Top Questions to Ask a Data Entry Clerk at an Interview (and Sample Answers)
The job of a data entry clerk is to make sure that an organization’s database is always correct and up to date. During the interview, the hiring manager will ask the candidate questions to find out if they can meet these needs and what kind of employee they would be. Knowing what information an interviewer is looking for, like your experience and skills with data entry, will help you feel more at ease when you talk to them. This article has a list of more than 30 data entry job interview questions to help you get ready for your interview.
General questions
Interviewers ask these general questions to learn more about your work history and why you want the job:
- What makes you want to do this job?
- How familiar are you with our group?
- How do you think data entry works in our business?
- Tell me about your current job or the one you had before.
- What is the best thing you do at work?
- What’s the worst thing about your job?
- What motivates you most at work?
- How do you handle stress at work?
- Do you consider yourself to be a well-organized person?
- Where would you like to work the most?
- Why should we let you do this job?
- What do you want to know about this job?
Questions about your background and how much you know about data entry
Here are some questions that are often asked to see how much you know about data entry and how good you are at it:
- How well do you know how to put data in?
- If you’ve never done data entry before, what skills can you bring to the table?
- What do you like best about entering data?
- When you’re entering data, what gives you the most trouble? What do you do to deal with it?
- How many words can you type per minute?
- How well do you think you can touch type?
- What qualities do you think a good data entry clerk should have?
- How are data integrity and data validity different?
- How do you avoid making mistakes when entering data?
- How do you use the software you know?
- What kind of tech do you think would help you in this job?
- How well do you know how to use word processing programs or office tools?
Is putting in information the same as filing? Why or why not? I want to know.
In-depth questions
Interviewers may ask you the following questions to find out if you would be a good fit for the job:
- Tell me how you try to avoid or deal with having too much work to do.
- For this job, a lot of time needs to be spent on the computer. How do you keep yourself from getting too distracted while working?
- Give an example of a good thing someone said about your past data entry work.
- Tell me about a time when your attention to detail helped you do your work better.
- How do you deal with a difficult customer or coworker? Tell me about a problem you had and how you fixed it.
- Tell me about a time when something went wrong while you were entering data. How did you make it better?
- Tell me about a time when you had to quickly learn and use something new.
- Tell me about a time when you tried a new way to enter data that made it easier or faster.
- What would you do if the information you were given was hard to understand?
- Tell me about a time you had to deal with something that was secret or private.
- How do you figure out which details on a page with a lot of data are the most important for data entry?
- Do you feel comfortable working on your own and from afar? How can you be sure you’ll do well in that situation?
- What would you do if you knew you weren’t going to make a deadline?
Sample questions and answers for a job interview with a data entry clerk
Here are some common interview questions for data entry clerks and sample answers you can use to help you think of your own:
How can you keep going when you have to keep doing the same thing?
The interviewer wants to know if you are comfortable sitting in front of a computer screen and doing tasks over and over again. It’s important to show that you know your limits and know how to stay motivated and healthy. Your answer should also explain how these methods help you stay on task and make sure you do things right when doing similar tasks throughout the day.
“I like repetitive work because it makes me feel like I’m getting something done, especially once I get into a rhythm. But I also know how important breaks are, so I usually take a few short ones throughout the day to get up and move around and give my eyes a break from the computer screen. Taking these short breaks helps me come back to the task at hand with a clear mind. If I need a change of pace, I switch between data entry and other tasks so I don’t get the urge to do something else.
How would you handle sensitive or private information?
Depending on the type of business the company does, you may have access to sensitive information like credit card information, medical information, or other sensitive data. The employer wants to know if you can be trusted with this kind of information and if you will respect privacy laws. Your answer should show that you know how important it is to be in this position and that you want to do the right thing.
Example: “Because I know how important privacy is to our customers, I take it very seriously. I treat their information like it was my own. I put this information somewhere safe and don’t share it with anyone else without their permission. Because of this, I’ve never had trouble keeping secrets at my previous jobs, and I can provide references to back this up.”
When you have a lot of work to do and not much time, how do you decide what to do first?
The interviewer wants to make sure that you know how to manage your time well so that you can meet the needs of the organization well. Your answer should show the interviewer that you can organize and manage your time well and that you can decide on your own what to do first. Focus your answer on how you plan your tasks based on how important they are and how much time you have.
Example: “I do my best to keep up with my work. At the start of the day, I write down everything I need to do and decide how important each task is. For example, I usually put the tasks with the shortest deadlines at the top of my list. If there aren’t any hard deadlines, I usually start with the easier tasks so I can get them done and then move on to the ones that take more time. If I need help, I’m not afraid to talk to a manager and ask what tasks they think should be done first.
How can you be sure that the information you enter is right?
The main job of a data entry clerk is to enter data, so they must be careful and accurate. The person interviewing you wants to know that you will take this responsibility seriously, especially if you will be entering important information. Your answer to this question should show that you understand this to the interviewer. Tell them how you check your work to make sure it is right.
Example: “I’m proud of how accurate I am because I know that making a mistake when entering data can lead to bad things. I make sure my work is correct at every step. Before I enter any data, for example, I carefully read the data. Before I finish the work, I read the data over several times and compare it to the originals. I also make sure the data is right by double-checking the source documents.
How do you use the office software you know?
You need to know how to use office software if you want to work as a data entry clerk. The interviewer wants to make sure you know how to use the tools their company uses, so pay attention to any software mentioned in the job description. In your answer, you should say what office software and data entry programs you know how to use and how well. Also, if you don’t know how to use the company’s tools, it’s a good idea to show that you want to learn them quickly.
Example: “For eight years, I’ve used the Microsoft Office Suite. At my last job, we used our own software to enter data, so I had to learn it quickly. I like learning about new technology, though, so by the end of my second week on the job, I was comfortable using that program.
