- What is computerized payroll systems very briefly?
Computerized payroll systems include complete employee information including loans, pay structures, reimbursements, salary slip generation and income tax management. Since everything is computerized, it is easy to handle calculations and manage printing activities.
- What are the payroll inputs?
Overtime. Shift allowances, commission, salary, medical aid, provident/pension fund etc.
- Tell me how does higher management benefit from payroll reports?
It shows them where the company is financially, as well it shows them labor costs, and gives them the numbers to work with in analyzing company policies and procedures.
- Tell me how would you handle an employee’s ire due to a payroll error?
Since neither machines nor humans can make sure that payrolls are accurate every time, one does come across annoyed employees. If such an event occurs and I discover that the fault is at my end, I always apologize and make arrangements to correct the error immediately.
- Tell me what do you consider a biggest mistake you did in your job?
If you choose something from accounting, please choose an example when you were able to correct the mistake at the end. Mistakes can prove costly, but we are only human beings. We make mistakes.
- Tell me what is retro pay?
Retroactive pay is a delayed wage payment for work already performed at a lower wage rate. It is distinguished from back pay.
- Tell me an examples of the payroll reports you have prepared?
I have prepared Time Labour Entry Audit reports that reflect Job codes, wages, Gl accounts, time repoting codes, rates.
- What is a bad employee?
An employee that will not follow company policy. Does not read company handbook. Think that all companies have same benefits.
- Differentiate between a pay slip and a paycheck?
Pay slip is a slip that contains all details of the employees like total wages, deduction details, tax cuttings and the like. While a paycheck is a certification that the employee has earned a certain amount and can cash it form the bank.
- Tell us how did you get started in payroll?
I first got started with taking payments when I was in the insurance business. I would also make daily deposits for Nationwide. I then went on to the Head Start program and started doing their payroll in 2008.
- Tell us how do you keep updated on all the payroll rules and techniques?
I am required by the CPA to keep my education up to date and in order to keep my PCP certification current and valid. The CPA offers webinars and seminars that I am able to attend.
- Explain me why do you think you can do this job well?
Refer to your qualification, as well as to abilities that are important for a good clerk. I talk about abilities such as detail oriented personality, responsibility, good computing skills, good knowledge of law, etc. You can also say that you are very motivated to have this job and believe that a motivated person always does a good job!
- Explain me why is accuracy so important for someone handling payroll activities?
There are so many calculations that one has to do and even the slightest of inaccuracy can mess up an entire payroll system. Accuracy is very important because of the amount of money involved. If payroll personnel do not pay attention to what money is going where, all accounting procedures go haywire.
- Explain what are payroll source documents?
All documents required for payroll processing and filing are called payroll source documents. These include attendance records, time records, pay-in slips, job sheets, tax information, salary details and the like
- Tell us what Is Your Proficiency With Microsoft Applications?
Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel and Access are very important in processing payroll and organizing attendance, hours worked and pay adjustments. Qualified applicants should have considerable knowledge of Microsoft applications.
- List three important skills for someone working in a payroll position?
People working in a payroll position need to be accurate, possess the ability to make sound decisions and have a high level of proficiency.
- Tell me what are your future plans with the company?
I plan to be withe the company indefinitely. I plan to learn the job and become and exceptional ps so that I can successfully move up within the department.
- Tell me what is the largest payroll you have been in charge of?
The largest payroll I have been in charge of was a manual payroll project using excel and the firm consisted of six employees.
- Please explain what Payroll Forms Are You Familiar With?
Payroll administrators must understand the function and proper usage of various payroll forms. Forms related to payroll include personal data forms, overtime or absence approval forms, expense reimbursement forms and time sheets.
- Tell me what is gratuity? How is it calculated?
Gratuity is an amount accumulated over the tenure of employees, calculated using a certain formula and is payable when an employee retires or resigns. The formula for calculation of gratuity is: basic pay divided by no of working days in a month multiplied by total number of years worked.
- Tell me what should be the qualities of payroll clerk?
