Why pre-screen administrators before the interview
The test in this role is four people needing something urgently from one person. Administrators who work well have a way of deciding what actually waits and tell people rather than going quiet. They also hold information they overhear, which matters more in a small office than anywhere else. A short screen asks how they decide what waits, which is most of the job.
What actually matters when screening General Administrator candidates
- 01
Execution and reliability
Check throughput on real admin load: inbox triage volumes, diary management for multiple managers, invoice coding in Xero or QuickBooks, and how they tracked deadlines without dropping items.
- 02
Improving the process
Probe one workflow they rebuilt: a filing structure, expense claim template, onboarding checklist, or mail merge that cut repeat work, plus hours or errors saved.
- 03
Judgement and autonomy
Assess where they act alone versus escalate: booking travel over budget, handling a supplier chasing payment, correcting a director's calendar clash, handling confidential HR files.
- 04
Communication
Judge how they write to senior staff, suppliers and colleagues: minute taking, chasing overdue approvals, and delivering awkward news like a cancelled booking.
Pre-screening questions to ask General Administrator candidates
10 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Work they ran
2 questions01What is your previous experience in an administrative role?
Listen forResponsibilities they owned rather than assisted with, and the size of the office or team supported.
Experience described in general terms, or ownership claimed for tasks they only helped with.
02Can you describe your experience with scheduling and managing correspondence?
Listen forDiaries managed across several people, with conflicts resolved and correspondence answered promptly.
Scheduling described as booking rooms, or correspondence left unanswered until chased.
Systems not memory
2 questions03Are you familiar with office management systems and procedures?
Listen forSystems used consistently so someone else could pick up the work if they were away.
Processes held in their head, or filing and records that only they can navigate.
04What software are you most comfortable using day to day?
Listen forPractical competence with the everyday tools, including spreadsheets beyond basic data entry.
Software listed with no depth, or an inability to describe anything beyond typing and email.
Prioritising properly
3 questions05How do you prioritise when you are given several tasks at once?
Listen forA clear method based on deadline and consequence, with people told when something will be late.
Everything treated as equally urgent, or tasks dropped without anyone being informed.
06What do you do to stay organised and meet deadlines?
Listen forA system they actually maintain day to day, with commitments tracked rather than simply remembered.
Organisation described as remembering things, or no system that survives a busy week.
07How do you handle pressure in a busy office environment?
Listen forComposure with help asked for before something is missed, and a specific busy period described.
Pressure described in general terms, or problems raised only after a deadline has passed.
Discretion held
3 questions08Do you have experience handling confidential information?
Listen forA clear rule on what is not repeated, including information overheard rather than given to them.
Colleague or customer detail shared casually in the answer itself, or discretion treated loosely.
09Can you describe a time when you dealt with a difficult colleague or customer?
Listen forThe situation handled calmly with a resolution, described without disparaging the other person.
Former colleagues criticised in the answer, or conflicts that were left unresolved.
10Are you comfortable supporting several managers at once?
Listen forCompeting demands handled by making priorities visible, with managers asked to resolve genuine clashes.
Competing requests absorbed silently, or one manager consistently prioritised without discussion.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Execution and reliability
35%5Names daily volumes, tools such as Outlook, SharePoint or Asana, and a personal tracking system that kept nothing outstanding past deadline.
Improving the process
25%5Describes a specific process before and after, with a template, macro or shared tracker still in use and a measurable time saving.
Judgement and autonomy
25%5Draws a clear line on spend limits and confidentiality, cites a decision made unsupervised and one correctly escalated with context attached.
Communication
15%5Gives crisp examples of minutes, chase emails and phone handling; tone shifts appropriately between director, vendor and new starter.
Four people need something urgently from one person. A one-way video screen asks how they decide what waits.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for this role take?
Ten minutes across eight questions, answered async. Enough to establish the work they ran, test how they prioritise and organise, and check their handling of confidential information.
Why screen this role on video?
Because this role speaks to everyone in the business and often to customers first. How someone comes across in two minutes on camera is what visitors and callers will experience.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening this role?
How they decide what waits. Strong administrators have a method and communicate it. Anyone who says they do everything immediately will drop something without telling anyone.
How do I judge their discretion?
Ask what they do with information they overhear. Sound answers keep it entirely. Anyone who shares detail about colleagues in the answer will do the same in your office.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
