonstrated they have the right technical and soft skills for a job before you interview them. 

Additionally, these tests help eliminate screening biases – for instance, assuming women make better admin assistants. 

2. Opt for structured interviews

Keep your admin assistant interviews consistent by asking all your candidates a fixed set of questions and using the same scorecard to evaluate responses. This helps keep the process fair and lets you compare apples to apples so you can make the right decisions. 

It's also a great way to avoid going off on a tangent, which tends to happen when you’re asking behavioral interview questions for administrative assistants, especially when candidates discuss their past employers and managers. 

3. Employ AI assistance for analysis

Administrative assistant interview questions typically require long and detailed answers from candidates. With consent, consider using transcription tools to note down candidate responses and ensure you don't miss anything. 

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT can also help summarize interview notes and highlight key themes when processing this large amount of qualitative data. 

Use administrative assistant interview questions and skills tests to hire the best candidate

Hiring the right administrative assistant is crucial to running a smooth business. But, you must ensure your chosen candidate is skilled and has the right traits and qualities to succeed as an admin assistant in your company or team. The best interview questions for administrative assistants can give you deep insights into candidates' suitability for the role. 

Also, put candidates through administrative assistant tests – for example, with TestGorilla – before investing the time and energy to interview them. This way, you can save resources and ensure you're hiring a top administrative assistant. 

Curious about TestGorilla? Sign up for a free TestGorilla account or schedule a live demo today. 

FAQs

What questions should I ask when hiring an administrative assistant?

When interviewing administrative assistant candidates, ask questions that cover everything from technical skills to soft skills, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attributes so you get a complete picture of their suitability for the job. Additionally, customize your entry-level vs. experienced administrative assistant interview questions based on the nature of the job.  

What are the most important skills for an administrative assistant?

The best administrative assistants possess a blend of hard skills – like Excel proficiency and document management – and soft skills like good communication, time management, and problem-solving abilities.