In order to score well in this interview question, an efficient way is to give a list of qualities and skills that are in alignment with the respective position. You can start with:
☛ First, one must understand the methods required to succeed in this position
☛ Secondly, indicate that the job will be your #1 priority
☛ Third, indicate that you understand the importance of working as a team
Remember that regardless of position, self awareness is listed time and again as one of the number one things an employer looks for. Beyond this, staples such as:
☛ Good communication
☛ Confidence
☛ Trustworthiness
☛ Passion
☛ Preparedness
Are always great qualities to mention.
- Please explain your experience with payroll?
I have done payroll for 3 different companies with different types of needs and different industries. This has help me to adapt quickly.
- Explain me any payroll process that you have developed or revised?
No timesheets were in place. I got my wage clerk to develop a time sheet on excel and was implemented in the company and used successfully.
- Please explain a typical payroll day from your past experiences?
Get all time sheets or computer records, compare to the office records, imput all the information to the payroll program, look and double check the information that has been given.
- Explain do You Have Experience Processing Special Pay Items?
Special pay items are not processed in the same manner as regular payroll. These items include pay for incentives and bonuses, as well as pay for work completed by contract specialists.
- Explain me how do you conduct payroll tracking and reconciliation?
For payroll reconciliation I ensure and verify that all accounts are in agreement to payable dues after tax deductions. For payroll tracking I use Intuit online payroll tracking software and also cross check the timings personally.
- Tell me someone wants to befriend you on a workplace. What would you do?
As a payroll clerk, you should be not be too loyal to someone. On the other hand, it’s normal to make friends on the workplace. That’s why you should say that you want to make friends in work, but it will never influence any of your decisions and actions while performing your job.
- Explain what information do you require before you approve payroll?
Verification that the funds are in place and approval from the authorizing manager for process the payroll.
- What cost-cutting measure have you been in charge of implementing?
How we can reduce the cost of supplies, such as reducing the amount of paper we utilize. Finding solutions in reducing waste and finding different methods to help in saving the enviorment.
- Tell us how would you familiarize yourself with our payroll system?
Would have to get to know the system thoroughly, Will go through the screens and the explanations and try to understand the logic of the system.
- Suppose if an employee called in with a payroll complaint, how would you handle it?
I would pull up their file first and confirm the employee identity and ask them the specific complaint, then I would ask for some time to look into the problem and get back to them as soon as possible to resolve the issue.
- Explain me what motivates you to pursue a job in our company?
Your company is on the 3rd rank in “U.S Best Workplace Ethics” ranking and for me work environment is the first and foremost thing that attracts me, otherwise I am earning fairly enough to make a good living. Also, your core values: respect, integrity, excellence and equality, have motivated me to be your employee.
- Explain how Do You Stay Organized?
Organization is key to accurate and timely payroll processing. Highly organized payroll administrators have information about pay, deadlines, taxes and other important data all in one place for ease of access.
- Fresh Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ Describe to me any payroll process that you have developed or revised?
☛ If an employee called in with a payroll complaint, how would you handle it?
☛ What have you done to improve your verbal communication skills?
☛ What is the largest payroll you have been in charge of?
☛ Give me examples of the payroll reports you have prepared.
☛ How do you keep updated on all the payroll rules and techniques?
☛ How does higher management benefit from payroll reports?
☛ Why are you interested in this position?
☛ We have 9 major union contracts, each with unique special pay items. How will you ensure that everything is paid correctly and on time?
☛ What is a fiscal year?
☛ What salary are you seeking?
☛ Can you explain when you would want to pay an employee through accounts payable rather than payroll?
☛ Have you had responsibility for state and federal tax payments?
☛ What are the payroll inputs?
☛ What is a general ledger?
☛ If you have done bookkeeping in the past for small businesses, tell me about your experience doing that.
☛ What experience do you have implementing a new payroll system?
☛ Describe to me your familiarity with the administration of 403b or 457 plans?
☛ How would you familiarize yourself with our payroll system?
☛ Tell me about the payroll forecasting you have been responsible for.
☛ Describe a typical payroll day from your past experiences.
☛ Do you plan to open up your own accounting or payroll firm?
