How employers can improve their hiring process for early-career administrative candidates

There are a huge number of reasons why some employers seem to consistently hire the best talent but a key differentiator that is often overlooked is the hiring process itself.

We reached out to 14 hiring experts to ask them for suggestions for how employers can improve the process of hiring early-career administrative candidates. They delve into practical skills assessments, the value of transferable skills, and innovative approaches to uncover the true potential of candidates.

• Incorporate Practical Skills Assessments
• Review Transferable Skills
• Prioritize Skills and Aptitude
• Use Personality Assessments
• Focus on Potential Over Experience
• Leverage Gamification and Recognition
• Emphasize Professional Development
• Design Scenario-Based Tasks
• Create Open-Case Scenario Interviews
• Implement Internship Programs
• Incorporate Hands-On Testing
• Utilize Social Media Recruiting
• Build a Structured Onboarding Experience
• Simplify the Interview Process

Incorporate Practical Skills Assessments

One actionable suggestion for improving the hiring process for early-career administrative candidates is to incorporate practical skills assessments directly into the application or interview process. For example, you could ask candidates to complete a short task such as scheduling a mock meeting, creating a simple spreadsheet, or drafting a professional email. These exercises provide a clear picture of their organizational and technical skills, which are often more critical than prior experience at this level.

To attract top talent, also make the job description clear and engaging, emphasizing skill development, mentorship, and opportunities to grow within the organization. This approach ensures you identify capable candidates while appealing to those eager to advance their administrative careers.

Nick Esquivel, CEO, Globaltize

Review Transferable Skills

Employers who want to improve their hiring process for early-career administrative candidates should review their transferable skills. Do they possess strong organizational, communication, problem-solving abilities, and the like through their involvement in clubs, volunteering activities, sororities, and fraternities? By emphasizing qualities like adaptability, attention to detail, and tech savviness, employers can attract a broader pool of applicants and demonstrate their strategic and forward-thinking approach. 

If personality appears to be a good culture fit, offering training for professional growth within the role can appeal to candidates eager to learn and develop. Conducting interviews with behavioral questions, a method that helps assess potential rather than solely relying on experience, can give employers confidence in their evaluation process. Candidates should have 5-7 STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Result) stories well-prepared for some transferable skills based on their personal experiences to make the stories authentic.

Lynne Williams, Resumes & LinkedIn – Executive Director, Great Careers Network

Prioritize Skills and Aptitude

One actionable suggestion I’d give employers looking to improve early-career administrative hiring is to prioritize skills and aptitude over rigid experience requirements. Many highly capable admin candidates get overlooked because job descriptions focus too narrowly on years of experience or industry-specific knowledge.

When working with the County of Los Angeles, we helped them revamp their entry-level admin postings to emphasize core competencies like organization, communication, and problem-solving. They saw a 32% increase in qualified, diverse applicants.

My advice: Craft job descriptions that invite potential, not just proven experience. Hire for aptitude and invest in training. That’s how you’ll build an agile, high-performing administrative team for the future.

Michael Hurwitz, President/Co-Founder, Careers in Government

Use Personality Assessments

So bring in elements of personality testing in your recruitment process to detect candidates with personality traits needed for success as an administrator (such as organization, attention to detail, and proactivity). Technical skills can often be learned in a training course, but these personality traits are more difficult to cultivate and are essential to ensuring ongoing success in administrative jobs.

With personality assessments, you’ll gain more insight into how the applicant stokes a fire, keeps a structure, and overcomes hurdles in their everyday life. For instance, someone high in conscientiousness will likely perform well managing timetables, tracking due dates, and making sure details don’t slip through the cracks. Likewise, proactive people are more likely to foresee needs, get things solved on their own, and take the initiative to support their team or leadership.

To utilize personality assessments well, employers ought to select the tools that are designed to identify the features likely to have an effect on administrative effectiveness. Such assessments can be used early in the hiring process, to vet your candidates, or later in interviews, to round out other evaluation processes. Running a personality test alongside a structured interview, for example, enables employers to look at how the candidate’s traits play out in practice.

Personality assessments push back against the resume-based method, which can miss potential, by honing in on traits such as organization and attention to detail. These types of tools provide valuable insights into early-career applicants who may not have extensive professional experience as they relate to the job. This helps employers pinpoint candidates who may lack a long work history, but have some of the building blocks to succeed in administrative roles.

