If you are interested in finding an administrative or PA temporary role it is important that you prepare ahead and are ready with good questions to ask a prospective employer at the job interview. As much as the company needs to hire the right temporary candidate it is equally as important that this is a desired career path for you and you are getting out of it what you need, for example, personal development.
Whether you are looking for a maternity contract, a short-term assignment or a temp to perm role it is a good idea to get some professional advice on the right questions to ask in a job interview to make sure that the opportunity is a good fit for you to achieve your long term goals. Our guide on temporary working gives a clear insight into what to expect at this stage of your search.
1. What is the company like to work for?
There are lots of great questions to ask in an interview, and preparation is key. A strong first question would be to ask about the organisation as a whole. An overview of the company will allow you to find out what they do, their goals, company ethos and culture and how they see your role fitting in with the wider picture. It is important to find out if the company is somewhere you can see yourself settling into happily, can give you the support you need and how they treat their temporary workers.
2. What are the main duties of the role?
A simple but great question to ask in an interview is what your key tasks will be. A prospective employer will be looking for your enthusiasm about the role itself as well as working for the company. When the interviewer goes through the job description with you it will allow you to give clear examples of when you have successfully done similar tasks and prove your worth, whilst also letting you know if you have the right skill sets and experience for the role. Review our PA and EA job descriptions for a headstart on what your responsibilities should be.
3. Will there be opportunities to take on additional tasks?
One important question to ask a prospective employer is about scope. Asking about the scope of the role is important if you are looking for some professional development or more variation. Although it is always necessary to keep on top of the core duties, some companies do have the capacity to give you extra projects to work on once you have settled in and found your feet.
4. Will there be on the job training?
A good job interview question to ask a potential employer is about the training provision. A lot of temporary employees want to add to their skill set as well as keeping up to date with their existing ones. Even if you are a highly experienced PA or administrative candidate, most companies have their own way of doing things and a good handover or training session can be necessary for a smooth transition from one employee to the next.
5. Will there be other potential opportunities coming up within the business that might suit me long term?
This is a good interview question to ask a prospective employer if you’re looking for a temp to perm opportunity. However long your temporary assignment is initially for, unless this is just a quick stopgap, it is always a good idea to ask if there is any possibility of staying on at the company after the temporary position has ended. There are no guarantees of this at the interview stage, however, it is worthwhile knowing in advance if there are likely to be any openings further down the line. It will also highlight to the hiring manager your long term interest in their company.
6. What do you consider to be the greatest challenges in this temporary role?
This is another great question to ask in an interview and will allow you to suss out if there have been any problems with this role previously. Different employees find different things challenging and it is good to know about any strong personalities that will be sat within your team, how deadline heavy the role will be, how much support you will be given and what your workload will be like throughout your time there. This will all help in building up a true picture of the role, helping you decide whether it’s the right role for you.
7. What has your time here at the company been like?
It is always a good idea to build up a rapport with the hiring manager and ask her/him about their experiences whilst at the company. Ask what made them choose to work there and what has made them stay? It is always reassuring to hear a potential colleague speaking passionately about their workplace.
8. What’s the next step?
This is an important question to ask a prospective employer at the end of any interview and their reply will give you a strong indication of how successful you have been. Do ask what the intended start date is for the role and how many other candidates are going through the interview process. If you are unsuccessful, brush yourself off and focus on the next interview that presents itself. It’s particularly important to consider how to be a stand out candidate if unemployment rates and, thus, competition is high.
Land Your Perfect PA or Administrative Temp Role Through Oriel Partners
At Oriel Partners, our goal is to help you land your ideal role. We have many exciting and rewarding temporary vacancies in London, and if this is your chosen career path or just a stop-gap whilst you find that perfect permanent position, get in touch.
