100 Interview Questions For Hiring a Great Executive Assistant

Top 3 Quick Questions for Interviewing an Executive Assistant

The TacticWorks system helps you use part-time freelancers to grow your business. We like to keep interviews simple and quickly see if the freelancer is a good investment. Here are the top 3 questions to ask when hiring an Executive Assistant (EA):

1. How do you stay organized when managing multiple schedules?

This question assesses the candidate's organizational skills and their ability to juggle multiple responsibilities.

2. How do you handle confidential information?

This question is crucial for understanding the candidate's ability to maintain discretion and handle sensitive information appropriately.

3. How do you approach hiring and onboarding new team members?

This question explores the candidate's experience and strategy in recruiting and integrating new employees, highlighting their hiring and team-building skills.

Here are 100 questions for interviewing an executive assistant:

1. Can you tell me about yourself?
2. Why do you want this executive assistant job?
3. Why do you want to work for our company in this role?
4. Why do you think you are the best person for this job?
5. Why should we hire you as an executive assistant?
6. What do you know about our company?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. What kind of work environment do you like best?
9. What was your biggest achievement in your last job?
10. What are your strengths as an executive assistant?
11. Do you like working alone or with a team?
12. How do you decide what to do first at work?
13. How do you handle stress at work?
14. How do you figure out what your boss needs?
15. How do you deal with difficult people at work?
16. Tell me about a time you had to keep a secret at work.
17. Do you like to lead or follow when working on a big project?
18. How do you make sure your communication with vendors or contractors is clear?
19. How do you stay organized when managing multiple schedules?
20. How do you handle conflicting requests from your boss?
21. How good are you with computers?
22. What software programs have you used before?
23. Have you made presentation slides and notes before? Tell me about it.
24. What scheduling tools do you know how to use?
25. How good are you with spreadsheets?
26. How do you arrange a meeting for your boss from start to finish?
27. Are you comfortable making reports?
28. How do you make sure the information in your reports is correct?
29. What are the three most important skills for an executive assistant?
30. What system do you use to organize digital files?
31. Tell me about a time you worked with others to solve a problem for your boss.
32. Describe a time you had to choose which tasks to do first at work.
33. Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a coworker and how you solved it.
34. How do you handle tasks that aren’t going as planned?
35. Tell me about a problem you found and fixed by yourself at work.
36. What are you most proud of in your role as an executive assistant?
37. What do you do if you have a tight deadline and need help but are working with confidential information?
38. How would you handle being asked to work over the weekend for an important project?
39. What would you do if a supervisor without clearance asked to see sensitive information?
40. Share a time you showed your skills as an executive assistant.
41. What do you think an executive assistant brings to a company?
42. What three words describe a great executive assistant?
43. Tell me about your last job as an executive assistant. What did you like and dislike?
44. Tell me about a time you had to say no on behalf of your boss and it was hard.
45. Describe a time you had to reschedule a day full of meetings due to unexpected events.
46. How would you describe your computer skills? What software programs have you used?
47. If I gave you a confidential report, what would you do with it? What if another top-level executive asked you to share it?
48. Tell me about a time you were asked to do too much work outside normal hours. How did you handle it?
49. How do you handle last-minute changes to your schedule?
50. How do you manage your time when you have many tasks to complete?
51. Describe a time you had to learn something new quickly.
52. How do you make sure to meet deadlines?
53. Tell me about a time you had to handle a crisis at work.
54. How do you communicate with your boss about their needs?
55. How do you keep track of important details?
56. Describe a time you helped improve a process at work.
57. How do you handle confidential information?
58. How do you make travel arrangements for your boss?
59. Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult situation with a client or customer.
60. How do you stay motivated at work?
61. Describe a time you had to manage multiple projects at once.
62. How do you handle feedback from your boss?
63. How do you deal with unexpected challenges at work?
64. Tell me about a time you had to take on extra responsibilities.
65. How do you ensure accuracy in your work?
66. Describe a time you had to support multiple executives.
67. How do you stay updated with new tools and technology?
68. How do you handle interruptions at work?
69. Tell me about a time you had to manage your boss’s calendar.
70. How do you prepare for meetings?
71. Describe a time you had to negotiate with a vendor.
72. How do you handle a high-pressure situation?
73. How do you ensure effective communication with your team?
74. Tell me about a time you had to prioritize conflicting tasks.
75. How do you handle mistakes at work?
76. Describe a time you helped your boss achieve a goal.
77. How do you keep your work area organized?
78. How do you manage confidential emails and documents?
79. Tell me about a time you had to handle a difficult phone call.
80. How do you ensure clear communication with remote teams?
81. Describe a time you had to help plan a large event.
82. How do you handle last-minute changes to travel plans?
83. How do you keep track of important deadlines?
84. Tell me about a time you had to create a complex report.
85. How do you ensure your boss’s meetings are productive?
86. Describe a time you had to handle multiple urgent tasks at once.
87. How do you maintain a professional demeanor under stress?
88. Tell me about a time you had to learn a new software program quickly.
89. How do you keep your boss informed about important updates?
90. How do you handle confidential phone calls?
91. Describe a time you had to support a new executive.
92. How do you ensure your boss’s priorities are met?
93. Tell me about a time you had to organize a complex schedule.
94. How do you handle confidential information when working remotely?
95. Describe a time you had to create a detailed presentation.
96. How do you ensure your boss’s travel plans are smooth?
97. Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult project.
98. How do you handle last-minute requests from your boss?
99. How do you ensure effective communication with your boss’s team?
100. Describe a time you had to handle a difficult situation with a coworker.