In addition, using personality assessments proves to candidates that the organization takes a thoughtful, well-rounded approach to hiring. This accounts for a positive perception of the company and encourages talent to apply. Coupled with other methods, like skills-based tests or shadowing opportunities, personality assessments lead to a more comprehensive hiring process that helps better align candidates with roles.

Sean Smith, CEO & ex-Head of HR, Alpas Wellness

Focus on Potential Over Experience

One actionable suggestion I would give to employers is to focus on prioritizing potential over experience when hiring entry-level administrative candidates. When I started hiring for my own business, I learned that skills like adaptability, willingness to learn, and strong communication often outshone years of experience. Entry-level candidates may not have extensive resumes, but they bring fresh perspectives and a hunger to prove themselves. 

By crafting interview questions that assess problem-solving skills or situational judgment, you can get a better idea of their capabilities and work ethic. For instance, asking how they would handle organizing a last-minute event or prioritizing conflicting tasks often reveals their aptitude. It’s also key to make the interview process feel less intimidating—it’s not only about evaluating them but also about showing candidates that your organization values growth and mentorship. Offering clear opportunities for training and development goes a long way in attracting promising talent and building a supportive workplace culture.

Ketie Zhang, Founder, Ketie Story

Leverage Gamification and Recognition

When it comes to hiring early-career administrative candidates, leveraging gamification during the recruitment process can provide unique insights while engaging prospective employees. We integrate gamified assessments to evaluate candidates’ problem-solving skills, adaptability, and cultural fit in real-time scenarios. This approach not only attracts tech-savvy candidates but also reveals their intrinsic motivation and potential to thrive in dynamic environments.

Another actionable strategy is to emphasize recognition and gratitude in your hiring interactions. Candidates who witness an organization’s commitment to celebrating achievements and expressing appreciation are more likely to feel valued and motivated to contribute. By highlighting our gratitude culture, we’ve seen a measurable increase in attracting candidates with strong emotional intelligence who align with our values.

Finally, utilizing data-driven insights to fine-tune recruitment processes ensures that you are making informed decisions. We employ analytics to track the success of hiring initiatives, adjusting strategies for better alignment with candidate expectations. This not only improves the effectiveness of the recruitment process but also improves overall candidate satisfaction and retention. 

Meghan Calhoun, Co-Founder & Director of Partner Success, Give River

Emphasize Professional Development

When candidates are early in their careers, you can’t rely as much on past performance to indicate their potential success in the future. Some strong candidates may come to you with no relevant professional experience, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a bad hire—just that they need someone to give them a chance to prove their competency in this kind of setting.

Instead of focusing on the resume for these roles, I recommend focusing on potential and the applicant’s potential future with your company. You want to attract candidates who are eager to learn and continue improving while they work for you. Emphasizing the professional development you offer employees is one way to do this. Candidates who are most interested in their career development will be drawn to benefits like mentorship programs, career pathways for internal mobility, and similar growth opportunities, so you should absolutely mention those as benefits in your job postings.

In a similar vein, rework your application and interview process to focus more on potential than past performance. Ask applicants about their career aspirations and pose hypothetical interview questions to gauge how they’ll respond to common scenarios they’ll encounter in your workplace. It’s also useful to assess how they respond to feedback and constructive criticism, which can be a strong indicator of whether they have the kind of growth mindset you want to see in early career candidates.

Granted, you do still need to make sure they’re capable of performing the role to a high standard. That said, you don’t want to include too many requirements, especially ones related to experience, that could deter candidates from applying. Instead, using skill or personality assessments can be useful to identify applicants who would thrive in the role, even if they haven’t worked in one like it before.

Archie Payne, Co-Founder & President, CalTek Staffing

Design Scenario-Based Tasks

The best way to improve the hiring process for early-career administrative candidates is to design scenario-based tasks inspired by real workplace situations. These tasks should reflect the types of challenges candidates might face daily, such as managing schedules, handling unexpected requests, or streamlining communication between teams. Including these in the initial application stage ensures applicants demonstrate their approach to practical problem-solving, offering insights beyond a resume or standard interview answers.

Armed with the results from these tasks, you can have a quick chat with each candidate about their decisions. Ask why they approached it the way they did or what they might tweak next time. It’s a simple way to understand their mindset and problem-solving style. Plus, it helps them see exactly what the role involves, which keeps things transparent. This approach ensures you’re choosing someone who’s not only skilled but ready to step in with confidence from day one.

