List Of Essential Interview Questions On Admin Officer
Q – 1 What are the qualities of A good admin?
Ans- ✫ Achieve good results
✫ Are assertive and communicate well
✫ Are clear thinkers and effective speakers who are good at influencing others
✫ Are decisive, good at negotiation and problem solving
✫ Write good reports
✫ Excel at time management
✫ Spend time in self development
Q – 2 Who is good admin?
Ans- Good admin are essential to any successful organisation. An exceptionally good admin achieves a hard working, productive and effective workforce that punches above its weight in its performance.
Good admin attract exceptional staff; they make the organisation a preferred employer; they help to increase market share; add to profits and surpluses, and reduce costs. Their staff are engaged, committed and go the extra.
Q – 3 What are the attributes of a good admin?
Ans- ✫ Coach their staff and counsel those who need it
✫ Have staff who are commitment to them
✫ Seek response and feedback to all communications with staff
✫ Know how to resolve conflicts as they arise and handle negative behavior effectively
✫ Delegate wherever possible
✫ Actively like to develop, empower and motivate staff and manage under performers
✫ Take the lead
✫ Raise staff morale and are concerned for staff well-being
✫ Are conscious of the psychological contract
✫ Enjoy managing the boss
✫ Set clear and unambiguous objectives and discuss them with staff before setting them
✫ Performance manage staff and provide feedback on performance
✫ Engage in selection interviewing
✫ Manage teams
✫ Value everyone’s contribution
Q – 4 What are the managing activities of A good admin?
Ans- ✫ Manage change effectively
✫ Seek continuous improvement
✫ Control and co-ordinate staff effectively
✫ Engage in and enjoy crisis management
✫ Influence the culture of teams
✫ Focus on customers/clients and know how to improve business performance
✫ Conduct meetings efficiently
✫ Are good at planning and organizing themselves
✫ Are good at both strategic and project management
✫ Are good at risk management and can manage stress in staff
Q – 5 How you motivate employees?
Ans- Ask the employees how they’re liking their job on a regular basis. Encourage them to be honest with you. Then take action based upon what they tell you.
Offer perks that your employees will value. If health is important to them, give them time to go to the gym and work out. If their family is important, respect the time they may need to send their kids off to school in the morning or pick them up in the afternoon
Q – 6 How you tell the employees that how much you appreciate them from time to time?
Ans- Just go out and say it. Ask them out for a cup of coffee and tell them what you appreciate about them.
✫ They’re a hard worker
✫ They effectively motivate other people
✫ They’re easy to coach
✫ They’re disciplined or go the extra mile
✫ They always cheer you up, etc.
Don’t mince words just tell them straight out. An employee who knows just how much they are appreciated will work harder, enjoy what they do more, and pass that psychic happiness along to other employees.
Q – 7 What you do when employee make mistakes?
Ans- Suppose when one of your underlings employee makes a mistake, don’t lord it over them, assume the mistake as your own, even if it isn’t technically yours. What you’re doing is creating a culture where your employees feel comfortable making mistakes.
This is a very important concept:
Doing this allows your employees to innovate and, ultimately, to learn or grow. Workers who learn from their mistakes will grow to become better workers; those who fail to make mistakes in the first place usually play it too safe, never venturing out into deep water.
Q – 8 How you acknowledge own missteps?
Ans- Suppose when things don’t turn out the way which you expected, recognize what you could have done differently and verbalize this realization to your employees. This shows them that you make mistakes too, and it also shows them how they should handle their own mistakes.
Whenever you’re doing something correctly after having done it incorrectly in the past, let whoever is watching know. For example: “The reason I know to press this button is because this happened to me when I first started out, and I made the mistake of pressing the blue button, thinking ‘This will shut down the system, which should resolve the issue’ and I found out” the hard way “that it makes the issue even worse!”
Q – 9 On what the good relationships are based?
Ans- Good relationships are based on trust, commitment and engagement, and a good managers essential role is to build these relationships for the benefit of the organisation, so that the tasks that are set are completed with enthusiasm, effectively, on time and with the energy to do more.
Q – 10 How to treat with your employees?
Ans- If you’re good to your workers and they’re happy with their jobs, they’ll pass that kindness on to customers and invaluably bolster the image of your company. Or, they’ll do the same for their employees and maintain a positive corporate culture.
Q – 11 What is the key of successful administration?
Ans- A key to successful administration is the relationship between the admin and his or her staff. It’s the manner in which admin manage people that separates the ordinary from the good and the exceptional.
Q – 12 How can admin treat everyone equally?
Ans- The tendency is to give more positive recognition to the people who remind us of ourselves somehow and who actually like us, rather than to the people who make the biggest contributions to the organization.
In the long run, it’s people in the latter group who will make the most progress in achieving the organization’s goals, so monitor your own behavior carefully and make sure you’re not accidentally short-changing them, even if they give you the impression that your positive regard doesn’t affect them. Some people shy away from positive feedback but appreciate it nonetheless.
