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Administrative Clerk Interview Questions

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Whether you are preparing to interview a candidate or applying for a job, review our list of top Administrative Clerk interview questions and answers.

  1. Have you ever used inventory management software as an administrative clerk before? See answer
  2. How well can you ensure that office systems still function efficiently when you are away from the workplace? See answer
  3. What techniques do you use to handle multiple staff schedules at once? See answer
  4. Tell me about some of the best practises for up-to-date bookkeeping. See answer
  5. Have you ever improved a system to make your workflow more thorough and efficient? See answer
  6. How do you go about sending out reminders for meetings or appointments? See answer
  7. Have you organised and sent invoices to clients before? See answer
  8. Tell me about any time that you had to deal with a demanding customer
  9. How well can you handle administrative projects that need attention to small details?
  10. Have you ever used office equipment such as fax machines before?
  11. What are your thoughts on finishing mundane and repetitive administrative tasks?
  12. What would you do to find a misfiled document in your records or replace it?
  13. Do you feel comfortable directing voicemail messages and talking on the phone?
  14. How fast is your typing speed?
  15. How do you handle a client’s files if they close their account
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Hire your next Administrative Clerk today.

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Hire your next Administrative Clerk today.

Post a job
Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

15 Administrative Clerk Interview Questions and Answers

Have you ever used inventory management software as an administrative clerk before?

Administrative clerks usually deal with outside clients and keep track of inventories. You need to hire someone who can perform these tasks accurately and quickly. Asking applicants to describe their familiarity with inventory management software allows you to gauge their comfort level in handling the software. What to look for in an answer:

  • The candidate identifies one or multiple software programmes by name
  • The candidate describes their level of familiarity with any of the software they've mentioned
  • The candidate is at ease with using technology at the workplace

Example:

“In my previous position, I was using QuickBooks Enterprise for five years, which helped me streamline the business aspect of running a shipment company. It made my work easy because I was able to create a database that had enough information about our clients and employees”

Tell me about any time that you had to deal with a demanding customer?

Part of an administrative clerk's job is to handle customers and help them with questions directly. Not everyone can wait patiently, and not everyone understands, especially if they've been waiting for a long time. The ideal candidate should how to deal with such situations with the utmost professionalism and grace, even when faced with tough clients. What to look for in an answer:

  • The candidate should be able to show empathy towardss clients who may be going through a difficult situation
  • The candidate should show that they are interested in delivering top-notch client service
  • The candidate should prove that they can handle tough clients with grace and still maintain professionalism.

Example:

“When I was working for a bank, a customer wanted to buy a currency and became furious when I informed him we didn't have that type of currency at the bank to give him. The more I explained to him the situation, the more frustrated he got.

I explained to him we would have to order his currency since it wasn't a commonly requested currency in the country. After explaining to him the logic behind the situation, he calmed down and we came to a resolution.”

How well can you handle projects that need attention to small details?

An administrative clerk is often in charge of various minor details and might need to jump from one task to another, depending on the type of clients the organisation deals with. You need to hire someone who can organise tasks effectively.

They also need to know how to convey the projects to the rest of their team. This will create a good workflow and help other team members understand what needs to get done to meet deadlines. What to look for in an answer:

  • Show an interest in detail-oriented projects
  • Describe how they handle details
  • Show that the candidate enjoys multitasking and thrives at it

Example:

“I have a planner that I use to outline all my project deadlines. The planner also has a calendar that helps me send invites to the rest of my group so that all team members have access to relevant project information.”

Have you ever used office equipment such as fax machines?

Administrative clerks handle most of the administration work in the office. They will use photocopiers and scanners when handling relevant documents for client meetings. You may often find that the candidates applying for an administrative clerk position are recent graduates lacking extensive experience operating complex office equipment. What to look for in an answer:

  • Show that the candidate has experience with scanning and photocopying project documents
  • Express the candidate's willingness to learn quickly
  • Display an interest in detailed tasks

Example:

“In my previous capacity as a teaching assistant, I was creating photocopies for the professor's weekly lectures. Owing to this, I have extensive experience with photocopying and scanning project materials.”

What are your thoughts on finishing mundane and repetitive tasks?

Sometimes an administrative clerk's job requires the completion of repetitive tasks. it's important that the candidate understands this and has a positive attitude to potentially mundane or repetitive tasks. What to look for in an answer:

  • Patience
  • Positive outlook
  • Understanding that the job comes some repetitive tasks

Example:

“I understand that not every aspect of a job can be exciting. In my previous position as an intern at a law firm, I was in charge of filing and accounting for all past court documents. It wasn't the most enjoyable task, but it gave me a much-needed break in my routine.”

How well can you ensure that office systems still function efficiently when you are away from the workplace?