Richard McKay, Chief Marketing Officer, Sprung Flooring

Create Open-Case Scenario Interviews

I recommend creating an “open-case scenario” interview, where early-career candidates are given a real, unsolved problem related to the role and asked how they would approach solving it. In my experience, this method goes beyond assessing technical skills and reveals how a candidate thinks, organizes their approach, and prioritizes tasks under pressure. For example, a candidate for an administrative role might be asked to plan a hypothetical company event on a tight timeline or handle scheduling conflicts for a high-level executive. This process shifts the focus from their past experience to their ability to adapt, innovate, and remain calm in practical situations. Employers gain insight into their resourcefulness, and candidates get a chance to show how they’d genuinely contribute.

Matthew Goulart, Founder, Ignite Digital

Implement Internship Programs

Internship programs give candidates practical, hands-on experience so they can understand the role and showcase their skills in a real-life scenario. For employers, it’s an opportunity to see technical skills and how candidates adapt to your company’s culture and processes.

Structured internships with clear roles and objectives benefit from these programs. Give candidates relevant tasks and pair them with a mentor, and they will learn and contribute. This helps the interns and makes them more ready for the job market.

Internships also simplify the hiring process. Candidates who do well can move into full-time roles, reducing recruitment costs and onboarding time.

Harry Morton, Founder, Lower Street

Incorporate Hands-On Testing

I’ve learned that traditional interviews often miss the natural abilities that predict true success. That’s why we incorporate hands-on testing throughout our interview process, having candidates tackle real organizational challenges. Watching a candidate navigate complex scheduling conflicts or streamline a chaotic document system reveals more than any résumé. 

Recently, this method helped us identify a standout hire who lacked formal experience but showed exceptional problem-solving abilities during our practical exercises. She quickly became one of our most efficient team members.

These real-world demonstrations not only identify capable candidates but give them an authentic insight into daily responsibilities. When candidates understand exactly what the role entails through hands-on experience, they make more informed decisions about their fit with the position and team.

Aaron Whittaker, VP of Demand Generation & Marketing, Thrive Digital Marketing Agency

Utilize Social Media Recruiting

Leverage social media recruiting to connect with early-career administrative candidates by showcasing your company culture and posting job openings on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Social media provides a relaxed and accessible way for candidates to get a feel for your organization and visualize themselves in the role. Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your workplace, team events, and employee success stories helps build a strong employer brand that appeals to younger talent.

These platforms also encourage informal engagement, allowing candidates to ask questions and learn about your values before applying. Social media allows you to target specific demographics, reaching the ideal candidates more effectively.

Promoting job openings through social media casts a wider net, especially among younger individuals who are active on these platforms. Embracing this strategy helps attract top talent while strengthening your company’s digital presence.

Matt Wouldes, Founder, Land & Sea NZ

Build a Structured Onboarding Experience

I’d recommend employers focus on building a structured, yet flexible onboarding experience for early-career administrative candidates. While it’s important to assess candidates’ skills and experience, it’s equally vital to evaluate their potential for growth and adaptability.

My actionable suggestion is to implement a comprehensive training and mentorship program that empowers these candidates to thrive in their roles. This includes pairing them with a mentor, providing regular feedback, and offering clear pathways for professional development.

By creating a supportive and growth-oriented environment, you can not only enhance their performance but also foster loyalty and engagement, which is crucial for retaining top talent.

Amit Doshi, Founder & CEO, MyTurn

Simplify the Interview Process

The best way to improve the process for early-career administrative candidates is to keep the interview process SIMPLE. Anything more than three rounds of interviews is too much, especially for candidates who are just starting their careers. Keep in mind, these people might be experiencing their VERY FIRST job interviews, and subjecting them to an extensive, multi-stage process can be intimidating. The aim should be to craft an appealing, uncomplicated experience that enables them to display their talents and potential without undue pressure or strain.

For instance, a streamlined two-step process could involve an initial phone screen, then one in-person (or video) interview with the hiring team. This allows for both parties to be introduced before lengthening the process or putting unnecessary roadblocks. For example, our company took this route years ago and saw both candidate participation and offer acceptances rise dramatically—apparently not just because candidates were excited by the opportunity, but because the ease of the experience had been the deciding factor. Taking this approach not only maintains the human touch but also shows candidates that you VALUE THEIR TIME and care about their interests—factors that will inevitably stick, even if they miss out on the role!

Marc Hardgrove, CEO, The Hoth