If you’ve been offered a temporary job interview – congratulations!
Interviewing for a temporary position can differ from interviewing for a long-term or permanent position. The next step is to prepare for your interview, which includes practising the answers to some hypothetical temp job interview questions your potential employer might pose.
Employers and temp agencies want to find out what skills their potential temporary hires can bring to the role, if they are a good fit, and if they can quickly adapt to the work environment.
If you’ve not worked in a temp role before, you might be interested in reading our complete guide to temporary work.
Let’s look at some of the most common interview questions for a temp position out there today and some example answers. Of course, how you respond to your temp agency interview questions will depend on your role and circumstances.
1. Why are you interested in the role?
Example answer:
“I want to forge a career in the legal sector, and I believe this role could help me fine-tune my existing skills while learning new ones. My interest was piqued by the value you place on client relationships, as well as your innovative business model.”
2. Describe an instance when you had to adapt to a new situation quickly.
Example answer:
“In my previous role at a small startup, the office manager had to leave at short notice. There was a big client coming in for a meeting I had to prepare for, but as nobody else was available, I also had to make calls to suppliers on behalf of my manager. By prioritising what I had to do, I was able to handle the situation until my manager returned in the afternoon.
3. Describe a time when you had to manage a stressful workplace situation. What did you do?
Example answer:
“While working as a temporary EA at a property brokerage, the power went down 10 minutes before I was due to deliver a presentation to a client. This meant I couldn’t deliver the presentation using the AV equipment in the meeting room. Fortunately, I had the slides on my phone, so I was able to deliver the presentation without the visuals and focused on providing more verbal context to make up for it.”
4. Why do you want a temporary job?
Example answer:
“I’m due to start a part-time university degree in another part of the country in September, so I didn't want to commit to a permanent role at your organisation. If I’m successful and the opportunity arises after the 6-month contract comes to an end, I’d be interested in working for you remotely, part-time.”
5. What’s your availability like?
Example answer:
“I’m available to start work in one week. My schedule is quite flexible, and I can work standard office hours or evenings.”
6. What skills can you bring to the role?
Example answer:
“After working as a receptionist at various firms for two years, I’m confident in my communication skills and ability to collaborate with other team members. My experience as a temp has also exposed me to different processes and software systems, making it easy for me to ‘hit the ground running’.”
7. What are your key motivators?
Example answer:
“I’m incentivised by having responsibility over my work and doing the best I can to succeed. Although I enjoy having some autonomy over what I do, I’m energised by being part of a collaborative team and learning new skills from others.”
8. Would you consider accepting a full-time permanent position down the line?
Example answer:
“I would be open to a full-time permanent role at your organisation. Your company’s values align with my own, and your workplace is somewhere I think I could really develop, grow and reach my career goals. I love that you offer your permanent staff training opportunities!”
We also have a guide on turning your temp job to a permament position, which will be helpful if this is your ultimate objective.
Looking for a temp job in London?
We hope you’ve found these common interview questions useful.
If you’re looking for a new short-term administrative position in London, you’ve come to the right place. As a temp agency, we work on behalf of our clients to recruit temporary admin staff, PAs, office managers, receptionists and HR assistants. Search our available temp jobs today.