Q – 13 How to ask questions as admin in meeting?
Ans- Intelligent questions show that you can follow the flow of the conversation and clarify when necessary. Don’t be afraid to ask questions because you’re worried about appearing “stupid.” Effective admin care about understanding what’s important; they don’t care about how they get there. Know, too, that others will probably have questions and may not ask.
If you ask their question for them, you can act as a facilitator and build your team’s engagement level. That’s the true mark of a admin.
Q – 14 How you clarify what you’re hearing?
Ans- Instead of asking your co-worker “I’m sorry, can you repeat what you just said? I’m not sure I understood.” say something like “So you’re saying that we could drive up productivity by offering more meaningful incentives. What might that look like in the flesh?”
Q – 15 Describe technique when you’re not exactly sure what the other person is saying?
Ans- A good manager is not only strives to make herself clearer, but also strives to understand what those around her are saying. You can do this by repeating what the other person has said as a part of your conversation. Use this technique when you’re not exactly sure what the other person is saying.
Q – 16 Which kind of work environment is necessary?
Ans- When emotions are turbulent. Let people voice their emotions in a safe, controlled environment. Stifled emotions can turn into resentment, eroding your working relationship. Similarly, emotions that are not adequately dealt with can interfere with rational discussion, which should be the mainstay of your work environment.
Q – 17 How you put the idea-sharing into a stranglehold?
Ans- When employees are actively sharing ideas. Don’t butt in and talk just to make sure your voice is part of the mix. This can put the idea-sharing into a stranglehold.
Q – 18 Should admin listen his employee or not?
Ans- Listen to what your employees and coworkers have to say. You don’t always need to be the driver of meetings, keeping others out by dominating the podium. Always make a sincere effort to listen.
Q – 19 What are effects of positive and negative feedbacks?
Ans- When you mix positive and negative feedback, both areas suffer. The positive becomes overshadowed by the negative, and the negative doesn’t carry the full force of its potential impact. Of course, there may be situations where you’d want to communicate this, but on the whole it makes communication less effective.
Q – 20 What kind of feed-backs can admin give, positive or negative?
Ans- Say you’re giving your employee feedback in a performance review. You start off by mentioning how great the employee is to work with, and note one or two additional things they’ve excelled at. Then you launch into an extended itemization of their deficits “sales were down this quarter,” “revenue slipped,” etc.
Q – 21 Can admin take interest in his employee personal matters?
Ans- Know your boundaries. Don’t overstep and ask your employees about anything too personal, such as religion, politics, or personal relationships. You can keep up a friendly rapport without being invasive.
Q – 22 How admin take interest in his employee?
Ans- Being in-tune with your employees’ lives outside the office can potentially alert you to times when that person needs extra consideration from you, for instance if he or she requires sudden time off for a family funeral. If you can be accommodating about upheavals in the personal lives of your workers, they’ll feel good about rewarding you with loyalty.
Q – 23 Can admin take interest in his employee?
Ans- Don’t make every interaction with your workers strictly business. Ask after their well-being, chat with them about yourself, and establish a personal connection.
Q – 24 Why admin should keep the door open?
Ans- Always remind people that if they have any questions or concerns, you’re ready and willing to listen. Maintaining an open channel of communication will make you aware of problems quickly, so that you can fix them as soon as possible.
Q – 25 How you communicate effectively?
Ans- Don’t be one of those managers who inadvertently makes an employee feel like they’re bothering you when they bring up a question or concern. Instead of seeing it as another crisis to manage, look at it as an opportunity to show your employee how much you want this organization to be a fulfilling place to work.
Q – 26 Why the manager should assign tasks that will stretch employees?
Ans- As your workers begin to take on more responsibility and demonstrate that they’re capable, give them tasks that will expand their skills and help them take more ownership of their work. Not only are you finding out how much your employees can handle, you’re making them more valuable to the company.
Q – 27 Why admin shouldn’t take credit for employees’ achievements?
Ans- Let them take credit for their own achievements. This motivates them to continue to chase after success. The successful manager is like a conductor. He orchestrates the music so that each element sounds as good as possible and resonates with the group as a whole. A great conductor will lead by example, blending into the background.
Q – 28 How you delegate responsibilities?
Ans- Always try to Start small. Give people tasks that, if performed incorrectly, can be fixed. Take the opportunity to teach and empower your employees. Then gradually give them tasks with greater responsibility as you come to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Q – 29 How to keep yourself organised when dealing with tasks and requests from multiple soucrces?
Ans- The best way to stay organised is to keep a log of every request and each task completed so that nothing is accidentally left to go past a deadline. Mention any software that you use for this purpose.
Q – 30 How you can hold yourself as manager to the highest standards?
Ans- We all know the kind of manager who constantly shouts or bitterly complains when mistakes are made but gives himself a ‘pass’ when he fails. Don’t be this kind of manager. Ideally, be harder to on yourself than you are on your employees. This can have a trickle-down effect: Employees see the types of goals and standards you set for yourself and want to emulate you because they look up to you.
