Position Name: Executive Assistant
Interviewer
Candidate Name
Interview Date
Introductory Questions
– Interviewer(s) share name, role, tenure, and hand business cards for thank you messages – Share a brief overview of the company
– Give Candidate the Job Description, highlight Job Purpose, Schedule/Travel, Major Challenges & Key Decisions, and Physical Requirements
Walk us through your professional background.
Transitional & Verification Questions
– Clarify any unclear information from resume or application
– Verify availability for work hours and schedule, start date, and other important details
What interests you about this role?
Will you now or at any point in the future require visa sponsorship to work for us?
Technical Questions
– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups
How would you describe your proficiency level in [Excel as an example]?
Behavioral / Situational Questions
– Ask job related questions, based on skills and competencies needed for the role
– Ask open ended questions that allow candidates to tell a story about a specific example
– Ask 5-10 questions based on the role and how much time you have (~3-4 minutes per question)
– Listen for recent examples, details, consistency, the candidate’s role in the story, and teamwork
– Take notes and ask clarifying questions as follow-ups. Follow up questions may include:
- Tell us more about the action you took and the outcome.
- What did you say at that point?
- How did you react to that situation?
- Explain your role in more detail.
- Tell me in detail what steps you took.
- And what was the result?
- Describe the obstacles you faced in getting it done.
- What other options did you consider?
- Why do you think you reacted as you did?
- How do you think others felt about your actions at the time?
- Were you satisfied with the outcome of your actions?
- If the same or a similar situation presented itself, what would you do differently?
Analytical/Detail Orientation
There are times when we inadvertently let details “slip through the cracks.” Tell me about a time when this happened to you. What was the cause? What were the results?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Describe a task/project you completed which required a substantial attention to detail. How did you decide what to do first? What obstacles did you face? What was the final result?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Communication
Describe your most recent conflict within a team setting because of a miscommunication and how you were able to solve it.
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Describe a recent time when you heard through the grapevine information which was untrue or classified. What was the situation and how did you handle it?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Give me an example of the types of writing that is required of you in your current position. How do you go about beginning the writing process?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
To get our points across, we sometimes need to use differing approaches when talking with different types of people. Talk to me about a time when you have done that successfully.
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Creativity/Innovation
Give me an example of how you came up with a unique and novel solution to a problem.
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Critical Thinking
Describe for me a recent time when you needed to make a job-related decision but did not have all of the information you needed. How did you go about completing the task?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Emotional Intelligence
How do you determine what information and when it is time to update upper management?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
What sort of impression do you think you have made with your executive-level management team? Why do you say that?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
What has been the most difficult criticism for you to receive?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Initiative
How do you typically make your leadership aware of your extra contributions and initiative?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Planning & Organization
What tools do you use to plan your day? How do these help you determine priorities? How do you keep others informed?
Situation:
Action:
Result:
Candidate’s Questions
– Be sure to leave time for their questions, generally 1-3
– Paint a positive but honest view of the pros and cons of the work and culture
Notes
Closing Questions
– Describe where you are in the process, next steps, and when they can expect to hear back
– Ask if they have any final remarks
What do you hope to find in our organization that you don’t have now?
Interviewer Assessment
Enter your overall assessment about the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and fit for this position.
Would you recommend this candidate advance in the process?