Administrative clerks ensure the workspace looks neat and organised. Their absence can significantly affect other team members' workflow and reduce their ability to finish tasks on time. A suitable candidate should maintain an organised workspace and create a clearly outlined plan to ensure all information is accessible when they are away. What to look for in an answer:

  • The candidate understands their priorities
  • Committed to organisation and upkeep
  • Accountability

Example:

“To prepare for my absence, I would make sure that everything is well organised and anyone can find anything easily. I'll file paperwork in a logical format, which helps people find things quickly. I'll also set up an automated reply on my email, which would have the relevant details on a backup contact.”

What would you do to find a misfiled document in your records?

An administrative clerk must have an up-to-date and accurate record of documents. However, if the papers aren't logically recorded, some important files can get lost. An ideal candidate needs to show that they can quickly replace the missing files. What to look for in an answer:

  • Accountability for the lost files
  • Willingness to redo the tasks
  • Attention to detail

Example:

"I try my best in any capacity I'm hired to ensure that I've correctly labeled all the documents that pass by my desk. If a copy in my records gets lost, I'll find a way to make another document or find a backup for the lost one and replace it."

Do you feel comfortable talking on the phone?

A typical aspect of an administrative clerk's job description includes talking to clients on the phone and receiving messages on behalf of a supervisor. The ideal candidate should be comfortable handling clients over the phone. They should also be eloquent in their speech and ability to recall trivial information. What to look for in an answer:

  • Ability to recall important information
  • Ability to express themselves
  • Comfortable with phone conversations

Example:

“In my previous capacity, I handled client appointments via the phone and I could cancel or make appointments. Whenever a client would need clarification about their account, I would talk them through every step over the phone.”

What techniques do you use to handle multiple staff schedules at once?

Sometimes an administrative clerk may need to report to multiple supervisors and may find themselves handling various high-priority staff schedules at once. Asking this question will help you discover how the applicant manages their time. What to look for in an answer:

  • Time management skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Multitasking

Example:

“In college, the deadlines for the major papers would always seem to arrive quickly. To make sure that I don't feel overwhelmed, I would lay out the activities in my planner and dedicate time to each project until they were all done. I'll use the same system to manager staff schedules at your company.”

How fast is your typing speed>

An administrative clerk needs to have fast typing speed to be able to complete their work on time. What to look for in an answer:

  • Proof that they can type fast
  • Excellent proofreading skills
  • Attention to detail

Example:

“In my previous capacity, I handled a lot of inventory and data for a manufacturing company. I had to ensure that I fed in plenty of information into the system without missing a single detail; otherwise, some products would get lost. I can type 60 words per minute and am very proficient in Microsoft Office suite programmes.”

Tell me about some of the best practises for up-to-date bookkeeping.

An administrative clerk should have experience in basic bookkeeping. Asking them what they consider the best practises for accurate bookkeeping will help you understand if the candidate would be a perfect match for the job. What to look for in an answer:

  • Knowledge in bookkeeping
  • Self-confidence
  • Familiar with financial transactions

Example:

“While working for an office supply company, I was responsible for running financial reports daily. I also know how to make bank deposits and reconcile the company's daily transactions.”

Have you ever improved a system to make your workflow more thorough and efficient?

When answering such a question, the candidate should give an example of when they created a schedule or routine that helped increase their workplace's efficiency. What to look for in an answer:

  • Able to optimise their workflow
  • Shouldn't require supervision
  • Solution-oriented

Example:

“In my previous engagement, I created a working schedule that allowed team members to take alternate breaks to prevent everyone leaving their workstations all at once. By doing so, my teammates and I were able to have a smooth workflow, thus increasing efficiency.”

How do you handle a client's files if they close their account?

The candidate should show that they can easily handle old client files and still be able to bring them up if the client ever returns. What to look for in an answer:

  • People skills
  • Communication skills
  • Empathy

Example:

“Whenever a client would leave my previous firm, we would help them in whatever way they can. I made sure to keep a hard copy and backed up copy of their account file in case they want to come back to our firm, and wouldn't have to start all over again.”

How do you go about sending out reminders for meetings or appointments?

An administrative clerk notifies other team members of an upcoming meeting or appointment with their clients. The ideal candidate should come up with a working process of sending out reminders to executives and other colleagues. What to look for in an answer:

  • Accurate and up-to-date knowledge of company events
  • Detail-oriented
  • organisation and planning

Example:

“While working for a bank, I set up an automated email response and calendar reminder that would activate and send to every team member for planned meetings. That way, no team member would miss out on important appointments.”

Have you organised and sent invoices to clients before?

Part of an administrative clerk's job is to prepare, organise, and send updated invoices to clients. Ask the candidate if they have had any previous experience with sending invoices and using software to prepare the invoices. What to look for in an answer:

  • Attention to detail
  • Accuracy 
  • organisational skills

Example:

“While working for my previous firm, I had a working system of creating invoices where I would update the client's invoice for every transaction. This way it would be easy to send the invoice without having to go recall every type of transaction.”

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