☛ Define a bad employee.
☛ Each of our buildings has a designated payroll timekeeper that reports biweekly. Two reports are late. How do you approach this?
☛ Discuss your experience with payroll.
☛ There are times when we are placed under extreme pressure on the job. Tell about a time when you were under such pressure and how you handled it.
☛ What cost-cutting measure have you been in charge of implementing?
☛ Can you describe the use of forms W2, W4, and 941?
☛ What are the most important attributes a person should have for this position?
☛ What sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
☛ How did you get started in payroll?
☛ What is retro pay?
☛ What are the most important attributes a person should have for this position?
☛ What are your future plans with the company?
☛ Describe to me a difficult situation at work and how you diffused it.
☛ What information do you require before you approve payroll?
☛ We spend considerable time editing our time sheets to ensure no errors. How do you approach finding an error?
☛ What courses did you like the best in your preparation in accounting and payroll?
☛ Why are you interested in this position?
- Role-specific Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ What kind of reports should a payroll specialist prepare?
☛ How familiar are you with FLSA?
☛ How do you follow changes regarding IRS regulations?
☛ What’s included in local taxes withholdings?
☛ What are the payroll source documents you need?
☛ What’s your experience with union contracts?
☛ Are you familiar with Kronos? What other software do you use in your job?
☛ How do you maintain attention to detail when entering employee data?
- Basic Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ Define payroll. Mention the various payroll procedures conducted regularly for updating the payroll database?
☛ Name the payroll software you can access? Do you have knowledge of some accounting software as well?
☛ What’s your experience level with Microsoft Excel and access?
☛ Do you have adequate technical knowledge of the computer software programmes and applications that will be required in your work?
☛ How do you make sure that employee records are entered and accurately and on time?
☛ A payroll clerk often has to face employees’ ire due to a payroll error. How would you handle such a situation
☛ What are key tasks for Payroll…position?
☛ What made you choose to apply to Payroll…position?
☛ Describe steps to manage Payroll?
☛ How do you monitor your department’s productivity or performance as a Payroll Administrator? Give some examples.
☛ Tell us the formula for calculating provincial income and social security taxes.
☛ Do you have experience of handling typical payroll issues raised by the employees? If yes, tell us about your strategy to deal with such a situation?
☛ Payroll is run every two weeks, which means a lot of pressure to meet the deadline. When have you had to work under pressure?
☛ What were the challenges you faced in payroll operations while following either company or government policies?
☛ Please tell us something about payroll tracking, reconciliation and reporting.
☛ How to maintain Payroll activities?
☛ What are top 3 knowledge/top 3 skills for Payroll…position?
☛ What are KRAs/output of Payroll…position?
☛ What are methods that are used to manage Payroll?
☛ What do you know about the regulatory standards, policies and procedures of payroll?
☛ Are you willing to work overtime or off-shift during emergency or special situations like auditing, financial year-end etc?
☛ What kind of training and certification, do you have related to payroll?
☛ What were the challenges you faced in payroll operations while following either company or government policies?
☛ What were the challenges you faced in payroll operations while following either company or government policies?
☛ What are some of the most important reports you have written? How difficult were they to write? Why? What reactions did they get?
☛ Payroll is run every two weeks, which means a lot of pressure to meet the deadline. When have you had to work under pressure?
☛ Describe your experience with the administration of electronic timekeeping.
☛ How to measure performance of Payroll activities?
☛ Describe steps to manage Payroll?
☛ What training or certification program have you gone through in this field?
☛ Tell me about the most complicated report you have to prepare related to personnel. For example, over time, these, headcount, retirement contribution and so on.
☛ What was the most complicated payroll you are responsible for?
- Operational and Situational Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ How do you ensure attendance records are reported on time?
☛ If two clients came to your office to complain at the same time, how would you handle it?
☛ An employee tells you that they received less money that agreed. How do you go about investigating this?
☛ What would be your first week’s priorities if we hired you?
☛ If an employee insisted that you tell them the salary of a coworker, how would you respond?