Q – 31 How you offer goal-oriented feedbacks?
Ans- Meet in small teams or one-on-one, and go over your comments in detail.
Set up a schedule for feedback. Offer it regularly so that your employees know when to expect it and can make space for it in their workflows.
Q – 32 How you make sure each employee knows what’s expected?
Ans- Having concrete goals empowers your employees and keeps them focused on work. Explicitly outline what you expect, when the deadline is, and what you’ll do with the results.
Q – 33 What is the idea of “Under-promise, over-deliver”?
Ans- This idea can apply to several different areas of life, but it’s a great managerial mantra. Do you want to be the kind of person who has wildly optimistic goals that they never meet, or do you want to be the kind of person who sets measured goals and ends up exceeding them by leaps and bounds? Although this is about image, image is extremely important.
Q – 34 How you setting goals?
Ans- Don’t be the kind of person who never shoots for the moon. Staying measured in your goals doesn’t mean that you should always play it conservative, never setting high goals. A manager who never punches above her weight can come across as lacking ambition. Even the conservative poker player knows they need to go ‘all-in’ from time to time.
Q – 35 Which role do you think an administrator plays in the office dynamic?
Ans- Say that an administrator plays an important role in ensuring that diaries are properly managed and that all outgoing correspondence is well written and all incoming correspondence is read and delivered to the relevant managers quickly.
Q – 36 So do you have any other skills such as shorthand/touch typing?
Ans- Ideally you will be able to touch type well, so say yes to this. Shorthand is a dying art and fewer people are learning how to do this well. If you have the opportunity to learn it, then do so, because some managers like their administrators to be able to take down shorthand.
Q – 37 How you make emplyees or seniors feel good?
Ans- In a meeting with your boss, for example, mention something one of your workers did well. If your boss happens to mention to that worker that you said something good about them, they’re likely to feel that you appreciate them and made the effort to put in a good word. That sort of compliment doesn’t go unnoticed.
Q – 38 How to react if you felt that you were being pushed too far at work?
Ans- If pushed too far you would consider speaking to your manager about workloads and expectations and try to resolve the situation.
Q – 39 How to deal with authority?
Ans- Say that you deal with authority as you deal with customers – with integrity, professionalism and politeness.
Q – 40 Are you good at solving problems?
Ans- Not all administrators need to be excellent problem solvers so if you are not the best, be honest and say so. You could say that you are not good at solving problems but you understand the skills of your colleagues well and will always be able to persuade somebody to assist.
Q – 41 What are your communication skills that you have?
Ans- Say that they are very good and that you can communicate well face-to-face, on the telephone and via the Internet on email. Tell us about a time in your professional career when you went out of your way to complete a task for someone else.
Hopefully you have some real experiences – but you may have forgotten them by now. Think back and try to recall a time that you may have helped somebody when they were under pressure or off sick.
Q – 42 Tell me are you able to use any relevant software packages?
Ans- If you have experience, mention the packages you have used. If not, get some training in the most important packages before your interview. Ask your recruitment consultant what are the best packages to learn.
Q – 43 Example of a time you have delivered great customer service?
Ans- Ideally you have some real work experience that you can talk about. Talk in some detail about what you did and why it was great.
If you have no direct work experience then talk of an event where you helped a friend to resolve a problem and that these skills can be used in administration and customer care work.
Q – 44 How to cope with busy, stressful periods?
Ans- Answer that by staying organised and keeping a strict diary you find that stress does not become a real issue. As soon as you identify a possible delay due to high work volumes you raise this with your manager to see if the work can either be reallocated or given priority.
Q – 45 Do you enjoy to meeting with new people and interacting with customers?
Ans- Meeting people and speaking to customers is often a vital part of being an administrator. Say that you enjoy talking to people and that interaction with other people is often what makes the work most interesting.
Q – 46 Why you think that it’s important to be positive in an admin role?
Ans- Being positive is important because often a person’s attitude to their work can come across in their writing and presentation. Administrators sometimes provide the first impression a customer has of a business, so a positive and professional outlook is needed at all times.
Q – 47 How to feel about multitasking at work?
Ans- Multitasking is a necessary part of an administration job, so say that you enjoy multitasking and the challenge of ensuring that multiple functions and jobs are completed accurately and on time is part of what motivates you in your work.
Q – 48 What you enjoy the most about this type of work?
Ans- This is similar to the strengths/weaknesses questions – what you like least must be turned into a positive trait. Say that you enjoy the challenge of meeting deadlines and of working in a team environment. For what you like least, say that you do not like it when you see disorganised work and a poorly managed diary; you feel the need to help organise and manage the workload.
Q – 49 Share your experience that you have in administrator roles?
Ans- Here is your chance to run through all of your experience. Be concise and if you have done multiple roles, mention something specific for each one. Show that you have a lot of experience and are flexible.