Administrator & Helpdesk Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked

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• Publisher: Vibrant Publishers
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781636510019
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Certification Guides in Computer Science
• Index: Computer Science

Administrator and Helpdesk Interview Questions You'll Most Likely Be Asked introduces IT professionals to the most frequently tested questions at interviews for job roles such as -

·Desktop Support Administrator

·Help Desk Technician

·Service Desk Analyst

·Technical Support Specialist

·System Support Specialist

·IT Support Specialist

·Field service technician

·Associate network engineer

·Data support technician

·End-user computing technician

These interview questions test your knowledge in the following primary domains - Mobile Devices, Networking, Hardware, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting, Operating Systems, Security, Software Troubleshooting, and Operational Procedures.

Mastering the theory and practical acumen in these questions will take you one step closer to finding anticipated, high-paid, and recognized jobs!

The following is included in this book:

·150 Administrator and Helpdesk Questions and Answers that test your knowledge and can assist you in the interview for a variety of roles.

·75 HR Questions and Answers along with examples to help you answer the most commonly asked as well as tricky non-technical questions

Human Resource

151. How would you handle a negative coworker?

Answer:

Everyone has to deal with negative coworkers - and the single best way to do so is to remain positive. You may try to build a relationship with the coworker or relate to them in some way, but even if your efforts are met with a cold shoulder, you must retain your positive attitude. Above all, stress that you would never allow a coworker’s negativity to impact your own work or productivity.

As an example:

I would remember that they are human. Most people have negatives they are facing them whether at home or at work and may not be able to handle their emotion the same as others. Additionally, they may just have a genuinely negative or bad personality. With that said, I would do my best to avoid them if possible, if they are being too negative and it is affecting my work, and do not feed in to any negativity. I would do my best to stay positive around them even when they are not positive. I would ask them if they need help with their work, or just take a moment to chat with them about their day to break up the monotony.

152. What would you do if you witnessed a coworker surfing the web, reading a book, etc, wasting company time?

Answer:

The interviewer will want to see that you realize how detrimental it is for employees to waste company time, and that it is not something you take lightly. Explain the way you would adhere to company policy, whether that includes talking to the coworker yourself, reporting the behavior straight to a supervisor, or talking to someone in HR.

As an example:

I would wait a few minutes and see if they stop on their own. Some employees may use internet to check their bank account or send a quick email; no harm done. If there are strict policies on internet usage for reasons of viruses, etc., then I would remind them they are not supposed to use it. If, however, they are just abusing the internet and surfing the web and not working for a long period of time, I believe I would not have an issue with a gentle nudge and joke, prompting them to get off. It truly depends on your relationship with your coworker as this will determine your approach. If it is someone I get along with I would have no problem with talking to them about it and finding ways to include them in the project I am working on, or perhaps offer them help in projects they are working on, reminding them to spend less time on the internet. If it is someone I do not have that sort of relationship with, I would find ways to approach them while they are using the internet and discuss work, and prompt them to get off. If it continued, I would have no problem letting management know.

153. How do you handle competition among yourself and other employees?

Answer:

Healthy competition can be a great thing, and it is best to stay focused on the positive aspects of this here. Don’t bring up conflict among yourself and other coworkers, and instead focus on the motivation to keep up with the great work of others, and the ways in which coworkers may be a great support network in helping to push you to new successes.

As an example:

Healthy competition is great in the workplace under certain circumstances. If a project will be rolled out with some form of competition being encouraged, it is best to present it with guidelines and “dos and donts” of healthy competition in the workplace. I would consider using a graph to highlight progress individually as well as another to show the entire team’s success together. I would also consider ways to celebrate those with higher success rates and playfully encourage those with lower success rates.

154. When is it okay to socialize with co-workers?

Answer:

This question has two extreme answers (all the time, or never), and your interviewer, in most cases, will want to see that you fall somewhere in the middle. It’s important to establish solid relationships with your coworkers, but never at the expense of getting work done. Ideally, relationship-building can happen with exercises of teamwork and special projects, as well as in the break room.

As an example:

I make sure to maintain healthy working relationships with my coworkers by maintaining communication paired with boundaries. We are with our coworkers more than our families, and it is imperative that we have at least cordial working environments. It is nice to learn different personalities of your coworkers, as some may be happy to be complete introverts and focus on nothing but working and going home, while others may crave and need that human interaction in order to get through each day. I make sure to say hello to everyone I see each morning and ask them how they are doing and what their day looks like at work. I try to encourage breaks away from the desk at routine times each day for chit chat or walking outside, set to a reasonable time limit. This allows for a break and banter away from the desk. Each Friday it is nice to be able to ask any plans for the weekend before leaving just to bring that outside element in to the office. Each Monday it is nice to start off with, how was your weekend questions to get it out of the way and then focus on the tasks at hand. It is also ok to tell a coworker who comes over to chit chat “I can’t talk right now but can I call you for a walk when I take my break?”