- Behavioral Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ Give me an example of a time you improved a payroll process
☛ Recall a time you found it difficult to collaborate with a colleague. How did you handle it?
☛ Tell me about a time you were stressed on the job. What did you do?
☛ Was there a time you didn’t manage to provide excellent customer service? What should you had done differently?
☛ Tell me about a time you had to deliver negative news to a client
- Top Professional Payroll Assistant Job Interview Questions:
☛ Tell me about yourself?
☛ Why did you leave your last job?
☛ What is your greatest weakness?
☛ What experience do you have in Payroll field?
☛ What are key tasks for Payroll position?
☛ What are top 3 knowledge/top 3 skills for Payroll position?
☛ What are KRAs/output of Payroll position?
☛ How to measure/appraise your Payroll position?
☛ What do you know about this company?
☛ Describe two or three major trends in your Payroll field?
☛ Did you choose this profession/field?
☛ What tertiary qualifications have you attained that related to Payroll position?
☛ What is the most recent skill you have learned that related to Payroll position?
☛ What do you do to stay current with provincial, federal, state, municipal regulations?
☛ A payroll clerk often has to face employees ire due to a payroll error. How would you handle such a situation
☛ Define payroll. Mention the various payroll procedures conducted regularly for updating the payroll database?
☛ What are monitoring methods for Payroll activities?
☛ Describe ISO 9001 for Payroll?
☛ What made you choose to apply to Payroll position?
☛ Tell me about your last position and what you did?
☛ What do you know about the Payroll position?
☛ What have you done to improve your Payroll knowledge in the last year?
☛ What have you learned from mistakes on the Payroll job?
☛ What was the most complicated payroll you are responsible for?
☛ State the payroll principles and standards defined to work and maintain an organizations payroll system.
☛ Name the payroll software you can access? Do you have knowledge of some accounting software as well?
☛ Whats your experience level with Microsoft Excel and access?
☛ Tell me about the most complicated report you have to prepare related to personnel. For example, over time, these, headcount, retirement contribution and so on.
☛ Payroll is run every two weeks, which means a lot of pressure to meet the deadline. When have you had to work under pressure?
☛ What are some of the most important reports you have written? How difficult were they to write? Why? What reactions did they get?
☛ Describe the employment laws that affect your work?
☛ Please tell us something about payroll tracking, reconciliation and reporting.
☛ Please rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 on your data entry skills and general math and book keeping skills.
☛ Are you willing to work overtime or off-shift during emergency or special situations like auditing, financial year-end etc?
☛ What were the challenges you faced in payroll operations while following either company or government policies?
☛ What kind of training and certification, do you have related to payroll?
☛ Tell me about a time when you took disciplinary action against an employee. How did you decide what to do?
☛ How do you monitor your departments productivity or performance as a Payroll Administrator? Give some examples.
☛ What training or certification program have you gone through in this field?
☛ Do you have adequate technical knowledge of the computer software programmes and applications that will be required in your work?
☛ What do you know about the regulatory standards, policies and procedures of payroll?
☛ What are methods that are used to manage Payroll?
☛ How to maintain Payroll activities?
☛ What are common risks for Payroll? And how to face?
☛ Describe steps to manage Payroll?
☛ How to measure performance of Payroll activities?
☛ Describe your experience with the administration of electronic timekeeping.
☛ Do you have experience of handling typical payroll issues raised by the employees? If yes, tell us about your strategy to deal with such a situation?
☛ Explain your role with payroll administration. Discuss the nature of problems generally occurred during the payroll record submission?
☛ What do you understand from employers social security, compensation payments and payroll liabilities? Discuss the relationship between these three entities.
☛ Tell us the formula for calculating provincial income and social security taxes.
☛ How do you make sure that employee records are entered and accurately and on time?
- Explain me how do you ensure your knowledge of payrolling is up to date?
You can say that you watch changes in labor law as well as tax law closely, in order to avoid making any mistakes. Also, if you read any publications related to this problematic, you can refer to it in an interview. Presenting yourself like someone who cares about quality of his work can only help you in your interview.
- Tell me we spend considerable time editing our time sheets to ensure no errors. How do you approach finding an error?
