Collection of Interview Questions for Administrative/Classified Staff

The following questions are geared for Office Specialist type positions and may be adapted to suit the needs of a particular search. Questions should always relate to the position description in some tangible way.

Ice Breaker's

• What about this position appeals to you?
• Tell me about your last position and what you did.
• Tell us about yourself?

Resume Related

• What is the main unique qualification you bring to this position?
• Can you give us some details of your fiscal experience?
• What work accomplishments are you most proud of?
• What experiences in your work history would help you be successful in this position?
• Please talk about your experience with purchasing and working with vendors.

Ability to perform required duties

• This position requires tasks such as opening the office at 8am and closing the office at 5pm; lifting and bending (loading and unloading the dishwasher daily); daily errands around campus; and preparing coffee in the mornings and throughout the day. Are you able to perform duties such as these?

Diversity

• Universities are diverse environments – different ages, life experiences, nationalities, etc. What is your strongest skill or asset for working in a diverse environment?

Communication

• The xx department holds several events throughout the year to which various audiences are invited. Describe any experience you have promoting events or programs.
• PSU is de-centralized in many ways, with resources, faculty, and staff spread across the university. What methods do you use for effective internal communication?
• Describe any prior experience you have managing communications, whether through print, website, social media, etc.
• How familiar are you with PSU (or xx specific department/discipline)? How would you describe PSU and its reputation?
• Recall a time when you had to deal with a difficult external stakeholder-- what was the situation and how did you address it?
• How do you manage project expectations with multiple stakeholders involved?
• How important is social media for a brand/organization?
• What is (/would be) your editing or proofreading process for work that will be published or shared publicly?
• do you have any experience with managing web content, including social media and/or design software? If so, which platforms have you used?

Fit for the position and department culture

• What type of work environment is best for you and why? Follow up with: Have you worked in a fast paced environment? What did you like about it?
• What did you enjoy most/least about this job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• How would a previous supervisor describe your work?

Work Habits

• How do you meet stay organized to meet goals and deadlines?
• How do you manage your work tasks when faced with frequent interruptions?
• What do you do when you have a great deal of work to accomplish in a short period of time?
• What are the methods you employ to ensure that your work is accurate?
• Imagine that you have just hired a new student employee who will be a file clerk. How would you go about the onboarding and training process?
• With all of the department’s administrative activities, faculty members, college, and university obligations, how would you prioritize the workload? How do you stay organized?

Thought Process in Action

• Scenario question: You are sitting at the front desk on a Friday at 4:30pm working on a task that the Associate Dean has asked you to complete by the end of the day. As you are working, a person walks in the door and tells you they are here for a meeting; and another person walks in and says they are here to pick up some documents to sign. At the same time the copier just jammed and the fiscal officer needs it to work as she’s running late for a meeting. In addition, the phone begins to ring. How would you prioritize this situation?
• Scenario question: You are the only person at at the front desk on a Wednesday at 11:30am working on a task that the Chair has asked you to complete by noon. As you are working, a student frantically comes up to the desk because they are unable to register for a class while another student walks in to turn in some homework. At the same time the copier just jammed and a faculty member needs it to work as he’s running late for his class. In addition, the phone begins to ring. How would you prioritize this situation?

Skills

• What is your communication style with upper level management, customers, and peers?
• Tell me about the last time you had a conflict with a co-worker, what was the conflict and how did you resolve it? In general, how do you handle conflict?
• Please describe your experience scheduling and coordinating executive or upper level management calendars. What type of scheduling software have you used?
• What are your favorite ‘bells & whistles’ when working in Word? Excel?
• Have you been a supervisor before? Tell us about your own supervisory experience.
• Can you tell us about a time when you were faced with a difficult work decision where no policy existed? How did you handle it?

Closing

• Why should we hire you over someone else?
• Do you have any questions for us?