155. Tell me about a time when a major change was made at your last job, and how you handled it.

Answer:

Provide a set-up for the situation including the old system, what the change was, how it was implemented, and the results of the change, and include how you felt about each step of the way. Be sure that your initial thoughts on the old system are neutral, and that your excitement level grows with each step of the new change, as an interviewer will be pleased to see your adaptability.

As an example:

I was a payroll processor and used the same system for five years. I was the one who ran payroll each week and trained two others on how to use the system. I was considered the software expert and was very comfortable with my job. Management decided to implement a new software, entirely changing the process in which I worked. At first, I was nervous and upset, as I did not know what to expect. Management asked me to assist with the set up of the new software and wanted my input, which made me feel more included and valued. Once I began using the new software, I realized it had many features the old one didn’t, which ended up making my job easier and more efficient. I learned as much as I could about the new software and trained my coworkers on it.

156. When delegating tasks, how do you choose which tasks go to which team members?

Answer:

The interviewer is looking to gain insight into your thought process with this question, so be sure to offer thorough reasoning behind your choice. Explain that you delegate tasks based on each individual’s personal strengths, or that you look at how many other projects each person is working on at the time, in order to create the best fit possible.

As an example:

I look at workload of each staff member and see who is actually available to have more tasks added on. I may re-arrange workloads to fit the right person in to the right task. For example, if I feel there is someone with a large workload who is best suited for making the spreadsheets I need, I may re-delegate some of their work to another staff member to free up that persons time to work on the spreadsheets. Add itionally if there are members of the team who may not be a good fit for any of the tasks required for the project, I may fit them in to a role anyway such as “project assistant” or “reviewer.”

157. Tell me about a time when you had to stand up for something you believed strongly about to coworkers or a supervisor.

Answer:

While it may be difficult to explain a situation of conflict to an interviewer, this is a great opportunity to display your passions and convictions, and your dedication to your beliefs. Explain not just the situation to the interviewer, but also elaborate on why it was so important to you to stand up for the issue, and how your coworker or supervisor responded to you afterward - were they more respectful? Unreceptive? Open-minded? Apologetic?

As an example:

While working in HR, we had an employee who had clearly broken policy regarding vacation time, twice. He was given a warning then broke policy again and was time for termination. Management wanted to terminate his employment – two weeks before Christmas. While I was in agreement that he needed to be let go, I was not in agreement with the timing, especially considering the reason for the termination was not due to any malicious or violent in nature offenses. I believed the employee being terminated two weeks before Christmas for what seemed to be a lower level offense (offense nonetheless) would be detrimental to morale of the other employees and caused issues for the company and grief among the rest of the staff. I also believed that given the nature of the offenses we could afford to wait just wo more weeks. Management resisted at first, wanting to be completely reactive and “show force” however once I discussed the big picture they begrudgingly agreed to wait until one week after Christmas. Although we didn’t see eye to eye always, management realized that I brought a different perspective to the table and was a valuable member of the team and began coming to me to discuss other issues as they arose when they though their decisions may affect the entire workforce.

158. Tell me about a time when you helped someone finish their work, even though it wasn’t “your job.”

Answer:

Though you may be frustrated when required to pick up someone else’s slack, it’s important that you remain positive about lending a hand. The interviewer will be looking to see if you’re a team player, and by helping someone else finish a task that he or she couldn’t manage alone, you show both your willingness to help the team succeed, and your own competence.

As an example:

Our department hired an intern who was having a lot of difficulties figuring out how to use the large-scale copier. They were handed a packet by another coworker and told to make 75 copies… and just told “do it.” After many hours of anguish and ruined reams of paper, the intern sat down and looked defeated. I let them know they should take a break and get some fresh air. When they came back in, I took time to show them how to use the copier (since no one else did), and then went back to my work. At the end f the day I set aside time to go back over and relieve her of her duties so she could start packing up and I finished the last few packets of copies for her and helped her staple the last few sets. I walked her through every inch of the machine and how to use it, and she came back the next day refreshed and knew someone was on her side to assist with her learning experience.

159. What are the challenges of working on a team? How do you handle this?

Answer:

There are many obvious challenges to working on a team, such as handling different perspectives, navigating individual schedules, or accommodating difficult workers. It’s best to focus on one challenge, such as individual team members missing deadlines or failing to keep commitments, and then offer a solution that clearly addresses the problem. For example, you could organize weekly status meetings for your team to discuss progress or assign shorter deadlines in order to keep the long-term deadline on schedule.

As an example:

Sometimes the biggest challenge is simply when everyone on the team has a different idea on how it should be completed. During these times, I make sure to hear everyone’s opinions and thoughts, because that ...

Table of contents

• Hardware
• Networking
• Mobile Devices
• Hardware, OS & Networks
• Operational Procedures
• Windows & Other OS
• Security
• Human Resource