We all make mistakes. I inform my supervisor fix the problem apologize and assure that I will pay more attention to detail.
- Explain your familiarity with the administration of 403b or 457 plans?
A 403(b) plan is a U.S. Tax-advantaged retirement savings plan available for public education organizations, some non-profit employers (only Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) organizations), cooperative hospital service organizations, and self-employed ministers in the United States.The 457 plan is a type of non-qualified tax advantaged deferred-compensation retirement plan that is available for governmental and certain non-governmental employers in the United States. The employer provides the plan and the employee defers compensation into it on a pre-tax basis. For the most part the plan operates similarly to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan most people are familiar with in the US
- Tell us have you had responsibility for state and federal tax payments?
Yes and it is very important that they are paid on time, otherwise fines are given to the company.
- Tell me what Payroll software applications are you familiar with?
I am proficient in using:
• PayCycle
• Optimum Solutions – Optimum Payroll
• ADP – Payroll Solutions
I have also had the experience of using:
• Qqest Payroll Services
• CheckMark Software
- Explain what Is Your Experience with Computerized Payroll Systems or Software?
Payroll systems accurately maintain data related to payroll processing. Familiarity with formal payroll systems and computerized software ensure the candidate has experience with current payroll technology.
- Tell me there are times when we are placed under extreme pressure on the job. Tell about a time when you were under such pressure and how you handled it?
Last minute change of health insurance, I handle it by doing teams to obtain the information and input it correctly to avoid any mistakes by the deadline.
- If you have done bookkeeping in the past for small businesses, tell me about your experience doing that?
Havent done bookkeeping. Been responsible for reconciling payroll related accounts.
- Tell us when you would want to pay an employee through accounts payable rather than payroll?
We never pay an employee through the payroll system, this creates a problem because there are tax implications and benefits that need to be included, before paying the take home salary .
- Tell me what sorts of things have you done to become better qualified for your career?
My education has focused on not only learning the fundamentals, but also on the practical application of the information learned.
- What is a general ledger?
An accounting record system where all the companies income and expenses and assets and liabilities are kept.
- What is a fiscal year?
Fiscal year is used for calculation of yearly financial statement.
- Tell me how Would You Handle an Upset Employee Whose Pay Is Inaccurate?
Occasionally mistakes in payroll happen. This question allows the applicant to describe how he would resolve a situation that involves a disgruntled employee who needs assistance.
- Tell me a brief overview of what a payroll clerk work involves?
Payroll managers compile payroll data, verify time and attendance and process periodic transfers of pays to different accounts.
- Explain about the payroll forecasting you have been responsible for?
I was responsible for forecast according to the number of employees and the amount of hours how much we will need to cover for payroll.
- What salary are you seeking as Payroll Assistant?
I would consider a salary of 30,000 pounds.
- Tell me what have you done to improve your verbal communication skills?
I have taken communication courses and have a very long history of customer service skills.
- Tell me what do you think are the major responsibilities of a Payroll Assistant?
The major duties of this professional comprises:
• Accurately completing payroll processing tasks, reconciliations and related reports on time
• Responding to inquiries related to payroll processes and procedures in an effective manner
• Resolving payroll discrepancies by collecting and analyzing information accurately
• Maintaining payroll operations by following policies and procedures and reporting changes made or required
• Maintaining employees’ confidence and keeping payroll operations and information confidential
• Properly maintaining all payroll records and reports including annual and quarterly filings
• Resolving payroll issues and efficiently communicating with all parties involved
- Explain me typical IRS Forms Such as Form W-2 and W-4?
Payroll administrators process payroll tax information. IRS forms W-2 and W-4 provide employers with the information needed to withhold income taxes from employees’ wages. Familiarity with these forms ensure the candidate understands how to properly prepare these documents.
- Tell me how would you define payroll? Also outline the routine steps part of a basic payroll processing protocol?
Payroll can be defined as a list with names of all employees of a company along with their payable wage amounts. Payroll processing includes filling up of W-4 forms by all employees, creating a payroll records system, calculating applicable deductions, determining the suitable payment methods and making deposits.
