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Interviewing Office Support Staff

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Important Interview Prep for Employers and Candidates

The #1 takeaway from our 2021 Year End Update was the highly competitive job market. Hiring in this industry has never been busier, more competitive or more challenging that it is right now. That makes streamlining the hiring process more important than ever!

Welcome to our Interviewing Prep series, where we share the most important questions employers and candidates need to have answered before the first interview. This month, we’re covering Office Support Staff:

Questions for Employers Before Interviewing Office Support Staff

  • Why are you looking to hire (for growth, replacement, restructuring, etc.)?
  • What is the base salary range or hourly rate for this position? If hourly, what is your overtime policy?
  • Is there a bonus program in place?
  • Do you offer benefits?
  • Is this an in-office, remote or hybrid position?
  • Who will the new support staffer report to directly?
  • Will they have any direct reports themselves? If so, do you require previous management experience?
  • Does this role require prior industry experience or are you open to other industries?
  • Will this be a customer-facing position or purely internal?
  • Is this a specialized position or will your new hire have broad administrative duties?
  • What traits/skills are you prioritizing for this position? People-skills, organization, flexibility, independence, speed, time management, communication, experience, willingness to learn, etc.?
  • What operating system(s) do you currently work with? Are you planning to migrate to a new system?
  • Do you require previous experience with your operating system? Are you open to experience with other systems?
  • What are the greatest strengths of the support/admin department, what are the areas that need the most growth?
  • How has your company expanded your portfolio to keep up with advancing technology? Has that evolution accelerated during the pandemic?
  • Are you open to relocating candidates? Would you offer any assistance?
  • What is the typical interview process for this role? What is your hiring timeline?
  • Does your company do a formal background check and drug screening?
  • What is your company culture like? What are you seeking in a candidate to fit with the rest of your team?

Questions for Office Support Staff Before Their Interview

  • What would it take for you to consider a new opportunity?
  • What are you looking for in your next position?
  • Do you want an in-office, remote or hybrid position?
  • Do you prefer a specialized position or broader/more flexible administrative duties?
  • Are you open to a customer-facing role or do you prefer to provide purely internal support?
  • How many years of office support experience do you have?
  • Do you have any management experience?
  • What operating systems have you worked with?
  • If you are meeting your company’s benchmarks, what skills help you achieve this success? If you are not meeting those benchmarks, why not?
  • What sets you apart from other candidates?
  • Do you have any honors or achievement awards from your past roles?
  • What was the most noteworthy problem you solved in your last role?
  • What are your most successful customer service strategies?
  • How would you improve your current company/department?
  • Do you have a non-compete? If so, how will it affect your ability to move to a new company?
  • How quickly would you be able to switch to a new position?
  • Are you open to relocation? If so, is your household on the same page?