- Tell us what courses did you like the best in your preparation in accounting and payroll?
I really enjoyed the Payroll Compliance Course. I found it interesting to learn about all the provinces and how each province deals with taxes.
- Tell us what are the most important attributes a person should have for this position?
The number one attribute for any position is confidentiality. Someone working with money should also be honest and trustworthy.
- Each of our buildings has a designated payroll timekeeper that reports biweekly. Two reports are late. How do you approach this?
Input everybody else and email the payroll timekeeper for the reports, meanwhile I make aware to the supervisor of this employees of the situation so they can get help to finish the reports.
- Suppose we have 10 major union contracts, each with unique special pay items. How will you ensure that everything is paid correctly and on time?
Create a batch and set it to run on a particular pay date. Week 1 etc..
- Tell us how good do you think you are at all of these tasks? Where will rate yourself on the scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest?
I am completely trained at all of these tasks because of my three years of experience and relative to that I will rate myself ten on ten. I can assure you that it is my expertise that I am rating myself full, not over confidence.
- Tell us how Would You Handle an Employee Who Fails to Report Time Records Before the Payroll Deadline?
Employees who do not complete their required payroll forms make the payroll administrator’s job more challenging. Asking this question allows the applicant to explain how she would handle this to ensure the worker still gets paid.
- Tell me which computerized payroll systems are you familiar with?
I am familiar with UltiPro, BambooHR, KRONOS and Namely. I am a quick learner with a knack for software operations and usually learn to operate unfamiliar software in very limited time and supervision.
- Tell us what are the 3 skills you think a payroll clerk must have?
Well, I believe strong analytical skills, good command on mathematics and attention to detail are must haves for any person in the role of a payroll officer.
- Tell us have you any experience with pay card payments? Describe it?
(It’s a simple method of offering employees a debit card they can use to buy things with, or cash it with the use of ATM. It’s like sending money to bank account; just you send it to the card for this purpose.)
- Tell me why do you want to work as a payroll clerk?
This question is difficult. You can hardly find something motivating about this job… However, you should not say an employer that you just want to have any sort of administrative/accounting job, and that’s why you apply for this one. As a good applicant, you can mention that you like math, that you are very detail oriented and prefer routine jobs. That’s the reason why payroll clerk is a good choice for you.
- Please explain a difficult situation at work and how you diffused it?
One difficult situation that happen was managing conflict how that was dealth with is that the situation was presented before all the individuals and a resolution was brought in to play the handle the matter at hand.
- Explain me the use of forms W2, W4, and 941?
W2 is a summary record given to employee showing their earnings taxes paid and any other deductions, W4 is what the employee fills out letting the payroll department know how many depending they are claiming, 941 is the report filled out each quarter and year end showing everything paid and deducted through payroll.
- Tell us do you plan to open up your own accounting or payroll firm?
This interview question is simple to answer. I would obviously begin by picking out a work related problem I have faced and that I knew turned out to be a problem that I was able to solve.
- What experience do you have implementing a new payroll system?
Been involved with the upgrading of the payroll system. Have not changed from a payroll system in the last 20 years.
- Tell me why are you interested in this position?
To work for a thriving and growing company, I am always learning new task, opportunity of advancment and company profile and word of mouth has been very impressive.
- Tell us how do you feel about working nights and weekends?
If the need be, I am perfectly fine with working on odd timings. There have been multiple situations at work where I worked overtime and on weekends when the work load was greater than usual. What kept me putting my best of abilities was the appreciation that I received for my extra efforts at work.
- Tell me a brief overview of your professional career as a Payroll Assistant?
After graduating from University of California with a BBA Degree, my first full time job was at Marshall & Swift Boeckh as a Book-keeping Executive. I worked there for a year and then I was offered a better opportunity as a Payroll Assistant at Enova Financial, where I have been working for the past two years. Other than this, I have also done three internships during my degree of which one was focused on ‘compensation and benefits’ function processes of Barclay’s Bank and the other two were related to payroll management at Delaware North Companies and University of California.